It is true that dams generate power, but also come with disadvantages such as displacement of people and destruction of biodiversity. This has hit home after the construction of the 183MW Isimba dam.

In a three-part series, Gerald Tenywa analyses the impact of Isimba and other hydroelectric dams constructed on River Nile on the surrounding communities, environment and tourism

Like the proverbial cat that has nine lives, Michael Kige of Budoda village in Nazigo sub-county, Kayunga district, has abandoned three houses as he battles floods in his village.

As the Nile spills water into his village, Kige is suffering for the sins he did not commit. He has now become homeless despite his efforts to put a roof over his head.

“I constructed my first house in 2013, which I abandoned because of flooding. Water kept on coming from underground and I left because my house was no longer habitable,” he says.

Kige adds: “I was advised to build a house with a concrete floor to stop water from seeping through. I obliged and constructed another house in 2016, which I thought was good enough to stop the water. I lived in it for three years and was forced out in 2019 because water was seeping into the house through the concrete floor.”

He says the nights became too cold for him, his wife and the children to keep staying in the house. Kige abandoned it and today, the water has formed a stream that flows out of the lower side of the house.

Kige standing next to his house that is being affected by water from Isimba dam. Inset is water streaming out of his house in Budoda village, Nazigo sub-county in Kayunga district. (Photo by Gerald Tenywa)

“I had to leave because my children were falling sick all the time and today, they live with my relatives. My wife has also abandoned me as I keep on seeking refuge from friends’ houses. I have been constructing another house (third house), but the builders are telling me that water is already seeping through the ground into the house.”

Kige heaps blame on the construction of Isimba hydroelectric power dam across River Nile. River Nile is about a mile away (1.6km) from their village, but when Isimba dam was built, the water went closer to his village.

“We are living in fear because the water which is seeping through the ground is from River Nile and the lake that has formed behind Isimba dam may soon submerge our village,” he says.

Isimba dam cost $568m, with China’s Export-Import (EXIM) Bank providing 85% of the money as a loan and the rest by the Government.

Construction by China International Water and Electric Corporation started in 2013 and the dam was commissioned in 2018.

Kige’s experience is just the tip of the iceberg. The number of affected residents in Nazigo is about 100, Charles Owire, the chairperson of Budoda village, says.

He says 10 other villages on the banks of the Nile in Nazigo sub-county have also been affected by the reservoir of Isimba that is eating into their land.

In Kiteredde village, also found in Nazigo sub-county, Ibrahim Kayiira, a resident, says the dam is about a mile away, but now the lake or reservoir has moved beyond where it used to stop.

The reservoir has also cut off Nazigo from Busaana sub-county.

“We have to pay sh2,000-sh3,000 every time we want to cross from Kiteredde in Nazigo to Busaana,” Kayiira says, adding that this is costly for school children who have to cross at least twice in a day.

This is on the western side of the Nile where the two most troubled sub-counties of Nazigo and Busaana are located. The destruction by floods has also been reported in the eastern bank of the Nile in Kamuli and Jinja districts.

TWO FACES OF ISIMBA DAM

Patrick Musaazi, the senior district environment officer of Kayunga, says the construction of the Isimba dam has come with advantages and disadvantages. He cited employment as well as support towards the facelift of schools and health centres in Busaana and Nazigo in Kayunga as some of the merits.

The dam has also come with extension of power to many trading centres in Kayunga, something that has breathed life into the rural settlements. Kayunga town has woken up from being a sleepy settlement to a busy business centre near River Nile.

However, the developments have also come with negative impacts.

“What has happened is that some people lost their land and livelihood,” Musaazi says, adding that after the floods swallowing up parcels of land, some communities have become helpless.

“People have tiny patches of land and they have limited options for survival.”

Musaazi pointed out that Kayunga district administration is flooded with complaints, with many people who have lost out demanding compensation.

“We have been on the ground and what is clear is that the water of the reservoir of Isimba dam exceeded the demarcated areas of the land,” Musaazi says.

He adds that there were also areas that were supposed to go underwater, but they ended up not being affected.

“We are stuck with complaints of compensation.”

Musaazi adds: “The Ministry of Water and Environment has mapped out the affected areas, but does not have intentions of compensating the people who have lost out. Kayunga district does not also have any plans of compensation.”

THE FLOODS

What is causing the floods? This is as elusive as the solutions to resettle the communities affected by Isimba dam.

However, there are fingers pointing to different reasons; ranging from technical flaws to climate change.

Frank Muramuzi, the executive director of the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), says it is difficult to fight against water.

“If there were no dams, there would be no flooding. Water would be flowing down naturally, but now it is being controlled for electricity production,” Muramuzi says.

He adds that River Nile has become congested with dams namely Nalubaale and its extension Kiira, Bujagali, Isimba and Karuma.

