***SILVER MEDALIST - GLOBAL BOOKS AWARD 2021***

The book 40 Amazing Crater Lakes You Must Visit in Tooro Before You Die is a narrative and pictorial celebration of the most magnificent lakes found in the picturesque region of Tooro region in Western Uganda.

Millions of years ago, a gigantic crack occurred in the middle of the African Continent, today known as the “Great East African Rift Valley.” Volcanic eruptions resulted in fascinating land features and one of the world’s densest concentrations of the most amazing and mesmerizing lakes in the world.

The book showcases photographs of the lakes, their location, unique indigenous names, total water surface area in acres, altitude, and other key descriptors. The lakes are just a sample of the lakes that the authors, their families, and commissioned photographers physically visited, verified, and took photos of. Over fifty-five lakes have been identified in the region. Some of them are explosion craters, and others are lava dammed or lakes created by glacial moraine.

The ecosystem of this beautiful natural environment is under threat mainly from the increased population growth and human activities in the region. The degradation is clearly visible in the rapid decline of flora and fauna surrounding the lakes' regions. Alien and water-hungry commercial vegetation is being planted on the slopes of the mountains and the shores of the lakes. The effects of deforestation and soil erosion are visible.

Three indigenous authors born and raised in Tooro undertook this book as a passion project. They are Akiiki Monica Nsita Rubombora, Abooki Alfred Bwomezi, and Apuuli Gwayaka Magelah. The authors wanted to publish a book that captures their remote and far-flung birthplace's serenity and beauty, called Tooro. Hopefully, the book may also be used as a reference guide for educational and tourism purposes. The authors also wanted to highlight the need to conserve the natural environment of the crater lakes region for future generations.

Finally, the book was an effort to capture the mystical beauty and basic scientific intuition that the local people have about the link between water and their environment. As the African proverb goes, water does not forget its original home. We hope that you, the readers, remain respectful and in awe of the beauty that nature has provided to all of us.

These amazing crater lakes should be on the bucket list of any adventurous tourist to Tooro, Uganda.

The "40 Amazing Crater Lakes to Visit Before You Die" won a silver medal at the "Global Books Awards" on 15 September, 2021.