What Uganda government can do to solve floods in Ntoroko district

Children in a submerged hut in Budiba in Ntoroko District. Floods are a chronic problem in Ntoroko. Photo by Ruth Katusabe

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Thanks-for-relief-items--but-fix-flooding-too---Ntoroko-leaders/-/688334/2516056/-/view/printVersion/-/gm9ee0/-/index.html

In Summary

Demand. Ntoroko leaders have demanded that government should find ways of stopping rampant flooding in the district, that displaces hundreds of people every year and destroys property. They say providing relief items such as food, tents, blankets and jerricans is not enough, writes Felix Basiime and Ruth Katushabe

On Saturday night, November 1 Ms Sofia Byanjeru, 50, a resident of Budiba Sub-county in Ntoroko District awoke to a wet bed.

At first she thought her children had wetted her bed but to her shock she realised floods had submerged her house.

“The whole house was full of water to about two feet above the ground,” Byanjeru says, adding “I made an alarm and fled with all family members for our dear lives. Other people in the neighbourhood had started to escape, so we were ferried on a canoe to Budiba centre and we had to pay Shs 1,000 per person.”

Ms Byanjeru is among the more than 5,000 people in Ntoroko who were last week displaced by floods caused when rivers Lamia and Semliki bust their banks.

The floods destroyed houses, roads, crops and killed several livestock and poultry.
The affected areas include: Budiba, Kanara, Bweramule, Butungama and parts of Rwebisengo Town Council.

The floods compelled at least 474 Primary Seven candidates in Ntoroko District to do their Primary Leaving Examinations in tents after some classrooms and roads were submerged.

Floods are a chronic problem in Ntotoko which plague the district every rainy season, displacing hundreds of people and leaving a trail destruction.

Every time floods occur houses are damaged; crops destroyed and roads are rendered impassable, hindering education, livelihoods and provision of social services.

According to environmentalists and Ntoroko residents, the flood waters this time came in bigger volumes. Environmentalists say this is an indicator of increased environment degradation upstream of River Semliki and downstream in Ntoroko.

Ntoroko officials have called upon the government to go beyond providing relief items such as food, tents and blankets to flood victims as it always does whenever floods occur in the district, and find ways of stopping the floods.

The district chairperson, Mr Timothy Kyamanywa, recently told Vice President Edward Ssekandi: “We are tired of getting relief aid every year whenever the district is affected by floods. So find other means of stopping these floods because government is spending much to get relief aid for the affected people.”

Almost every year, the State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Mr Musa Ecweru, visits Ntoroko to deliver relief items to the people affected by both floods and drought.

Government and other bodies such as the Red Cross have done this for the last four years since the area is affected by floods in rainy seasons and by drought in dry seasons.

The district environment officer, Mr Herbert Kamuhanda, explains that there are a combination of factors that bring About the floods.

He says uncontrolled human activities causes River Semliki to bust its banks.
Mr Herbert adds that glaciers on Mount Rwenzori are melting more rapidly due to climate change, thereby releasing more water to the streams that feed River Semliki.
 

“Other waters stream into the Semliki valley, part of the Western Rift Valley causing floods,” he says.
Environment experts say overgrazing, and other alterations to the watershed have caused bank erosion and frequent changes to the course of River Semliki.
 

Mr Kamuhanda says: “Most rivers: Lamia, Ndugutu, Nyahuka, Ngite and Kirumia (all in 

Bundibugyo) are watered by the glaciers on Mount Rwenzori and all empty into River Semliki.
There are several human activities causing flooding and the changing course of River Semliki.”
 

He adds: “At Rwamabare, Kakahenda village in Ntoroko District, water flows to the communities due to siltation of River Semliki. Upstream in Bundibugyo, people cultivate on the river banks and mine sand. At Ntandi (also in Bundibugyo), people throw waste into River Kirumia which is a middle stream of River Semliki causing siltation and the river bed rises causing banks to bust”.
 

Mr Kamuhanda says at Rukora in Bweramure (Ntoroko), there has been over stocking of animals on free range system and the pastoralists have created several watering points on the river banks causing siltation leading to the river changing its course.
 

