This is the second of three blog posts from Sherwood’s Michael Thornton, currently based in Uganda.

Ogamba ki!  This weekend I visited Jinja, home to the largest power production facility in Uganda, the Nalubaale and Kiira hydro electric plants.  I was able to get a decent picture of the dam this year (below); last year I was stopped by AK-47 wielding guards very angry about my camera.  The reason they were so angry is that the twin dams presently produce over 60% of the nation’s electrical power and interruption of either would be devastating.  The remainder is produced from an assortment of smaller thermal and hydro plants, none larger than 50 MW.

Power is used in Uganda for the usual assortment of things, though at a much less intensive level than we in the US are used to.  In wealthier areas it’s common to have lights, refrigerators, computers and televisions but in most of the country there is no power except at central points.  Facilities are then limited to light bulbs, basic refrigeration, cell charging and other basic technology.  While power is not ubiquitous, cell phones seem to be.  A report in 2008 stated that Uganda is the first African country in which there are more cell phones than fixed telephones. In 2008, it was reported that 39% of the population owned cell phones and that by 2014 it is estimated that cell phone penetration in Uganda will reach 70%.  Kiosks such as the one pictured here charge cell phones for a fee.

Uganda is a well watered country in most regions and suffers, more than anything, from lack of infrastructure and development.  Although 13% of Ugarda is covered in wetlands, lack of national conservation laws have resulted in a decline in biodiversity in recent years. Most villages, such as the one I am working in, have pit latrines and open ponds or shallow wells for their wastewater and water facilities.  The country receives ample rain, having two wet seasons and two dry seasons about three months long each.  Water is generally available regionally, though often undeveloped making it far or unclean. According to a UNESCO report in 2003, only 59% of the rural population had access to clean, safe drinking water. National urban water coverage is up to 65%, up from 54% in 2000.

Originating at Lake Victoria to the south east, the Nile River feeds much of Uganda and, as noted above, provides the vast majority of its power.  During times of low rainfall, which Uganda has been experiencing more and more due to climate change, the water level in Lake Victoria falls and with it the output of the main power stations.  As a result and especially when compounded with poor general infrastructure, rolling blackouts are common.  While I was here last summer many parts of the capital city received power every other day.

Looking forward, there are many new power stations planned, most of them relying on the flow of the Nile.  Due to be completed in the next year, the 250 MW Bujagali Hydro Power Station will drastically improve national production.  It comes at the cost of the Bujagali falls, a culturally important land mark and ecosystem and center of some of the best whitewater rafting in the world.  Many in Uganda have protested this station, bringin up issues ranging from an unfair bidding process, to concerns that the natural ecosystem will be destroyed, to questions about how climate change-induced drought make reliance upon hydropower unwise, but it will be completed soon regardless.

Climate change is happening now in Uganda.  I talked with some farmers who have said they don’t know when the traditional wet and dry seasons will occur any more.  Some are planting now, some are harvesting.  Mid-august, typically a wet time in Ddegeya has been bone dry with only a few sprinkles barely reaching the ground for the last 3 weeks.  Today I watched as a landowner cluck clucked a crop of coffee ruined due to lack of rain.  Equally challenging is the country’s rocketing population growth.  With a present population of 34 million in an area smaller than Oregon, it is already a tight place to survive on subsistence farming.  Hills far steeper than seem possible are home to farms and houses.  With the world’s second highest population growth rate of 3.6% per year (over 50% of the population is under age 15 and average births per mother are over 6) and a rising level of consumption and environmental impact, Uganda has a daunting infrastructure and resource challenge ahead. Reports have stated that rapid population growth coupled with climate change (resulting in droughts and flash flooding), water borne disease and poor health infrastructure are some of Uganda’s main current issues.

Next week I’ll take a look at the projects EWB MIT is working on to address some of the challenges above in our village and provide a brief outlook on Uganda’s future from my perspective.  Send questions as you have them!

Tags: Bujagali, climate change, Hydropower, Uganda
Posted in Development, Drought, Energy, Public Spaces | No Comments »