Butaleja locals plant bamboo to fight floods 

Butaleja District residents have resorted to planting bamboo trees near rivers and streams to avert the challenge of recurrent floods.

The residents believe bamboo’s robust root system stabilises the soil and absorbs excess water, creating barriers that control and redirect the water flow. Additionally, the residents are also strategically placing sandbags in high-risk areas to combat floods.

Recently, flooding caused by the bursting of the Nakwasi and Manafwa river banks affected six sub-counties, resulting in one death and extensive damage to infrastructure, including bridges, boreholes, plantations, and housing units, as well as disrupting learning at facilities such as Namulo, Bugomb, Doho, and Nakwasi seed secondary schools.

Mr Moses Weera, the Chairperson of Mahindo Village, highlighted the vulnerability of communities residing near riverbanks, emphasising the destruction of boreholes and pit-latrines during floods, which increases the risk of disease outbreaks. In response, locals have mobilised to mitigate these challenges.

Ms Hajira Namagogwe, the Butaleja Resident District Commissioner, said authorities were also training locals to mitigate the impact of floods.

“We have mobilised locals into diverse groups to actively participate in tree planting initiatives, alongside implementing a range of other strategic measures like placing sandbags along hazardous corners of the streams,” she said.

Mr Tom Wandera, the Butaleja District environment officer, said: “The poor farming methods which, for instance, have seen farmers slashing down all the vegetation cover in the affected areas and encroaching on the Manafwa river banks, are the ones that have caused flooding.” 

Ms Aidah Mugoya Nekhole, the secretary of gender and social services in Butaleja District, said floods have wreaked havoc in Mt Elgon region.

“When it floods, people live in desperate conditions. Their mattresses soak in water, and they sleep on banana leaves,” she said. 

Mr Herbert Himigu, the Butaleja principal assistant chief administrative officer, said the recurring challenge of flooding causes significant disruption and hardship to the locals.

“There is need for more comprehensive support measures such as long-term infrastructure development to mitigate the impact of floods,” he said.

Mr Himigu further said there is a need to establish robust communication channels within the communities to alert them in case of rising water levels.

“We used to have a solar-powered tower that effectively alerted people when water levels rose, but unfortunately, it no longer functions,” he said. 

As part of the response effort, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and consortium partners, including Caritas, Red Cross, and Oxfam, among others, coordinated a simulation exercise (SimEx) with field sessions in Butaleja on Tuesday.

The SimEx adopted a blended approach, encompassing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), non-food items (NFIs), and asset accumulation (AA) activities. Jerrycans, buckets, soap, water purifiers, and latrine covers were distributed to some of the 20 sampled affected households.

Mr Ronald Reagan Fitina, the disaster risk reduction manager at the CRS Tororo field office, while addressing district leaders and the community leaders, said there is a need for strategies to enhance disaster preparedness and resilience within their respective areas affected by floods.