He adds that at Masaka in Butungama and at Kiranga in Rwebisengo Sub-county, people dig channels to divert water from River Semliki to water their animals or catch fish and when the river busts its banks, these channels lead water to the communities.
 

According to research conducted by the Climate Change Unit and the Ministry of Water, 198.5 hectares of ice disappeared between 1906 and 2006 on Mount Speke, one of the highest peaks on the Rwenzori range. Most of the melting occurred after 1987.
 

Ntoroko officials and environment experts have proposed several solutions to address the flood problem, including building a dam to store the excess water from River Semliki during the rainy season and using it during the dry season.
 

“It is very costly but the excess water can be tapped and dammed and used during the dry season,” Mr Kamuhanda says.
 

Hydrological and climate change experts advise that something must be done to address siltation and climate change in the catchment areas of River Semliki to control flooding downstream.
 

“River bank regulation must be enforced, especially in Ntoroko District where the law requires 100 metres protection zone where there must be minimal human activities to allow natural rejuvenation,” says Mr Jeconious Musingwiire, the western region National Environment Management Authority awareness officer.
 

He adds: “Flooding is mainly contributed by siltation, so siltation should be controlled and to tame the effects of climate change, the whole catchment area where this river drains from must promote afforestation.” The recent floods despite disrupting PLE exams and displacing hundreds of people, have brought some fortune too.
 

Fish from River Semliki have ended up in shallow flood waters in areas far away from the river where several people catch them easily and sell them at affordable prices to displaced people.
 

A big fish goes for between Shs15,000 and Shs20,000.
Some youth have taken advantage of the floods to make money through offering transport services on their canoes.
 

They charge Shs1,000 per person for the shortest distance.

River Semliki

Semliki River flows northwards from Lake Edward in the Democratic Republic of the Congo across the Uganda border, through western Uganda in Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts near the Semliki National Park. It empties its water into Lake Albert.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the Semliki catchment area is under a lot of pressure due to increasing population and poor management of natural resources. 

Deforestation and uncontrolled cattle grazing is leading to widespread erosion.
This, together with the melting of ice on the Mount Rwenzori, a result of climate change, has resulted in siltation, affecting water quality and changing the river course significantly over the years as it enters Lake Albert.

Ntoroko District

District: Ntoroko District is located west of the Rwenzori Mountains. It was carved out of Bundibugyo District in 2010.
 

It is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Hoima District to the northeast, Kibaale District to the east, Kabarole District to the south and Bundibugyo District to the southwest. 

Economy: Its major economic activities are fishing, farming and business. Cattle and goat rearing is in Rwebisengo and Nombe, crop farming in Karugutu, Butungama and Bweramule while fishing in Kanara.
 

Flood woes: According to the district chairman, Mr Timothy Kyamanywa, the floods have stretched the district budget and resources by increasing the cost of containing malaria, especially among the children and malaria drugs are running out.

A year later, Kasese still grappling with floods menace

A resident wading through the floods on August 19, 2014 in Karusandara in Kasese district after his house was submerged in water. Photo by Moris Mumbere

By ENID NINSIIMA & FELIX BASIIME

Posted Sunday, August 17   2014 [http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/A-year-later--Kasese-still-grappling-with-floods-menace/-/688342/2421234/-/item/0/-/sg9ny/-/index.html]

In Summary

Time bomb. Kasese District environment officer says there are indicators that they can be hit by the floods any time given the volumes of water they are experiencing.

KASESE.

It is exactly one year and three months since Kasese District was devastated by flash floods, and the authorities are still unsure of what next as the sky opens up again.
Both local leaders and residents are wondering why government has not bothered to come to their rescue as the rainy season starts this month.

Kasese was hit with two devastating floods on May 1 2013 and May 8 2014 which left close to 20 people dead, others injured while several people were displaced from their homes.
The Kasese District environment officer, Mr Augustine Kooli, is worried that the district may be hit by yet another flood this month, saying it is the beginning of the long rainy season.
“Though we have not contacted the meteorology office to know the amounts of rainfall we are likely to receive this season, there are clear indicators that any time we can be hit by the floods, given the volume of water we are experiencing now,” Kooli said.

