#ManifestoWeek2020: How Water and Environment Ministry Is Driving Lives Towards Middle income Status

By Henry Mulindwa

In 2016 after securing another mandate to lead the country, the NRM government declared this term as Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo. The intent of this was to ensure that all sectors deliver to the required expectations as government struggles to push the country to a middle income status. One of such critical sectors in this effort is that of ministry for Water and Environment. This sector was identified as central in contributing towards the countrys drive towards transformation from a peasant to an industrial and middle income country by 2040.
In this regard, the sector recognized the fact that the availability of adequate water resources is critical to hydro-power development, agricultural production and productivity, livestock, fisheries, health, industrial development, tourism development and mitigation of climate and climate change effects. Similarly, a healthy, clean and productive environment is essential in boosting wealth creation for social transformation and sustainable development because it reflects the balance between the demand and supply of natural resources on the one hand and the absorption and supply of waste products on the other hand in the development process.

As part of it’s contribution towards the much-desired middle income Status, the ministry since 2016 put it’s focus on provision of access to safe and clean water as well as improved sanitation by increasing piped water coverage in both urban and rural areas so that water is brought nearer to the users.
The ministry has also been involved in efforts aimed at increasing storage and investing in construction of multipurpose water reservoirs to boost production and productivity in the key sectors of the economy.
Besides improving on the water sector, the NRM government also recognises the environment as a critical component in development and wealth creation.
To this end, promotion of massive tree planting and restoration of the degraded ecosystems country-wide is a key factor.
To achieve this, the ministry set specific targets to be recorded under the current term which spans from 2016-2021.
The targets include increase access to clean and safe water from the current 65 per cent to 79 per cent in rural areas and from 77per cent to 100 per cent in urban areas by 2021. This is amied at providing a water source in every village and increasing piped water coverage and increase access to 100% in both rural and urban areas.
It also aims to the increase access to improved sanitation in rural areas from the current 77 per cent to 79 per cent and from 84 per cent to 100 per cent in urban areas, Promote catchment based integrated water resources management, efficient water use and ensure that water resources related projects are sustained, Improve access to Water for Production and increase cumulative storage from the current 27.8MCM to 55MCM for multipurpose use, including; irrigation, livestock, aquaculture and rural industries through construction and rehabilitation of large and small water reservoirs.
On the environmental front, the ministry aims to build a sustainable green economy, through restoration of ecosystems and demarcation of critical wetland and forest boundaries including planting of 100-200 million trees annually country wide in addition to increasing automation of climate monitoring network to 40 per cent and increase countrys resilience to the impacts of climate change effects.

How Far Has The Ministry Achieved it’s Targets As Per The Manifesto for 2016-2021

According to available figures the current rural water coverage is estimated at 71%, while the urban water coverage stands at 79.1%. Overall a total 38,517 villages representing 66% of the total 57,974 villages in the country have been served with clean water and the unserved villages are 19,457. In some districts like Amuru all villages have been covered 100 percent while 35 districts have a coverage of over 80%. The ministry says Domestic water points have also increased to 132,341 serving a total population of 27, 797,316.
Of these, the ministry has constructed 41112 deep boreholes serving a total of 12333600 people, constructed 21590 shallow wells serving a total of 6477000 population, made 29097 protected springs serving a population of 5819400, tapstands (20306) serving 3045900 and also worked on rain water harvest services which serves 121416 population.

“The national average sanitation coverage in rural areas is at 79%. While sanitation in urban areas increased 87.4% as at December 2019. The total sewer network is 650kms countrywide representing 30%” the ministry reports.
On top of this, piped water network through NWSC has been extended serving 253 towns. This has since increased access to water for production hence representing a 71.5% of the projected manifesto target of 55MCM of water for production. The ministry hopes to achieve a 100 percent mark by the remaining period to 2021.
IRRIGATION
The aspect of irrigation remains a major priority to the ministry. As such government completed construction of ten (10) Small scale Irrigation systems in districts of Pallisa, Bukedea, Katakwi, Tororo, Kamuli, Bugiri, Soroti, Abim, Kaabong and Mayuge Districts.
In addition Government has commenced with construction of six (6) medium scale irrigation schemes with a total of 3,976 hectares. These include, Rwengaaju in Kabarole District standing at 70%, Tochi in Oyam District standing at 86% completion level, Mubuku-II (480ha) in Kasese District stands at 63%, Doho-II (1,178ha) in Butaleja District is at 80.5%, Ngenge (880ha) in Kween District is 87.5% and Wadelai (1,000ha) in Pakwach district estimated at 53% completion level

“Irrigation area has increased from 15,000hac to 19,138ha against the irrigation potential estimated at 3.03m Ha” the ministry says.

On the other hand, keeping a healthy green environment has kept the ministry on the ground. Forest cover has increased from 9% during 2015 to only 12.4% in 2019 as compared to the manifesto target of 15%.
This increase is attributed to education, awareness and enforcement as well as restoration through natural regeneration, planting of different species.

As for Wetland converge, this has stagnated to less than 8.9% (2,029,090ha). Government further restored and protected critical wetlands like Katonga-Sembabule (10Hac), Mikomago-Masaka (45 Ha.), Lubigi-Wakiso (275 Ha) and Limoto-Pallisa (157.4 Ha) making a total of 487.4 Ha restored.
Despite making such strides, the sector however is facing financial constraints. This is in addition to increasing pressure on wetlands and forests due to land for agricultural expansion, rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization, expansion of informal settlements among others. To make matters worse, even the enforcement of environmental laws remains a challenge because of inadequate Environmental Police Protection Unit to enable effective enforcement of environment protection country-wide.

#ManifestoWeek2020