Water, which includes rivers, lakes and wetlands, constitutes about 18 percent of Uganda’s land surface. But most of these water resources, if not all, have been significantly or severely degraded by man that some are facing imminent extinction. They have been encroached upon for agriculture, settlement and other money generating activities such as brick making and sand extraction for construction. This degradation has had adverse impact on the quality of water the population consumes. The aquatic life and the surrounding ecosystem have not been spared either. Poor quality of water hurts the health of humans, animals and plants that use it.
Besides, the degradation has also reduced the quantity of water available for domestic consumption, irrigation and industrial use. One of such examples of degraded water resources is River Mpanga and River Mobuku.
The graph below shows concentration of electrical conductivity and pH in the sampled rivers.
At the time of data collection from quarterly monitoring of the water quality for the selected rivers showed that River Mobuku in western Uganda contained the highest pH and River Rwizi had the lowest. The high pH in Mobuku was attributed to the geological chemical formation of the area, according to the National State of Environment Report 2018-19.
The data from the National State of Environment report revealed high electrical conductivity (EC) for River Mobuku while River Manafwa had the lowest EC among the selected rivers. The high ion concentration in the water was blamed on the geological formation of the area and the vegetation and decomposing organic matter (peat) was identified as the cause of the low pH in River Manafwa. The key polluter of River Mpanga was identified as Kilembe mines. Kilembe Mines was leased to Tibet Hima mining company in 2013 but in 2016, government suspended the lease due to the company’s failure to comply with the agreement.
. This suspension has left environmental challenges such as pollution arising from the mining activities.
The Kilembe Mines stockpiles and the mine water are likely to increase loads of heavy metals in the area’s various components of environment. An assessment by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) in 2018 about the impact of Kilembe Mines on the Kasese environment found that the mining activities were polluting Nyarusenghe stream and River Nyamwamba with heavy metals.
However the findings showed no heavy metal contamination in Lake George because of the natural filtration from the wetlands before River Nyamwamba drains into the lake. This proves the importance of the wetland and the need to protect it.
Mpanga
The river originates from the Rwenzori Mountains, flows southeast and drains into the swamps of Lake George. Its tributaries include Mitoma, Nyankoma, Niguta and Kazizi. Poor farming methods, commercial activities along the river without a proper waste treatment system and poor sanitation have inflicted deterioration on the river’s water quality. The river contains wastewater from an abattoir and a hospital. The wastewater from the abattoir contains blood, animal dung and urine which reduce oxygen concentration in the river if they are discharged without proper treatment. The wastewater from the hospital poses a health threat to the river users downstream.
The major sources of the river pollution upstream include: Kabundaire abattoir whose untreated waste is directly thrown into the river; Kabarole Hospital sewage treatment ponds and Mpanga market where waste from the market is likely to be deposited into the river. Farmers cultivating in the river banks and planting Eucalyptus trees in Mugoma and Kamengo are degrading the river and the catchment.
Deposition of polythene bags into the drainage channels is not only causing pollution but it is also causing blockage and flooding around the market. The Mpanga catchment is increasingly facing degradation and water source pollution mainly from municipal wastewater, domestic wastewater, cattle dips, slaughter houses, solid waste disposal by homesteads, market centres and hotels among others.
There is also river bank erosion where cultivation and quarrying in the buffer zone lead to the release of suspended solids and loose soils into the river. Deforestation and cultivation of wetlands has exposed the area to extensive soil erosion and surface water run-off. The storm runoff from the growing urban centres with impervious surfaces like roads and pavements is pouring into drainage channels which carry the storm water with all the attendant waste directly into River Mpanga.
River Mayanja in Buganda is also facing pollution and degradation. The river is a major source of water for farming, livestock and domestic use. However, the river water is suffering from pollution arising from industrial waste, storm runoffs from farmlands and impervious surfaces such as roads. The pollution has diminished fish populations, increased waterborne diseases and escalated the loss of biodiversity. It has also caused a decline of production and productivity in agriculture, which is the main source of livelihood for majority Ugandans.
Kafu River
Located in western Uganda, Kafu River is a major source of livelihoods for more than 1.5 million people and is a vital habitat for diverse aquatic species. But the increasing pollution and degradation due to human activity and industrial waste and poor management of storm runoffs has shrunk the river’s banks, water quantity and quality and led to depletion of fish populations and rise of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
Another endangered water resource is River Rwizi in Ankole sub-region of western Uganda. It falls in the same category with rivers Mobuku and Mpanga in western Uganda, River Manafwa in eastern Uganda, River Kafu in western Uganda and River Mayanja in the Central region among others.
River degradation and water pollution have become environmental threats in diverse regions in the country.
River Rwizi originates from near the top of a hill called Rwemigoye in Karungu sub-county in the hilly Buhweju district. The river has a catchment of 8200 square kilometres and flows through 12 districts: Buhweju, Bushenyi, Sheema, Isingiro, Ntungamo, Kiruhura, Mbarara and Rwampara in Ankole and continues downstream to Lyantonde, Rakai, Lwengo and Kyotera in Buganda region, pouring its waters into Lake Victoria. The river is a key source of water for farming and livelihood for the residents along the banks and for Mbarara city population.
However, Rwizi has been tormented by sedimentation, pollution occasioned by poor industrial waste disposal and reckless dumping of other waste into the river. For that reason, water quality and quantity have declined, hurting agricultural productivity and health of people living along the banks.
The pollution in River Rwizi is projected to continue rising unless intervention is undertaken.
Across all these rivers, the biggest source of pollution is poor discharge of industrial and domestic wastewater and surface runoff from farmlands and urban areas. The resultant high nutrient loads have in turn attracted invasive weeds which include the water hyacinth.
Mitigation
Containing erosion of tailings can minimise soil and water contamination while demarcation, isolation and treatment of underground mine water and leachate should be done before the wastewater is discharged into the natural water bodies.
The respective local communities and business sites should be sensitised on the dangers of degrading and polluting the water bodies.
Oil companies must be compelled to have proper waste management facilities to prevent disposal of toxic effluent into sources of drinking water for people and animals. The Directorate of Water Resources Management should have field monitoring equipment and refurbish laboratories to effectively and timely manage quality and quantity of water in the whole country.
Source: All images from National State of Environment Report 2018/2019.
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