More complicated

The environment officer added that issues of floods in Kasese cannot be solved by mere de-silting (removal of soil and waste materials) from the river -- which government has started by putting up gabions (large square containers in which rocks are packed) and retainer walls to control and redirect the water.

“It is true government has released some money for de-silting, but I do not know the amount. But this will not solve our problem. Remember river erosion and deposition is carried out under the normal hydraulic verbosity and gradient is either the same or equal,” Kooli said.

What Kooli means is that the volume and speed of the river is always the same, even if it is de-silted, the river will still carry and deposit objects. He says instead of de-silting the river first, government would have placed gabions so that the boulders removed are put behind them and this would have worked better other than removing soil that will be brought back anytime.

The environment officer advised the government that the issue of human activities alongside the river banks must be tackled seriously if the problem of floods is to be handled at length.
“We need to respect the river banks by stopping all human activities like cultivation, constructions and sand mining which weaken the river,” he said.

A resident of Kilembe valley, Dr John Baluku, told this paper that people in the area have continued to drink contaminated water ever since the pipes collapsed last year during the first floods.

Jetress Kabugho, who lost a brother during the first floods at Kilembe, blamed leaders for not implementing the presidential directive to submit the names of the affected families so that they could be helped.

“It is now a year down the road since our loved ones died in the disaster, but to date no single leader has ever come to us to take the particulars of the affected families and we wonder why,” Kabugho said.

Alex Kwatampora, the project manager Tibet Hima Company Limited, which took over Kilembe Mines Ltd, says they spend more than Shs 2 million daily on the de-silting and rechanneling of the river.

Kwatampora said Kilembe Hospital has had some renovations but that the security at the facility is at stake since the fence was washed away and some water still passes some few meters to Toto Ward.
He noted that some temporary bridge was being put up at Kyanjuki that connects Kilembe mines offices with the rest of the area.

However, the Kasese Municipality mayor, Mr Godfrey Kabyanga, says the district needs heavy machines to re-channel River Nyamwamba, otherwise the district could be sitting on a time bomb.
Kasese District has been hit by floods every year for nearly the last five years, leading to loss of lives and property, but the magnitude of the damage caused by the large volumes of water has increased since May 1, 2013.

In May, government said it needed Shs 30 billion to de-silt River Nyamwamba to stop the bursting of its banks.

There are several other rivers emanating from the Rwenzori mountain ranges that also burst their banks. And as such, some environmental and hydrological experts say the situation could be experienced for the next two years or so.

“The climate change phenomenon is always after a long period of time like 10 years; by happening last year does not mean that it will not happen again in a subsequent years. The challenges are expected to be around for two years,” said Jeconious Musingwiire, the western region focal person and public awareness officer for the National Environment Management Authority.

“The challenges are trans-boundary as some come from the Democratic Republic of Congo as the Rwenzori ranges spread far from the Uganda border,” Musingwiire adds.

Solution

Musingwiire says the best solution is to promote integrated water resources management through enhancement of natural vegetation cover by tree planting, restoration of degraded sections of bare grounds and critical river line wetlands, and promotion of soil and water conservation structures in the agricultural fields.

He says there is a need to enforce the environmental laws, especially on observing the regulated area of 30 metres around the river banks to allow the stabilisation of the banks and to allow natural vegetation infiltration and stop the speeding water that eats up the river banks.

“To achieve this, we need to bring all stakeholders on board and allow participatory planning and implementation, especially in the enforcement of laws,” says Musingwiire.
Last week River Nyamwamba had a discourse, destroying blocks at Bulembia School and the head offices of Kilembe Mines Limited.

Currently the river flows along the recently renovated Kyanzuki road, about 100 meters from its original course.

About Mt Rwenzori region

Rivers Nyamwamba, Rwimi, Mobuku, Ssebore, Lhubiriha, Mpanga, Nyamugasani among others, and several streams flow from Mt Rwenzori and most of them empty into Lake George, among other water bodies.

People living on the slopes of the mountain basically practice poor farming methods, thus causing soil erosion and numerous landslides. Deforestation is another major problem facing the mountain ranges.

