{UAH} Hon Kyambadde Karamoja has no water problem!! Techinical Issues

Look at Karamoja, Uganda's water problem- solution

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How come that a country like Uganda with too many water sources is largely low agriculture producing country with massive hygienic problems- I will tackle this question and give proposals on possible river design from real physical state of rivers and river streams in Karamoja as an example.

Notice where there is a well or natural spring there is wealth of untapped water resources for fish farming, irrigation, micro hydropower generation bathing, ecotourism etc.

Uganda does no have a water problem.

Notice that even in the driest regions in our country there are water springs, which never goes dry. Simple calculations and engineering design plus well guided planning and commitment will lay open, the wastage of water resources scientific method could harness to provided both hydro power energy and irrigation facilities.

Water problem an Artificially created problem.

1. There is a demographic problem (artificial), both human and cattle population increasing exponentially due to marginal land per acreage output. Land therefore imaginary becomes limited and further degraded mainly due to lack of water resources design. Well composed planning of main water sources in those regions would not only increase food production and increase spatial distribution (de-concentration) of the population away from natural water sources but also could be used to produce enough hydropower energy to light a few thousand people settlements

2. There is an economist problem in case of understanding the social and geographical nature of dry regions. In Africa it is normal for an individual to have over a hundred heads of cattle, this is economically manageable with simple technology. Information Communications Technology can offer possibilities to economies of scale with high returns if engineering, planning and harnessing local resources are fully researched.


3. The other problem is sociological/ anthropological issue; trans migration or pastoral life style. Such structures could be combined with increment in water resource and combined with agrarian life styles in order to optimise land carrying capacity, and also be able to manage the ecosystem/logy balance.

Let Uganda solve Karamoja Water issue first:

There are a lot of water springs, small rivers and water streams in Karamoja flowing from Kaboong downs ward to Lake Bisina. Those rivers /streams be dammed to increase the local climatological formation and change, while widening the river/ stream catchment areas. From Kaboong it is about or over 2000 meter above sea level almost the same level across or a difference of about 400 meters to Teso, which implies with simple hydrological and gravitational methods Karamoja has got no water problems.

In Russia Stalin built the water channel from Moscow to Volga with hands and spades. There is free labour in Karamoja, and indeed in the rest of dry region in Uganda who would be more than happy to become successfully dam engineers. Damming water streams and rivers found in this region to increase water embankment thus catchmentment area, will not only increase water resources but could change the climatic factor. It is only lack of scientific knowledge in river, spring and water streams, commitment and hard work which creating an artificial problem in Uganda’s driest regions. Makerere University is just about five kilometres from Uganda parliament with physicist, hydrologist, geographers and land use specialists.

Water resource problems are found all over Uganda i.e. in Nakasongora , Luwero district, Rakai and Mbarara. These are some of the regions where even electricity is the remotest dream. Lack of water resources and it's effects on the surrounding population life styles.

Spring, River and Stream design:

Is there a water problem in Uganda at all or it is lack of knowledge?

In Karamoja there are two main river tributaries, which flows from the region around Kaboong and Loyoro, which rivers are called Okok and Okere. Up northwards these rivers have two-bifurcation river Dopeth and Longiro. Around Loyoro it is about 1803 meter above see level and around Koboong it is 2086 m.b.s.

All these rivers and their bifurcation drain in a valley, which stretches from Ngora, Usuku to somewhere near Turutoko around river Okere on the eastern side. River Okere is feed by two seasonal rivers, which flow as far as the hills on the most eastern side of Moroto. There are other small seasonal rivers, which drain through the southern part of Karamoja, rivers Ukutat from between Lorengedwat and Amuda and river Muchilmaket just on the eastern part of Nabilatuk. These two seasonal rivers flow in Lake Bisina, which I do believe, is part of Lake Kyoga.

