Water Drainage Problems Cost Uganda Billions

Water drainage problems in Uganda are costing the country billions of shillings a year.

Jeconious Musingwire, an environmental scientist in Uganda who works with the national environment watchdog NEMA says that subsurface water drainage is contributing to poor sanitation and hygiene diseases, smaller crop yields, road problems, flooding, soil erosion and other issues.The about photos prove correct this statement.

Convention for the Protection of Western Indian Ocean’s Environment

Environment Ministers and representatives of the 10 African countries sharing the Western Indian Ocean have signed a new Protocol for the Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment of the Western Indian Ocean from Land-based Sources and Activities (LBSA), and a 25- year Strategic Action Programme (SAP) aimed at ensuring efficient management of the marine and coastal environment in the larger Eastern and Southern African region.
The Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Western Indian Ocean has also been amended to take into account new provisions on emerging issues such as climate change and the need for an ecosystem-based management approach.

UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner says: “The adoption of the LBSA Protocol is a long process coming to fruition and sets a bright future for the Nairobi Convention. The Nairobi Convention Secretariat is thankful to contracting Parties for their strong engagement and dedication in the process of developing a new legal instrument on land-based activities that affect the marine and coastal environment. This provides an important tool that will shape and guide our actions as we ensure that the unique Western Indian Ocean’s ecosystems can deliver sustainable development and well-being to the 60 million people who live and depend on its resources.”

With the signing of the final act of the LBSA Protocol and the rejuvenated Convention, the Western Indian Ocean region becomes one of the three regional seas in the world to have a regional agreement focused on the control of land-based activities degrading and or polluting the marine waters of the region. The other regions with a similar agreement include the Wider Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea.

The President of the Conference of the Plenipotentiaries, Mr. Sateeaved Seebaluk of Mauritius said: “There is a great sense of achievement to see the positive conclusion of this process which had its hard times but a lot of progress has been made. Today, the Convention of Nairobi is one the successful convention in this part of the world. We have successful WIO-Lab projects; the updating of the Convention and the development of the LBSA Protocol have been successfully accomplished. These key instruments should not be archived but instead should become working documents to ensure good practices in contracting parties.”

The Indian Ocean, which is globally recognised for its unique biological richness and natural beauty and high ecological and socio-economic value, is still few of the remaining undisturbed areas of the world oceans with diverse ecosystems that provide invaluable goods and services to the growing population of the region. The economic value of the goods and services provided by these Western Indian Ocean marine ecosystems is estimated to be over 25 billion US Dollar, with fisheries and tourism as the two main direct contributors to the economies of the countries in the region.

However, Countries sharing the Western Indian Ocean are now facing serious challenges related to the sustainable management of the coastal and marine environment.
The Strategic Action Programme for the Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment of the Western Indian Ocean (SAP), endorsed by Contracting Parties today will address the challenges faced by governments in the region in dealing with increasing pollution of coastal waters, the destruction and degradation of critical habitats, changes in freshwater flow as well as challenges resulting from global climate change.
It is expected that the agreement will bind the governments towards a common objective of preventing, reducing, mitigating and controlling pollution from land-based sources and activities to protect and sustain the marine and coastal environment in the Western Indian Ocean.

Should Safe Water Be for Humans Only?

Safe water should not only be for human beings alone. Animals such as the ones in the pictures need safe waster to live better lives. I took these pictures in Uganda in Sanga, Kiruhura district.

A Call to Conserve Uganda's Water

Conservation of rivers and lakes would help to preserve such waters (see photos ) for the future generations. However environmentalists are warning that climate change is greatly threatening the future of such water bodies. I took these photos in Jinja, Eastern Uganda on different parts of River Nile.

Poor Farming Methods Polluting Water in Uganda

Hundreds of thousands of rural people and their livestock in the western Uganda depend on polluted water according to environmentalists there.

Environmentalists in the region say most of the waters in the rivers, lakes, and wells there have been polluted and are now brown in color. They blame this mostly on poor methods of farming which causes soils from this hilly region to slop down the hills and pollute waters in the valleys every time it rains.

I visited this region and toured the famous River Rwizi, one of the main Rivers in the region which is a source of water for thousands of local people and their livestock. Snaking through the famous hills of southwestern Uganda, Rwizi was always a beautiful river that brought pride to the people in the area due to its sky blue waters and the purposes they served.