More than 90 per cent of the communities living on the mountain slopes depend on firewood for fuel, leading to extensive destruction of forests, letting floods in the low lands and global warming as the glaciers have been greatly affected and are disappearing steadily.

Govt approves recovery plan

Cabinet noted the magnitude of destruction that had occurred as a result of heavy rains which caused floods in Kasese District on May 1, 2013, and directed the ministry of Finance to avail funds amounting to Shs39b to facilitate the relocation and resettlement of people in all areas that were highly prone to landslides and floods.

Therefore, the Kasese District Disaster Recovery plan 2014/2015 is a comprehensive response to the recovery needs of the affected areas and surrounding communities by reducing their vulnerability and enhancing their resilience to possible disasters of a similar nature.

The recovery plan also aims at reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing the resilience of the district and its populace. The recovery plan takes cognisance of the prioritised needs of the affected communities arising out of the local consultations.

It will also promote recovery of Kasese after floods, rebuild and promote business, restore people’s livelihoods and build their resilience to disasters and enhance early warning systems.
By Information minister, Rose Namayanja (August 14)

Changing fortunes of Bundibugyo District

A section of the recently completed Fort Portal - Bundibugyo road. The 79-kilometre road is likely to improve trade and creating new trade opportunities especially in DR Congo. Photo by Felix Basiime 

By Felix Basiime & Ruth Katusabe

Posted  Tuesday, June 17   2014  (http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Changing-fortunes-of-Bundibugyo-District/-/688342/2350658/-/a637lg/-/index.html)

In Summary

Bundibugyo has in the past 15 years been host to a number of catastrophes, including ADF insurgency, Ebola pandemic of 2007 and cases of cholera outbreaks. However, the district has in the last 10 years witnessed tale growth supported by an improved road network and extension of power lines. Daily Monitor’s Felix Basiime & Ruth Katusabe explored the projects that have changed Bundibugyo’s fortunes

Five years ago, one would need more than three hours to drive through the bumpy and narrow 79-kilometre road from Fort Portal to connect to Bundibugyo Town.

However, a newly completed road was recently handed over to the government and it builds new hope in terms of improved livelihood for the people of Bundibugyo.
 

The road cuts through Semuliki Valley after Karugutu, taking one just half an hour to reach Bundibugyo Town.

Bundibugyo borders DR Congo to the west and shares borders with Ntoroko District to the north and Kabarole District to the East and Southeast.

The district also shares geographic boundaries, including Semliki River to the west, Rwenzori Mountains to the east and Lake Albert to the North.

It is relatively isolated from the rest of Uganda, as it is the only district that lies west of the Rwenzori Mountains.

Though it is still a part of the Nile Basin, it is ecologically and culturally part of Central Africa.

Its people and customs are more similar to those of eastern DR Congo than the rest of Uganda, despite being politically in East Africa.
 

Recently, President Museveni witnessed the installation of a cultural leader for the people of Bundibugyo.

The improvement in the road network has boosted the district’s cocoa industry, which is the biggest cash crop in the area.

Cocoa farmers in the district currently receive more than Shs90b annually compared to Shs4b received in 2005, according to the district planner, Mr Charles Mwesige.

Improved road network


This, according to analysts, has been a result of an improved road network that has helped farmers to access new markets, especially for farmers in rural areas.

“Farmers can now sell cocoa to the highest bidder. A kilogramme of dry cocoa now costs Shs6, 000 compared to Shs2, 000 in 2007,” Mr Jolly Tibemanya, the district chairman, says.

The Fort Portal-Bundibugyo–Lamia road network which was completed in 2013, has eased communication to the rest of the country, with fairs substantially reducing and transportation of commodities made more affordable.

“A bag of cement used to cost Shs31,000 in 2009 but it currently costs Shs27,500,” says the Rev Geoffrey Kyomuhendo, a resident.

Additionally the extension of power from Fort Portal about three years ago has made to Bundibugyo Town a hub of activities including small-scale industries.

“Extension of power has improved people’s livelihood. Small-scale industries are mushrooming across the district and a substantial reduction in unemployment in the district will soon be realised,” says Mr Tibemanya.