“We are also talking of construction of another dam at Murchison Falls,” he says, adding: “The dams are too close to each other.”

 Muramuzi also says there is a lot of degradation of wetlands and forests in the catchment of Lake Victoria, which feeds the Nile with water.

The wetlands and forests act as a break for the water and sieve out the impurities before the water reaches the lake.

“Do you know how much silt that is getting into Lake Victoria and River Nile?” he asks

“It is time for the Government, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and those who were pushing for the dams to take responsibility,” Muramuzi says.

Geoffrey Kamese, the executive director of Biovision Africa, which seeks to promote the wise and sustainable use of natural resources for sustainable development, says the dam has not only hurt the displaced people, but has also affected the environment.

He says some of the consequences of building large dams were inevitable, but better engagement of the communities is necessary to create more awareness and propose ways of minimising the impact.

“One of the challenges is that the current dispensation does not favour NGOs engagement. The space was not adequate and engagement was narrow before and during the construction of Isimba Dam,” Kamese says.

He also says the construction of Bujagali dam was approved on condition that no other dam is constructed between Bujagali and Lake Kyoga. This was spelt out in an agreement (Kalagala Falls Offset Area) between the Government of Uganda and the World Bank in order to address the adverse environmental impact of Bujagali dam.

In addition, the Kalagala Offset was supposed to conserve the remaining tourism and cultural assets.

“The Government has back-tracked on Kalagala Offset. This was put in place as a condition to address the adverse impacts of construction of Bujagali dam with financing from the World Bank,” Kamese says, adding that this has contributed to the disruption of the socio-economic setup and the environment of the areas between Bujagali and Isimba.

DAM QUERIED

In 2004, the International Rivers Network published a report on World Commission on Dams, indicating that dam construction has come into question in many countries.

This, the report stated, is due to limited inclusiveness and transparency in construction of particularly large dams that end up displacing many people and causing huge damage to the environment.

In addition, the provision of electric power from large dams has been discounted against competing interests such as the displaced people as well as loss of tourism, cultural assets and biodiversity.

CLIMATE CHANGE

The floods have not only affected residents living near Isimba dam, but also residents around Bujagali dam in Jinja district, according to investigations by Saturday Vision.

In the past three years, the Government has increased the outflow of Lake Victoria through River Nile to reduce flooding (in Lake Victoria). River Nile is the only outflow for Lake Victoria and the outflow at Jinja’s Kiira and Nalubaale dams is regulated by the Ministry of Water and Environment.

Fishermen after laying a traditional fish trap laid along the banks of River Nile in Kayunga district. The construction of the dam has displaced many indigenous fish species along the banks of River Nile in Kayunga district. (Photo by Wilfred Sanya)

The water helps to generate hydroelectric power along the Nile. The spillover around Lake Victoria has been blamed partly on climate change and destruction of forests and wetlands that used to act as a break for water flowing into Lake Victoria.

In addition, recent reports indicate that throughout the 21st century, climate change is predicted to increase the variability of the Nile’s flow by approximately 50%.

This indicates a doubled likelihood of both flooding and drought.

Dr Barirega Akankwasah, the executive director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), says flooding beyond the boundaries of the reservoir is not strange.

“It is true that a dam or reservoir can flood beyond the boundaries,” Akankwasah says, adding that the reservoir is a holding ground for water.

“It is an estimated area which the reservoir of water behind the dam is supposed to cover.

“After holding the water behind the dam, not all areas may be flooded. The reservoir is created as a precaution; it is not unusual for water to go beyond the limit. If it goes beyond an estimated area, then people have to be evacuated.”

Asked if the Government is going to compensate the affected communities, Akankwasah says: “If the flood area has expanded, people have to be evacuated and then compensation should be discussed later.”

He adds: “We (NEMA) are going to contact the directorate of water resources management in the Ministry of Water and Environment who are technically mandated to study the situation and provide a way out.”

Dr Callist Tindimugaya, the commissioner in charge of water resources management, says he had taken note of the concern. He says a fact-finding mission to undertake an assessment with a view of addressing the situation was going on.

“We need to establish why the flooding is taking place and also advise the Government on how to overcome the situation,” Tindimugaya says.

TOURISM HIT

Because of damming the Nile, eight of the 17 falls or rapids between Bujagali and Isimba, have gone underwater. The dam has also reduced the rafting distance from 36.5km of free-flowing river to only 16.5km.

In addition, five of the islands, which were stopovers for the water rafters, have gone underwater. The islands also provided sanctuary to birds.

“We have lost tourism assets and experience along River Nile,” says Patrick Kayinja, who works with Adrift and Lemala Wild Waters Lodge.

This story was supported by InfoNile with funding from JRS Biodiversity Foundation