Leaders, Environmentalists Ask World Bank for More Resources Towards Restoration of R. Nyamwamba

Environmentalists and leaders in Kasese district are asking the World Bank to support the full desilting and restoration of the river Nyamwamba catchment to contain flooding. The government secured Shillings 17 billion from the World Bank to desilt 5.4 kilometers of the critical catchment areas of the river.  

The restoration exercise is under the integrated water management and development project –IWMDP. The leaders and partners who were meeting a team from the World Bank on the monitoring exercise of the IWMDP project performance said there must be full restoration and desilting of the river if the intended purpose of saving critical infrastructure and loss of livelihoods whenever the river floods are to be achieved. 

Richard Bomera, the LCIII chairperson for Bulembia Division in Kasese municipality, says river Nyamwamba needs periodic desilting to minimize flooding and its effects. He noted that the available records indicate that Nyamwamba was last desilted in 1983 asking the world bank to provide more resources so that impactful work is done. 

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The Kasese LC V Eliphazi Muhindi argues that only 5% of the river is being restored and therefore this means that if there is no work done downstream, the communities there are still at high risk of being hit by floods. He asked the government to lure the world bank further to ensure the restoration and desilting works are extended especially in areas occupied by people. 

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Augustine Kooli, the Kasese district environment officer says that despite the scale of work being short, they are recording some positive changes especially born by bamboo and this justifies why the whole restoration process needs to be done throughout the entire river system. Kooli adds that there is a need for a study on the ecosystem of the mountains to establish the possible causes of flooding.

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Simon Peter Weredwong, the acting country director World Wide Fund for Nature-WWF said that even as the project ends, they will continue working with local governments and the community to ensure restoration works are maintained and expanded. However, he agrees that there is need for a bigger financing to scale up the restoration works. 

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Godfrey Baluku, a farmer in Road Barrier, Bulembia division says they need more support so that they can be able to harvest water run-offs and practice good farming on the mountain slopes. 

He says through training, they have been able to learn how to leave with nature.

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Dr. Callist Tindimugaya, a commissioner of water resource planning and regulation at the Ministry of Water and Environment, said they are so far pleased with the ongoing works and will continue to pursue the world bank to extend more financing towards restoring more areas. This project according to Tindimugaya was a pilot and there are many lessons they have recorded and will without question wait for the World Bank-supported study.

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Fook Chuan Eng, lead water specialist at World Bank told URN that in the long term, they are doing some studies to establish possible flood-mitigation solutions the findings will be shared with the Ministry of water. He added that they are also interested in seeing how communities are brought on board to be part of the ongoing mitigation solutions. 

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The current desilting process involves maintenance of earthworks, putting gabion masonry, and establishment of a dyke-a long wall built to prevent flooding.