Coastal landscapes, especially those adjacent to seas and lakes, have seen increasing land acquisitions worldwide due to their strategic social, cultural, and economic benefits, which have negatively impacted marginalized communities. This paper highlights the pressing issues faced by marginalized riparian communities along the coast of Lake Tanganyika in Bujumbura, due to ongoing land acquisitions for commercial and residential developments. This growing practice has significantly impacted other users of the riparian landscape, such as fishers and farmers, who appear to be systematically forced out of their resource-based livelihoods. This raises concerns, as viable alternative survival strategies remain uncertain. Furthermore, it also limits access for visitors who rely on the lake and its catchment area for recreational purposes. This paper redefines the riparian zone as a shared space where social activities and cultural practices coexist with natural processes. There is limited ethnographic data from the East African Great Lakes region that captures the complexities of social and cultural dynamics, particularly in relation to changes in coastal land ownership, restricted resource accessibility, and shifts in local economies, from traditional agriculture and fisheries to settlement investments. To address this gap, this paper draws on people’s accounts and observations to examine how these multifaceted changes affect marginalized and ordinary members of the community. It frames the coastal landscape of Lake Tanganyika as a transitional space that generates a sense of belonging for both locals and visitors.