In 2010, the government curved off a section of the northern part of Bunduibugyo District to form Ntoroko District.

Thousands of people in Bunduibugyo have been displaced with others killed as a result of the ADF insurgency that started in the late 1990s.

The ADF, although has been fought by the UPDF, continue to be a security threat to residents conducting horrific attacks in flash points of Bwindi Impenetrable Forests.

On April 7, 1999, ADF rebels attacked parts of the district killing 11 civilians and looting property worth millions of shillings.

However, according to Mr Tibemanya, the problem of insecurity remains minimal.
And this, he says, has boosted growth in the district supported by improved infrastructure and tourism.

“Bundibugyo has great tourism potential. The main attractions are the rift valley, the forests and the Semuliki National Park, Mountain Rwenzori National Park and Semuliki Game Reserve” says Mr Tibemanya.

Bundibugyo also is home to a range of animal and bird species as well as a range of butterflies, hot springs and a diverse cultural heritage [pygmies].

“The hot springs at Sempaya have a long and exciting history. For long water from the springs has been used as medicine and continues to attract both foreign and local visitors” says Mr Charles Mwesige, the district planner.

Community empowerment

Through SNV in partnership with Unicef and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, the district has supported community empowerment programmes in a bid to provide sustainable rural development solutions.

On health, in the last five years, the number of malaria cases has dropped as more than 182,000 mosquito nets have been distributed to households supported by Health Ministry.
The support and treatment for HIV/Aids patients has improved after Bundibugyo Hospital received a CD4 count machine with support from Baylor College of Medicine.

Safe water coverage has also improved as more safe water sources (gravity flow schemes, protected springs and boreholes) have been constructed across all sub-counties in the district.

In the education sector, Save the Children International and World Vision have been instrumental in improving the sector through constructing staff quarters and classrooms in different parts of the district.

Minister's take: Politics aside, lets use government utilities profitably

Daily Monitor newspaper recently ran a picture of a newly-constructed road that connects Uganda to the DR Congo through Bundibugyo District.

In the picture, goats had turned the road – world class facility – into a resting place. This is one of the many roads promised and constructed by the government to improve trade and people’s livelihood.

It is a pity that traders and other investors are not taking advantage of such facilities to exploit the warm trade relationship between government and DR Congo. It seems people hardly know that this tamarc road exists and should therefore be used.

Often times government comes under pressure from community members and other players apparently for not connecting such places at the periphery like Bundibugyo to the national road network.

But after connection, the roads lie idle as critics look for excuses. In this same district, we have extended the national power grid but not even a single factory has been set up.

This place is well known for cocoa production. But with electricity readily available, shouldn’t investors think of exploiting the opportunity to set up factories or at least add value to the cocoa beans before they are exported?

It is time for the investors to spread out to such districts like Bundibugyo which are rich in international agricultural products and set up processing plants.

As government, we are ready to provide essential needs to ensure that investors are quickly helped to establish themselves such that they can provide employment opportunities to the local population.

Available statistics indicate that last year alone Uganda exported about 17,000 tonnes of cocoa beans worth more than $50m (about Shs133b). Most of these beans came from Bundibugyo.

If we were able to add value, how much more could we have fetched? May be more than double.

Bundibugyo, which is located in the Mount Rwenzoris is also home for a number of tourist attractions. Places like Sempaya hotsprings, Ngithe falls and the Mount Rwenzori National Park are now easier to access compared to five years ago when the road from Fort Portal to Bundibugyo was still murram.

Those who want to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the mountain, bird watching and having a feel of the hotsprings can reach the area after a five hour drive from Kampala.

When we talk about tourism, it is not limited to foreigners. Ugandans should also be able to tour their own country to be able to market it better.

Tour and travel agencies should take advantage of the road connecting to Bundibugyo to market the attractions in the area, bring more tourists to earn an extra shilling.

People in other areas could say their roads have not been worked on or they have not been connected to the national grid. However, the government has rolled out a fast-moving programme that will enable all Ugandans to access good roads and electricity as soon as possible.