Countries Archive - Page 21 of 23

Nature-Based Solutions to reduce pollution of lake Hawassa

Written by Support on 7. May 2021. Posted in Ethiopia.

The use of wetlands for water pollution control dates back to the ancient Chinese and Egyptian civilizations. Wetlands reduce water pollution by removing pollutants coming from surface waters. Constructed wetlands (CW) provide sustainable, low cost, robust and efficiently engineered systems for water treatment, with added ecosystem services.

Since its construction in 2013, Amora Gedel (Eagle’s Valley) CW has been serving to improve the quality of storm water discharging into the lake Hawassa. Amora Gedel was constructed as a joint project by the Hawassa City Administration and the World Bank in Hawassa City. Due to increasing wear-and-tear, human activities, inadequate operation and maintenance over the years, a general overhaul was much needed. Protecting lake Hawassa (PLH) members identified the CW as one of the priority action areas.

People working on the constructed wetland Amora Gedel — Rehabilitating Amora Gedel constructed wetland to reduce pollutants entering Lake Hawassa
Copyright: NatuReS Ethiopia

Joint action

Earlier this year, NatuReS and the Hawassa Municipality embarked on rehabilitating the Amora Gedel CW. The rehabilitation is part of the PLH Partnership activities. Pooling resources together, NatuReS took the responsibility over the renovation works. Ensuring the long-term sustainability and functionality of the CW will be a task overseen by the municipality.

An Ethiopia-based wastewater construction company is conducting the rehabilitation and supervised by Aquacon Engineering consultants. The Municipality also provided operators for maintaining the CW once rehabilitated. A team from the Municipality, Acquacon, NatuReS and community representatives will carry out the inspection and follow-up work.

Protecting Lake Hawassa members visiting Amora Gedel wetland — PLH members visiting the construction site
Copyright: NatuReS Ethiopia

The Rift Valley Lakes including Lake Hawassa are currently experiencing a rise in water levels. Amora Gedel rehabilitation is facing challenges from this water level rise, as it results in a mix of lake and storm water. Considering this phenomenon, NatuReS and its partners are acting to reduce the risk and make the CW climate-proof. Raising the whole water treatment ponds by 50cm and rerouting the inlet deliver channel is the action taken to address this risk.

Nature-based solution

Restored to its former glory, the Amora Gedel CW will again be able to treat the first flash of storm water from the city’s drainage channels. This is important, as the first flow is the most polluted, sweeping away dust and garbage from the drainage channels towards the lake. The municipal staff will be collecting large particles such as plastic bottles trapped by the trash rack. Through a biological process, the smaller pollutants, including heavy metals, will be filtered from the water in the CW. This process will make use of aquatic plants (i.e. reeds, duckweed), naturally occurring microorganisms and a filter bed (sand, soils and gravel). The completion of the CW will be right before the start of the rainy season in June.

Launch of NatuReS Uganda and presentation of artpiece

Official launch of the NatuReS programme and partnerships in Uganda

Written by Support on 20. April 2021. Posted in Uganda, Uganda Editor.

The Natural Resources Stewardship (NatuReS) programme Uganda and its Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area PET plastic recycling partnership were officially launched by the European Union, GIZ and the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment. On March 24th, 2021, the launch took place as a side event of the Uganda Water and Environment Week 2021 at the Ministry of Water and Environment.

During the event, partners and donors gave opening remarks. Among them were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water and Environment Alfred Okot Okiidi, the Commissioner Water Resources Planning and Regulation Dr. Callist Tindimugaya, the programme manager for the EU Delegation to Uganda, Jean Baptiste Fauvel, and GIZ Country Director James MacBeth Forbes.

Opening remarks by programme manager EU Delegation Uganda Jean Baptiste Fauvel

Objectives of the programme

In Uganda, NatuReS focuses on strengthening the inclusive green economy in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area as well as Gulu City. Objectives of the programme are:

enabling multi-stakeholder partnerships in solid waste management & circular initiatives, urban flood resilience, wetland management and sustainable eco-industrial parks
increasing capacity of public and civil society actors, as well as the private sector, on natural resources stewardship
embedding lessons learnt and emerging good policy regarding natural resources stewardship

Multi-stakeholder partnership

The Greater Kampala PET plastic recycling partnership is a multi-stakeholder partnership. Accordingly, partners from private, public sector and civil society are:

Uganda Ministry of Water and Environment,
National Environment Management Authority (NEMA),
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA),
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa,
Mukwano Industries Uganda Ltd.,
Uganda Water & Juice Manufacturers Association,
Global Green Growth Institute.

Together, they strive towards improving the sustainable management of PET plastic waste in and around Kampala by developing an inclusive green recycling sector.

