Mbarara: Marathon to save degraded River Rwizi on this July

MBARARA, July 16, 2024 – To restore and protect River Rwizi, which is the main source of water for Mbarara City and neighbouring districts, Abahumuza Development Group, a non-profit organisation, in collaboration with other partners has organised the third edition of The Save River Rwizi Marathon 2024.

According to Seith Murari, Chairman of Abahumuza Development Group, the marathon will begin from Boma grounds in Mbarara City on July 28, 2024, the first one having been held in 2022.

“This will be the third time we are having this marathon. It has improved community perception and behaviour towards environmental conservation. We have planted trees in Rwanyampazi, Kihumuro, Bishop Stuart University. We do activities that conserve water in the soil, and, we have restored some swamps like Rwemigina wetland. We appeal to whoever has land where we can plant trees to contact us,” said Murari.

Proceeds from the Marathon will fund the activities lined up to save the river from further destruction.

According to Murari, recent efforts to save River Rwizi have seen its water levels in the dry season increase from 2 cubic metres to slightly 2.742 cubic metres, thus challenging the public to sustain the tree planting campaigns among others.

“Our observation is that in the year 2023 River Rwizi water levels increased to 2.742 cubic metres during the dry season. This had never happened before, so if all of us continue doing what we are doing, this river can be restored,” he said.

This time around the marathon will be exercised under the theme “Women are stewards in sustainable utilisation of water and environment resources, empowering the girl child in conservation” thus challenging women, girls, and other stakeholders to come in big numbers to take part in the marathon.

Murari said protecting River Rwizi requires the support of local leaders, corporates, civil society, and the general population among others.

He mentioned uncontrolled sand mining, brick laying, construction in the buffer zone, farming along the river banks, and disposing of waste in the river as some of the activities that must be stopped.

On his part, Sulaiman Miiro, Project Manager Abahumuza Development Group, said that the marathon is meant to create awareness among the people destroying River Rwizi.

“We run to show the people in the region the importance of River Rwizi and also to mobilise funds to do activities like tree planting among others,” said Miiro.

He said illegal activities along the river’s banks have exposed it to silting and reduction of water levels, calling upon concerned government agencies enforcing environmental laws not to relax but to do their part.

On his part, Fred Bagonza, Regional National Environmental Management Authority [NEMA] Officer Southwestern region called for the recruitment of more staff to be able to handle its mandate of conserving the environment.

“We are working as a team but we are not many in number and my office manages south western region which totals to about 30 districts. So you can see how big the space we cover is compared to the number of staff available,” Bagonza noted.

However, he called on environmental officers in all districts that share River Rwizi to do their part by apprehending encroachers.

“All the districts have environmental officers; some call themselves natural resource officers. They even sit on the planning, and construction committees of the districts and the city [Mbarara City] but you will find illegal structures coming up near the banks of the river,” he said, adding construction in the river catchment areas is done during the night.

He said a structure constructed near River Rwizi should be 200 metres away from the water body.

“The government does not stop people from sand mining but as NEMA there is a certificate that we issue to sand miners but they have to mine sand 120 metres away from the river and that activity must be regulated,” added Bagonza.

According to Bagonza, NEMA has recently apprehended about seven people interfering with River Rwizi, adding that over 40 cases are in courts of law in the Southwestern region over illegal activities affecting the environment.

“Last week alone in Sheema district, we arrested seven people and we took them to court. This year we have over 40 in courts of law. Those that have been convicted for destroying the environment are about 15 people,” he said.

Thomas Kamusiime, Rwizi Regional Community Liaison Officer urged the Ministry of Water and Environment to extend the campaign of protecting River Rwizi to other 12 districts in the catchment area, especially Buhweju, and Sheema districts where the river originates.

Currently, Abahumuza Development Group is partnering with Victoria Water Management Zone, Ministry of Water and Environment, Lato milk, and Nile Breweries, Mbarara City Council, and NEMA to protect River Rwizi.

River Rwizi originates in the hills of Buhweju District and flows through the districts of Sheema, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Rwampara, Mbarara, Mbarara City, Isingiro, Kiruhura, Lyantonde, Rakai, and Kyotera.

Efforts to restore Rucece wetland continue

In another development, Mbarara City has embarked on a campaign to restore over 4000 hectares of destroyed Rucece wetland.

The wetland found along Mbarara-Kabale road covers Rucece cell in Rwakishakizi, Misyamo, Kibaya, Katukuru and Nyakayojo ward.

David Sancho, the City Natural Resource Officer said that the city has lost over 4,000 hectares of wetland to encroachers who have destroyed them by backfilling them with soil, planting eucalyptus trees, constructing buildings, and digging trenches that drain water from the wetlands.

“Rucece wetland measures to about 9000 hectares but recently we are battling to recover 4000 hectares encroached on by locals meaning that about 45-50 percent of the wetland is encroached on,” he said.

According to Sancho, the restoration campaign aligns with the Presidential directive to evict all wetland encroachers in Uganda.

The affected Rucece wetland covers over 1,500 hectares of three wards in Mbarara City South Division encroached on by people who claim to have land titles, and are threatening to sue government in case they are evicted.

“There are other wetlands in Mbarara city of course which people have encroached on but we decided to start with Rucece wetland because it is among the biggest wetlands which filter water going to River Rwizi. Later we shall go to other wetlands. People who grow in these wetlands crops like sweet potatoes, sugar cane, eucalyptus trees should stop it,” he noted.

However, Sancho decried the lack of adequate funds for the restoration of wetlands, and providing alternative livelihood sources to the encroachers.

The Mbarara City South Division Environment Officer, Edgar Nabaasa said they did sensitisation and issued eviction notices to the encroachers but have refused to comply.

He added that they agreed with the encroachers to harvest their crops and willingly cut down the trees planted.

“We are removing what is not supposed to be in the wetland and we have not ambushed them. We engaged these people in October 2023 and sensitised them about the importance of wetlands. We even gave them a notice of 3 months to remove all that they planted in the wetlands,” explained Nabaasa.

In the same vein, Robert Kanusu, Deputy Resident City Commissioner of Mbarara City North Division said government would continue to evict encroachers and sensitise others about the importance of the wetlands in the area.

Other wetlands in Mbarara City are; Koranorya, and Nyakisharara that cover about 5,000 hectares.

Uganda Wetlands mapping exercise in 2008 indicated that wetlands had reduced from 15 percent in 1994 to less than 10.8 percent of Uganda’s land area due to pressure from industrial development, settlements, agriculture, clay and sand mining.

https://thecooperator.news/mbarara-rcc-evicts-locals-from-rucece-wetland/

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