UPPER NILE SUPPLEMENT
A management of water zones in Uganda is a new strategy whose focus is to decentralise services of management of the catchments of the water resources. Management of the catchments seems to have been forgotten, yet it is through the protection of the environment surrounding the water resource, that
By Agnes Nantambi
World Bank boosts northern water zones
A management of water zones in Uganda is a new strategy whose focus is to decentralise services of management of the catchments of the water resources. Management of the catchments seems to have been forgotten, yet it is through the protection of the environment surrounding the water resource, that sustainable flow of water can be enhanced. However, due to its importance, the Government undertook a water resources management study in 2003 to 2005.
The study, led to the preparation of a water resources reform strategy; which recommended for a shift from centralised to catchment water protection. It is through the reform strategy that four water management zones were created. These include; Upper Nile, Victoria, Kyoga and Albert water management zones based in Lira, Mbarara, Mbale and Fort Portal respectively. It is under this aspect that the World Bank felt decided to support the water management zones in some regions in order to provide clean water to communities.
Under its support, Upper Nile Water Management zone is the first beneficiary. The support was to help establish an office block to accommodate all the service providers within the management zone. The office block worth sh2.4b will serve 24 districts of northern region to address issues related to water resources monitoring and assessment. Other issues will be water quality testing, water permits assessment, compliance monitoring and enforcement and review of an environmental impact assessment.
Local communities will be mobilised and awareness camps held to achieve catchment based, integrated water resources management. Speaking during the ground breaking of the office block in Lira, the Team Leader Johnson Pile said that the decentralising of the services will help in analysing all the water sources within the northern region. This will ensure that all the water is safe for drinking by human beings and animals. “The drilling contractors whom we have been issuing with the permits, will no longer have to travel to Entebbe for concrete testing of the water they intend to provide. All the work will be done within Lira which will save the money that was being spent on transport, “he said.
He added that decentralising of the services has also helped in the rehabilitation of the regional laboratory in northern Uganda at about sh20m which will simplify the water testing function. “The rehabilitation has been finished and we are now handling the procurement of equipment to be put in the lab. This will make it fully functional, “he said. Pile, however, complained of the understaffing of the zone saying it is comprised of only five people who are mandated to handle all the 26 districts and provide services to the expectation of the public. “We are only a team of five managers for the entire 50,000 square kilometre zones with the 26 districts.
Out of the five, I am the team leader who is supposed to be handling administrative issues which means the other four managers will handle all the water resources activities,” he said. He underscored the need for expansion to embrace integrated catchment based water resources management. Dr Calist Tindimugaya the commissioner in charge water resources, planning and regulation, in the ministry of water, and environment said the building will house the staff of the water management zone, regional wetland officers, environment officers and water for production officers. He said in future they expect to increase on the number of staff for the management zone to increase on the scope of work. Only then will they realise standard service delivery.
“We expect that within the next three to four years, we will have 20 staff to supplement on the four staff. This will lead to improved service delivery “he said. The water minister, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, who officiated at the ground breaking ceremony, applauded the integrated approach of water resources management. He said with full involvement of stakeholders it is cost-effective and efficient for customers when they come for services. “We expect this business of separating mandates to stop. You are serving one people and one government, so it is not the mandate of one ministry, but a joint effort,” he said. “We need to have a one stop centre to share facilities and also coordinate resources in order to realise synergies,” says Kamuntu
Water ministry gets a new home in lira
By Vision Reporter
The Ministry of Water and Environment has for long been renting offices in Lira, so as to provide clean and safe water in both Northern and west Nile regions. However, that has all changed with the construction of the two storied building block where offices are housed.The office block which was fully supported by the government at a total cost sh1.8b was constructed under the Water and Sanitation Development Facility- North (WSDF-N) and is meant to accommodate all other related organs of the ministry to realize improved service delivery.
“As government we don’t have enough resources so the small available resources must be put to the best use, if you don’t put up such buildings it means you continue to spend heavily on rent, “explained David Obong the permanent secretary of the ministry.
Obong who was speaking during the commissioning of the building in Lira District said the office block is a one-time intervention but is bringing together all the arms of the ministry under one roof to enhance coordination and as such will save government money. “The money the ministry used to waste hiring hotels for meetings and paying rent will be used to extend water to more homes in the northern region, “he said.
The construction of the building started in May 2011. He added that WSDF-N like the other three facilities is meant to tackle the provision of safe and clean water to towns and rural growth centers. We are now targeting critical areas and we this will coincide with what we are doing at the Centre like motorising boreholes, “he emphasised. According to the Manager WSDF-N George Alito, the facility is currently operating in small towns and rural growth centers of 23 districts in both regions and has registered a number of achievements.
“The facility has greatly restored hope among the people leaving in the internally displaced camps through the peace recovery and development plan for Northern Uganda, by providing clean and safe water, “he said. The facility has completed water and sanitation projects in towns of Koboko,Kuru,Yumbe,Wandi,Nwoya,Lefori,Kamdini,OyaM,Adjumani.omugo,Agweng,Paidhar and Ibuje among others. Challenges Alito says operation and maintenance remains a big challenge for the sustainability of the existing water supply systems.
He says, “Sanitation and hygiene in the region remains a big challenge for the sustainability of the existing water supply systems yet the increasing demand for water and sanitation services in the former IDPs which have developed into small towns and rural growth centers is very high due to winding up of most NGO’s rendering them unsupported”. Alito also appealed to government to consider provision of a health insurance to help staff to address the prevailing Hepatitis B in the region which is putting the lives of staff at risk.
The water minister Prof Ephraim Kamuntu while commissioning the building lauded the LC 1 chairperson for supporting the project. He advised the people of Lira to take advantage of the peace they enjoy to realise sustainable development. “If there was no peace in this area, there is no way we would be here. Security is the cornerstone of development,“ he said..
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