Gov’t Minister Commends WWF for the Visible Impact by the Nyamwamba Catchment Restoration project

Posted on 2 April 2024

WWF in Uganda hosted the State Minister for Water Hon Aisha Sekindi and other officials from the Ministry of Water and Environment in Kasese. The guests were in the district to inspect the work done by WWF under the Fresh Water program to minimize the loss of life, livelihood and property caused by the frequent flooding of River Nyamwamba.

During the visit where WWF handed over the completed work, guests witnessed how communities had been supported to restore degraded hotspot river banks in the mid and lower streams of the river.

Dr Callist Tindimugaya, the Commissioner of Water Resources at the Ministry of Waster and Environment Commended WWF for effectively working with communities to restore 1600Ha of deforested and degraded land through community tree growing on both individual and public land.

Hon Aisha Commended WWF for placing the communities living around River Nyamwamba at the Forefront of their own interventions. Specifically, the officials were impressed that women and youth have taken on leadership roles in the roll out of these interventions.

With funding from World Bank under the Integrated Water Management and Development Project (IWMDP), the Ministry of Water and Environment contracted WWF to roll out catchment management and restoration activities in Nyamwamba catchment including river maintenance on critical hotspot areas along the river.

The Country Director of WWF , Ivan Tumuhimbise stated that the activities in this project were community-based actions and majorly involved local community labor from the affected communities themselves; that is, the people that have been degrading the area.

Some of the activities implemented under the project included River bank demarcation and restoration, afforestation of degraded community and individual land, alternative income generating activities at household level; Fish farming, stone product development, bee keeping, fruit growing, ecotourism and horticulture among others.

State Minister for Water Hon Aisha Sekindi planting a ceremonial tree at the banks of River Nyamwamba that are under restoration