Residents worry as Lake Nakivale starts drying up
Residents of Mirambiro in Rushasha Sub-county, Isingiro District, dig trenches to drain water from Lake Nakivale on Saturday. A section of the lake has lost its volumes of water. PHOTO/RAJAB MUKOMBOZI
What you need to know:
The crisis has affected mainly children and women who have to foot long distances in search for water.
There is growing tension and fear in the sub-counties of Rushasha, Rugaga, Kashumba, Ngararama and Isingiro Town Council in Isingiro District as Lake Nakivale starts disappearing.
The situation is already making access to water difficult.
“About a week ago, we woke up early in the morning and found the lake waters are no more, the previous lake section now covered with thick papyrus and other grasses. This has been our major source of water, but also for livelihood like fishing,” Mr Asanasio Kambamu, a resident of Mirambiro in Rushasha Sub-county, said.
Mr Julius Bireme, another resident of Mirambiro, whom we found trying to dig trenches from the already drained lake near his farm, said they are going to face serious livelihood challenges.
“Right now, I don’t have any sources of water for my animals. We are digging trenches such that we can tap some water. We pray that as the previous lake becomes submerged and covered with grass and papyrus, the water source does not dry completely,” he said.
The chairperson of Mirambiro Parish, Mr Francis Kafeero, said the low water levels have affected mainly children and women. “Most of the domestic chores like fetching water in our communities are done by children and women, this was just a few kilometres away to the lake, but they will now have to foot miles away,” he said.
He added that besides the long distances women and children endure to search for water, they also become victims of sexual harassment while some learners miss school.
Ms Kefeza Daudenta, a resident of Bijubwe in Kashumba Sub-county, said the lake has been boosting livelihood programmes.
“I have been in the fish business for a long time. We would buy fish from fishermen here and sell it in the villages and trading centres. A single day, I would earn at least Shs10, 000. I have been using the proceeds to pay for my four children school fees and meet other family needs,’’ she said.
Bukanga North County MP Nathan Byanyima said communities around the lake, especially where the water source is drying quickly, need to be provided with alternative sources of water.
“I am going to report to the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees and Parliament about the disappearing water sources. Right now, what is urgent is proving alternative sources like boreholes,” he said.
Mr Byanyima said if the problem is not addressed, it is likely to fuel conflicts between refugees and the local communities.
The environment officer for Isingiro District, Mr Abdu Kamoga, attributed the water crisis to environmental destruction caused by human activities
“We are going to do an assessment to establish the cause of the lake drying up, but partly, this could be natural,” Mr Kamoga said.
Affected population
Isingiro is one of the water-stressed districts in the country and Lake Nakivale is the major source of water for domestic use and livestock.
About 150,000 refugees and local communities in the Sub-counties of Rushasha, Rugaga, Kashumba, Ngararama, and Isingiro town council, largely depend on the lake.