Today, River Rwizi is back in news not for its great beauty and history but for being under a brink of death. The deadly disease whose symptoms include browning and ever decreasing waters was spread to it by the people who depend on it according to the agency that oversees environment in Uganda-NEMA.

The focal person for the National Environment Management Authority-NEMA in the western region, Jeconeous Musingwire told me that the water of River Rwizi “should never be shaded blue on any map because its color is brown like soil.”

He disclosed that Rwizi’s waters are brown because of sedimentation. “There is a lot of soil wash off from the river’s poorly managed catchments areas,” laments Musingwire.

River Rwizi which originates from Buhweju, a mountainous county of Bushenyi district meanders through the bare hills of southwestern Uganda in Bushenyi, Ntungamo and Mbarara districts. It continues to flow via several cattle grazing places in this region before joining Lake Mburo National Park and later joins Lake Mburo.

Musingwire says valleys and hills which river Rwizi meanders through are usually set on fire in the dry seasons. According to Musingwire, the same hills and valleys are again faced with poor methods of cultivation in rainy seasons. This, Musingwire says, “leaves soils from the poorly managed hills and valleys dumped into the River every time it rains.” This, he says is not only happening to River Rwizi but also to several other water bodies in the region

Musingwire tips that poor methods of farming could continue threatening water sources in this region unless local people there promote soils conservation.

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Masaka Inhabitants Consume Contaminated Water-UN-HABITAT

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–HABITAT) has warned that petroleum and vehicle garage wastes in the Uganda’s southwestern town of Masaka pour into Nakayiba and Nabajuzi wetlands, the major sources of water for the town inhabitants.

George Kasumba, the UN Habitat Consultant, warns that the inhabitants of this town are in great danger because, “the wastes from the town enter these wetlands without being purified.”

While speaking at a one-day strategic Urban Development Plan for Masaka Municipality at Tropic Inn Hotel recently, Kasumba lamented that this as a result of lack of a reliable dumping site for Masaka Municipality.

Worse more, the population surrounding Nakayiba wetland grows yams, sugarcanes and sweet potatoes within this swamp which are later consumed by the local people and the town dwellers.

According to Kasumba, there is need for, “proper treatment of the water from these wetlands” to make sure that local people do not consume contaminated water from these wetlands.” Several people close to these wetlands collect water direct from them which they sometimes drink unboiled or use to prepare their food.

He also said that the garbage from Masaka Municipality dumped at Bwala and Ssenyange hills straw back to the urban area due to the strong winds and the flowing rainwater.

Speaking at the same function, the Masaka District Chairperson, Vincent Ssempijja said that operations against shops and homes constructed without toilets in the municipality are going to start effective with this month of January. He urged all the local leaders in the district to work towards having standard sanitation and hygiene in their communities.

The Member of Parliament for Masaka Municipality thanked the UN Habitat for providing about 1.4 million dollars towards the improvement of Nyendo from a slum environment to a properly planned town status.

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Town in Uganda Declared A Dangerous Urban Area For Human Settlement Due To Untreated Water Sources

A town in Uganda has been declared by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–HABITAT), a dangerous urban area for human settlement due to lack of use of untreated water from polluted sources and lack of sewerage management system.

The United Nations Human Settlements agency also laments that KYOTERA Town in Rakai District lack a dumping site and a master physical plan.

Kyotera has been listed among the 30 secondary towns experiencing rapid urbanization at a rate of 3-7% per annum in East Africa according the Senior UN Habitant Consultant based in Nairobi, Jossy Matero.

“The rapid urbanization rate of towns without proper plans has turned into a menace and are the main generators of pollution loads entering Lake Victoria ” he said.

Materu said that Kyotera will benefit from the multi-billion urban planning project for Lake Victoria Region.

Addressing a stakeholder’s consultative workshop on the future of Kyotera Town at High Way Motel in Kyotera town recently, Matero said that 25 million people who depend on Lake Victoria in East Africa have turned into a threat to the lake.

He said that the massive pollution of Lake Victoria by the surrounding population has prompted the UN Habitant and the respective governments in the region to support various initiatives aimed at promoting environmental sustainability.

Matero said that 10 interventions have been established by the UN Habitant and the local governments to address the problem so as to save Lake Victoria .

They include Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation, City development strategy, sustainable urban mobility and a pilot banana drinks preservation and packing facilities in Uganda and Tanzania.

