Conserving water sources in Karamoja's Lokere catchment

Elizabeth Koda, the LC1 chairperson of Akariwon Village, Tapac Parish, Tapac Sub-county in Moroto District, is all praises for the Tapac solar-powered water scheme that is providing safe drinking water to her community.

“There was a challenge of clean water in this area. The water from River Omaniman has leaches in it and when some people drunk it, they fell ill. Now, we drink safe and clean water,” she says.

River Omaniman is one of Karamoja’s longest and fastest-running rivers. The water scheme, whose source is a protected well called Lobuwa, was given to the community in 2023. Besides domestic use in the community, the water scheme also serves Tapac Primary School. Fenasha Cherotich, a student of the school, says the learners' chores have been made easier.

“Previously, we collected water from a borehole. The water from the borehole is hard and washing our clothes was an unenviable task. Whenever the borehole broke down, we had to walk into the valley to collect water from the stream.”

In February last year, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), commissioned the Lokere Water Catchment Project in Tapac sub-county in response to the severe deforestation caused by drought and adverse effects of climate change in the Karamoja sub-region.

The Lokere catchment area, which is located in Karamoja and Teso regions in north-eastern Uganda, covers an area of 8.156 square kilometres in the districts of Kaabong, Moroto, Kotido, Napak, Nakapiripirit, Amuria, Katakwi, and Soroti.

The project seeks to address the challenges of crop failure and food insecurity through various interventions geared towards climate change resilience. It implements a range of strategies including piped water schemes, soil erosion protection measures, valley tank constructions, and tree-growing initiatives.

Betty Flora Nakiru, the manager of the Lokere Water Catchment Project, says the water scheme is projected to serve 1,554 people in the four villages of Akariwon, Lomudita, Lonyilik, and Seget, and the four institutions of Tapac Primary School, Tapac Health Center III, Nawii Eco Tourism Camp, and Tapac Catholic Parish.

“Almost all the water from the boreholes in the community is salty. The community and institutions relied on the water spring as the only portable water source because the water from the river is contaminated. Today, when the water in the underground tank is full, the excess flows into River Tapac. This scheme will serve the community for the next 20 years,” Nakiru says.

With seven functional tap stands in the community, there is increased availability of safe and clean water, easy access to water, improved household hygiene, improved personal hygiene of school children, and an increased frequency of gardening.

According to Nakiru, River Omaniman is seasonal, and its water has not been tapped and treated for human consumption.

“The amount of water in the Omaniman River has reduced rendering it seasonal unlike fifteen years ago. In addition, the reduction in the natural vegetation is attributed to tree cutting for charcoal production, construction materials, and bush clearing for agricultural production,” he says.

Soil and water conservation measures

Soil and water conservation interventions such as gully plugging, stone bunds, and sisal planting to control water and soil erosion were introduced. The gullies are as deep as three meters to trap soil and reduce the speed of violent flood water. The construction of the conservation interventions was carried out by the community members, who were paid Shs30,000 per week.

“We also planted sisal in and around the gullies because sisal has deep roots and regenerates by growing outwards. The more it regenerates outwards the more the soils are established,” Nakiru says.

The Tapac Catholic Parish Tree Growing Site in Akariwon village has ornamental and local trees as the first intervention under the project. The community has been sensitised on the difference between fruit and shade trees. Silted moon pits collect water to feed the trees in the rainy season through a slippage infiltration process.

In 2023, Tapac Primary School also benefitted from the erosion protection works that included the construction of a bridge, stone gabions, and stone bands. John Michael Okello, the headmaster, says a box culvert bridge was constructed at the school.

“Before this intervention, whenever it rained, one of the seasonal streams that pass through the compound would overflow, preventing pupils from crossing from the classroom to the dormitory area. We now appeal for another bridge to be built so that we can access the kitchen from different areas on our campus,” Okello says.

The school received energy-saving cooking stoves, which have helped to feed 530 pupils, reducing the amount of firewood used to three trucks from five trucks per term.

The project constructed the Kalokutakori valley tank in Katikekile sub-county, between the Matheniko and the Tepeth sub-clans of Moroto district which used to raid each other. Currently, the tank has facilitated reconciliation between the communities through joint grazing and livestock watering.

The effects of lack of clean water

Eng Maximo Twinomuhangi, the team leader of the Kyoga Water Management Zone (KWMZ) Project, says the scarcity of clean water has severely impacted Karamoja, a region well known for water stress and salty groundwater. Water-borne diseases are prevalent, particularly among children, due to the lack of sanitation facilities and sufficient water supply.

“This has resulted in a high incidence of illnesses, which can be devastating for a community already struggling with poverty and limited access to healthcare. The livestock industry in the region has also been affected, as droughts have become more frequent, impacting the availability of water for livestock,” he observes.

This, in turn, has exacerbated food insecurity, as many families rely on livestock for their livelihood. In the past two years, the livestock industry has been affected by cattle rustling.

“With climate change and its impacts worsening the situation, with changing weather patterns affecting the region’s water supply, the consequences are far-reaching. To address these challenges, therefore, it is essential to invest in improving water infrastructure, promoting sustainable water and its resource management practices, and supporting initiatives that enhance access to clean water and sanitation facilities,” Eng Twinomuhangi adds.

The MWE has been key in the coordination and implementation of various activities of the Lokere Catchment Management structures and in offering technical support during project implementation.

“The project has strengthened the Lokere catchment management structures committed to the protection and sustainable management of natural resources in the catchment. Appropriate measures for the protection, restoration, and conservation of local ecosystems in the catchment area have been implemented with involvement from local stakeholders,” Eng Twinomuhangi says.

Through tree growing, the project contributes to carbon sequestration hence reducing greenhouse gas emission into the atmosphere which results in global warming reduction. This is contributing to Uganda’s climate change mitigation efforts.

“Through the promotion of farmer-managed natural regeneration, the project supports ecosystem restoration and conservation through indigenous trees protection. They are essential in the Karimojong cultural and traditional aspects such as the Akiriket (Elders’ Council meeting grounds). By promoting energy saving, the project is saving the environment through minimising the use of biomass such as firewood,” Nakiru says.

Nakiru adds that the next phase of this project will target the construction of livestock watering points so that humans and livestock are not forced to share the only water source. This will prevent damage to the facility.

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