Dar Es Salaam, Jan 20 : Tanzanian Vice-President Philip Mpango has called for the protection of water sources that flow into Lake Victoria, one of the world's largest freshwater lakes. Mpango made the call shortly on Thursday before he laid the foundation stone for a 24.4-billion-Tanzanian-shilling (about $10.4 million) project that will draw water from Lake Victoria and supply it to Tinde and Shelui townships in Shinyanga region. "A decrease in water levels in Lake Victoria will have dire consequences for humankind," he said. He also urged water authorities in the country to come up with strategies aimed at conserving water, including harvesting rainwater for use in times of scarcity, Xinhua news agency reported. Covering an area of 68,800 square kilometre, Lake Victoria is shared by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. /IANS