If we take a geometrical measurement of the drainage basin from Lake Bisina to the highlands behind Kaboong it is more than 609 km., which means that those rivers flow almost throughout the western part of Karamoja. In the drainage valley where these rivers end, it is about between 1200 and 1440 meter above sea level. The same rivers start in a region, which is between 1800 and 2086 above sea level. That is a difference between 400; 800 meters in a distance of over 600 kilometres from the highest point to the lowest point.

I don't want to pretend that I really grasp the hydrological nature (hydraulic geometry) of these rivers. But given to the geophysics of this region, Karamoja is a relatively flat region hence one contributory factor to its dryness and blessing too. Moreover, through analysing the tributaries network of the major rivers, water streams and water springs in the region, one understands that there is total even distribution of water all through out Karamoja. Which by the nature of the landscape, the flat savannah land can't hold water for a sustainable period of time without human intervention, due to high precipitation rate.


Nevertheless, if one goes back and study closely River Okere, you will find that if one was to build a barrier (Dam) near Turutoko trading centre through time, water level will start rising upstream hence filling up the two rivers which flow from the hills behind Moroto. This I know theoretically, practically and from observations that it is possible without reducing water flow (discharge) into the drainage valleys around Okere. This fact is a prelude to generating hydropower energy at a small scale therefore there is no necessity of connecting Karamoja or such region to the national electricity grid. In fact all small river streams in Sweden for example generate electricity, which is distributed within the locality at a very low cost rates.

The same will apply to the bifurcation of river Okok if a dam was to be built where these two tributaries (Dopeth and Longiro) join. Hence successively increasing the water levels upstream. The same must apply to river Ngolalapolon near the trading centre at Lokjehar.

Won't such dams if there where to be built, used for aquatic and marine farming for example increasing social activities away from pastoral life styles?

What I am thinking about is the interruption of water flow (discharge) by successfully building dams from down stream, upstream therefore causing change in drainage basin geometry (widening drainage valleys), change in water flow regimes (velocity) from the many tributaries as mentioned above. I strongly feel, if the dams are high and wide enough through water discharge will exceed what it is today due to the gravitational force upstream.

Secondary between dams their will be a sort of artificial Lake Formation along the drainage basin and valleys.

This will be indeed good for this is not stagnant water which can then be pumped out at an environmentally sustainable rate to given location where the geometry allows diversification of daily activities.

Now, to attain any success for such projects to work in an efficient way we need

a. To measure total water discharge, for major rivers Okere and Okok daily.

b. Water flow speed. (Velocity) at given points

c. Seasonal variations in water levels/volume in all rivers and their tributaries annually.

d. Geometry of the river basin and adjacent regions.

Through those variables then one can be able to determine how water can be equally distributed throughout Karamoja without many problems. Using diesel water pumps or electricity generated along these streams and river water will be pumped to given water collection centres. In fact water pipes can be laid along gravitation elevations to be distributed all around the region.

Certainly there are many wells and natural springs which can be dammed in the manner I have described above to form small water bodies all over this country hence increasing water distribution without wasting too much time thinking of tapping rain water. This is something which can be tried all over the country and I'm very sure can succeed since there is no much disorganisation of the very nature of the landscape and can't result into environmental problems.

Due the flatness of landscape into the region, I'll suggest natural barriers around these water bodies like trees and high embankments should be created to avoid rapid evaporation or precipitation of water.

All dam barriers should be mechanically operated e.g. the barriers can be opened or closed in order to allow water release, let say during heavy rainfall periods, to avoid flooding upstream. Even during very hot seasons the drainage valley, might need to occasionally maintain water levels. Let us say there is fishing activities downstream which I am very sure can be initiated within a very short period of commencement of these activities.

Damming will only require local expertise for hydraulic geometry measurements and stress on the embankments. Otherwise the embankments can be made from local wood, which has got high resistance to decaying. Very strong and old bridges are made of wood not steel and cement!


What do engineers say?

Bwanika.

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Bwanika Nakyesawa Luwero

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