Others are, City without slums projects, Jinja Municipality Housing Program and Urban Planning, Region Urban Sector Profiles, Lake Victoria Local Economic Development and the development of Toolkits and Training Packages that have potential to be applied in the Lake Victoria Region.

Participants who included local and opinion leaders and civil servants resolved that Kyotera town must be expanded to meet the new plan designed for the development of their urban area.

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Water crisis to hit Eastern Africa

Mugira Fredrick 18/11/2007
Experts are warning of devastating water crisis by 2030 in the countries within the River Nile basin if nothing is done now to address the issue of ever increasing population in this region.

Wagaye Teshome, a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) consultant in the Nile basin says there would be a crisis of water scarcity by the year 2030 in the countries that form the Nile basin due to increased population which is leading to encroachment on wetlands and forest lands which are essential in formation of rain.

There are about 10 countries in the Nile basin including Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Sudan.

Wagaye says that projections by her agency reveal that the population in most of these countries which doubled in the last 20 years will again double in the next 20 years, hence causing a great demand for water while its availability will be low due to encroachment on wetlands and forest lands among others.

Wagaye was speaking at the East African regional conference on Population, Health and Environment in Addis Ababa Ethiopia organized by the USA’s Population Reference Bureau.

“All the forest area will be under cropland by the year 2030 in order to support the population. Water will be a big issue as it will be much less compared to what is there at the moment,” Said Wagaye.

According to the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) food expert, many countries along the Nile river basin irrigate their land, but with decreasing water levels, the water will not be enough for this and other needs.

She urged the countries in the basin to focus on irrigating their land and family planning, in order to produce few children and more food from the available land

Apart from Kenya and Egypt, all the countries in the Nile basin are among the world's 50 poorest nations.

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Irrigation for Apple growing in Ethiopia

Mugira Fredrick 18/11/2007

Farmers in the Welmera, one of the dry districts of Ethiopia have embarked on a project that uses irrigation to grow apples.

The project in the Adaa Elu area involves 34 families. They use drip method of irrigation system to water their growing apple trees. Drip irrigation, involves running water through pipes containing holes either buried or lying slightly above the ground next to the crops. Water slowly drips onto the crop roots and stems.

The farmers who are organized under the organization – Farmers Forestry Development Cooperation got the apples they planted from Spain.

The head of the cooperation, Zewde Muleta told a group of East African journalists who visited this area last week in a trip organized by the USA’s Population Reference Bureau that this area faces acute shortage of water which is the reason why they are using irrigation to grow apples.

The waters are drawn from the nearby small stream, which Zewde Muleta says that dries up sometimes when sunshine intensifies.

Speaking through an interpreter, Muleta lamented continued lack of enough water in this region stressing that there is need for alternative sources of water to help people in this area grow crops.

He stressed that local people in this area move for over half an hour to collect water from wells which at times is not safe. This, he says waste time that would have otherwise been invested in other productive activities.

Muleta was however optimistic that irrigation of their apple gardens would help them to produce enough apples to export to international markets.

Ethiopia has a developmental plan of extending water in every village in the next five years.

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A 45,000 dollar project in Ethiopia benefits 4000

Fredrick Mugira 18/11/2007
A 45,000 dollar water project that uses solar to pump water from underground is currently benefiting over 4000 people in the Adaa Liben district in the Oromia region of Ethiopia.

The project is situated 60 kilometers south of Addis Ababa. It was sponsored by an organization of civil societies in Germany in collaboration with The Environment and Development Society of Ethiopia (LEM Ethiopia)

Mogues Worku, the executive director of The Environment and Development Society of Ethiopia (LEM Ethiopia) says the project has greatly helped to extend safe water to the people in the area that was originally faced with a severe shortage of water.

He says that machines powered by solar electricity are now extracting water from over 8 meters underground which is in turn distributed to the local people in the area.

Worku says that originally, they were using generators to run machines that extract water but after venturing into the use of solar energy, they have been able to do this cheaply. He reveals that they have so far managed to, "save thousands of dollars."

He also stresses that the project is currently giving employment to several people.

Mogues says that there is need to construct more of such projects to help people in dry country of Ethiopia to access safe water.

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Dozens Trained In Water Tanks Construction

Mugira Fredrick 23/10/2007
Atleast 23 persons have been trained in construction of water tanks in Kabale district, in Uganda under a project aimed at equipping the local people with skills to construct and manage their own water projects.

