Ministry of Water launches drive to protect River Nyamwamba catchment area

Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Water and Environment has partnered with Mubuku Integrated Farmers Association to restore and protect River Nyamwamba in Kasese district.

As part of the multi-billion Nyamwamba River Plan funded by the World Bank, the ministry will create an emergency measure towards the river system, plant bamboo on river banks and install a flood forecasting and early warning system.

The ministry will also support the livelihood of communities along the catchment area covering 20 kilometres along the low land stretch of the river for nine months and do spot cleaning of the river as part of the activities implemented under the second phase of the Integrated water management development project.

Dr Emmanuel Brian Guma, the team leader of Albert Water Management Zone at the Directorate of Water Resources Management says that they have developed river management plans for all major rivers across the country to deal with their effects on the communities. He says they will also carry out river maintenance in the upstream part of the catchment to record the water volume and speed.

Guma adds that his ministry is developing another integrated management plan for the other major rivers of the district, River Nyamugasani, Sebwe, Mubuku and Lamia. He says they are using a bottom-up approach where local stakeholders are consulted for solutions which are then integrated into science.

Charles Nyamutale, the director of Mubuku Integrated Farmers Association says they have started with demarcating the buffer zone to safeguard the bamboo from being destroyed by humans and wildlife. He adds that they have already done a selection of groups that will benefit from livelihood interventions and these will benefit from projects such as apiary, community tourism and others.

Kasese District Chief Administrative Officer Asuman Amis Masereka said the restoration project focuses on protecting important water catchments for socio-economic development and improving the livelihoods of the people. He says the district allocated 160 million Shillings to lower local governments to effect the planting of bamboo and engaging in other environmental conservation activities.

Lay reader Mary Bukambi Kamanyire, an environmentalist in Kasese says the project is timely given the dangers the river poses to the community during the rainy season. However, she wants the project to be expanded further along all community areas neighboring the river.

Engineer Edward Tumwesige, a board member of Mubuku Integrated Farmers Association wants the local community to adopt this intervention so that it can be expanded to other areas along the river banks.

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