The one month water harvest technology and sanitation course was carried out by the Kigezi diocese, of the Church of Uganda. The participants were drawned from not only Kabale district but also Kiruhura and Isingiro districts.

According to Reverend Rauben Byomuhangi, the Kigezi Diocese’s water and sanitation coordinator, the participants were trained in building Ferro-cement water tanks.

Ferro-cement water tanks are made of a cement-rich mortar reinforced with layers of wire mesh. They are usually cheap to construct and require less skilled labor. Several local people in Uganda own these water tanks which are used to collect water from iron-roofed houses overtime it rains.

Rev. Byomuhangi says those trained would go back home and help to teach and construct water tanks in their communities especially at such a time when there are a lot of rains in country. Rev. Byomuhangi urges those trained not to waste their gained skills.

The same call was sounded by Bishop George Katwesigye of Kigezi diocese while commissioning those trained at the diocese’s headquarters in Kabale.

He urged them to use the gained skills to create their own jobs that could help them get income.

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Uganda’s Famous Kitagata Natural Hot Springs Up For Development

Mugira Fredrick 22/10/2007
Authorities in Uganda are calling for investors to develop the famous Kitagata natural hot springs in Bushenyi district as either a modern tourism site or a geothermal project.

Kitagata natural hot springs are situated in Bushenyi district about 350 kms west of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda.

Geresom Kabasekye Mukiga, the man in charge of these springs who is also a guide says there is need for an investor to develop the hot springs into a tourist site that can help government to earn revenues.

He says there is need for construction of a hotel close to the hot springs to always accommodate tourists that visit them. The hot springs are situated just in a walkable distance from the village town of Kitagata.

Speaking in Runyankore, the local language there, Kabasekye said that, “Up to 60,000 dollars is needed to develop the springs to become a standard tourist attraction site.” He laments that if the government owned springs are not given to investors to develop them, they might extinct because the local people are encroaching on them at a high rate. He says the local people neighboring the hot springs are planting eucalyptus trees close to them which are partly threatening to dry them.

Kitagata hot springs are also well known for their curative waters. Patients from as far as 100 kms flock the springs to soak themselves in the spring waters to heal them. Some other patients drink the sulphur rich waters of the hot springs for cure from rheumatism and arthritis.

It is on this background that officials from over ten districts of western Uganda that were attending a one day awareness workshop on promoting alternative energy sources in Uganda , on Monday 22/10/07 that urged health officials in the country to carry out intensify researches on these hot waters with an aim of using them as medicine.

At the same workshop, Bazira Henry a researcher and consultant with the National Association of Professional Environmentalists-NAPE appealed to districts in Uganda which have hot springs like Bushenyi to develop proposals for geothermal projects as one way of identifying other alternative energy sources.

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Water Meters in Uganda Stolen to Make Fake Coin Currencies.

Mugira Fredrick 24/10/2007
The national providers of water and sewerage services in Uganda – The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) are concerned about the increasing cases of thefts of water meters in most of the upcountry towns in the country.

The water meters which are made of Copper and Ziric are reportedly stolen by people who later melt them to make fake coin currency. The theft of these meters makes it hard for the NWSC to effectively monitor water supplies.

Dozens of water meters in western town of Mbarara have been stolen in the recent weeks. The Mbarara municipality residential area of Rwebikoona seems to be the worst affected. Over10 residents report the theft of their water meters in the past weeks. Turyamureba John, one of the residents says, “My water meter and a tap were stolen on Id Fitri day.” He says some of the stolen water taps end up in shops and are resold at a give away price.

The Mbarara branch of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation says it has received reports of thefts of water meters and is carrying out investigations.

Similar thefts of water meters have been reported in the Eastern town of Soroti. Alex Ojera, the accountant for the Soroti branch for National Water and Sewerage Corporation says that the total cost caused by the thefts of water meters in recent weeks is about 1,058 dollars.

He says this is affecting their strategy of extending and monitoring water supplies to the local people. He identifies the worst affected places as Moru Apesur, Kengere and Kiganda cells.

In the Uganda’s town of Masaka, the theft of water meters has greatly affected the areas of Ssaza, Kimaanya and Nyendo town in the Municipality.

Police in Masaka say they are investigating several cases related to the theft of water meters in these areas.

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