Partnership members during panel discussion during NatuReS launch — Panel dicussion on “Cross-sectoral partnerships as a way forward to water and environment security” attended by the partners of the GKMA PET plastic recycling partnership
Copyright: Ministry of Water and Environment Uganda

During the launch event, a panel discussion on “Cross-sectoral partnerships as a way forward to water and environment security” took place. It was attended by Patience Nsereko (Principal Environment Officer, NEMA), Jude Byansi (Supervisor Waste & Sanitation, KCCA), George Asiimwe (Senior Officer Urbanisation, Global Green Growth Institute), Collins Oloya (Director, Directorate Environment Affairs in the Ministry of Water and Environment), Morgan Bbonna (Secretary, Uganda Water and Juice Manufacturers Association) and Samuel Kangave (Plant Manager, Plastic Recycling Industries).

Handover of tuktuks for waste collection

handover of Tuktuks used for waste collection — Ceremonial handover of tuktuks used for waste collection from the Ministry of Water and Environment to KCCA
Copyright: Ministry of Water and Environment Uganda

A ceremonial handover of 10 tuktuks from the Ministry of Water and Environment to KCCA followed. The vehicles will facilitate waste collection in ten municipalities within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. Above all, they will enable efficient and timely collection of waste, hence making sure it can be channelled into the recycling value chain.

An artwork representing NatuReS

In parallel, a visual artist produced a live artwork which donors and partners signed in the end of the event to officially launch the NatuReS programme Uganda and its partnerships.

Man signing an artwork piece on stewardship in Uganda — The Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Water and Environment Uganda Alfred Okot Okiidi signing the artwork to launch the NatuReS programme Uganda
Copyright: Ministry of Water and Environment Uganda

Improving water supply for low income communities in Lusaka

Written by s.mutafya on 19. April 2021. Posted in Sambia Editor, Zambia.

As one of the fastest-growing cities in Southern Africa, the Zambian capital Lusaka faces numerous threats to its water security. This is especially the case for low-income areas, where mere access to water remains a challenge. One such area is George Compound, a peri-urban community of 200,000 residents located in the Western part of Lusaka. Many residents fetch their water at public kiosks, serviced by the local utility company’s wellfields. However, some residents still fetch it from contaminated or heavily polluted shallow wells.

To address this problem, the Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC) implemented a water supply improvement project in George compound and the surrounding industrial area. The project was financed by Zambian Breweries (ZB) at a cost of 150,000$. It involved the drilling of a borehole and the installation of a 3.4km pipeline to George compound.

Over 40,000 community members will benefit from this collective action, implemented under the Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSI) partnership. Additionally, it will also serve as a COVID-19 prevention measure, as it provides reliable access to water and hence makes e.g. regular hand-washing possible.

The Minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection, Honorable Rapheal Nakachinda, commissioned the project infrastructure on March 19^th, 2021. NatuReS Zambia as partners of LuWSI facilitate and promote such collective action in order to manage natural resources for sustainable growth and better livelihoods.

people inaugurating the new pipeline — Minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection, Rapheal Nakachinda, inaugurating the new pipeline
Copyright: LWSC and ZB

Author: Sonile Mutafya, NatuReS Advisor, Zambia

UMA chairperson presenting green ecnoomy initiatives

First breakfast meeting between public and private sector during Uganda Water & Environment Week

Written by Support on 14. April 2021. Posted in Uganda, Uganda Editor.

The NatuReS programme Uganda supported the Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA) in hosting a first breakfast meeting on Friday, the 26^th of March 2021, as part of the Uganda Water & Environment Week 2021. This annual weeklong event provides a platform for sector actors and other stakeholders to network, exchange knowledge and build working relationships.

Coca Cola beverages Africa representative Discussion about natural resources stewardship — Lee Newton from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa contributing to the discussion
©UMA©GIZ

The meeting aim was to create a platform of cooperation for the Ministry of Water & Environment and the Ugandan private sector, represented by UMA. Both are interested in fostering a working relationship. Consulting on issues of mutual interest and of relevance for natural resources stewardship will be an important part.

High-level decision-makers from the public sector and chief executives from the private sector participated, among which the chairperson of UMA, the Commissioner for Water Resources Planning & Regulation at the Ministry of Water and Environment, the Country CEO of Hima Cement Ltd., representatives from Steel and Tube Industries Ltd., Brittania Allied Industries, and Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.

Commissioner Water Resources Planning & Regulation — Commissioner for Water Resources Planning & Regulation at the Ministry of Water and Environment, Dr. Callist Tindimugaya, talking at the event
©UMA©GIZ

Environmental threats affecting both business operations and the public

Discussions focused on water and environment security in private sector operations. Frequent flash floods threaten e.g. industrial areas, namely Namanve, Ntinda and Bugolobi. They pose both an environmental threat and have a detrimental effect on business operations, as machinery can be damaged or access roads get blocked. For instance, recently employees at Namanve Industrial Park were blocked in their workstations due to floods having swallowed up the outgoing streets. Consequently, factories like Hima Cement Ltd. have embarked on improving drainage systems at their own costs within their boundaries.

Participants also discussed water pollution, another environmental threat affecting the private sector. For example, Jesa Farm Dairies, Uganda’s leading dairy processing company, extracts water for their operations from the River Mayanja. However, it is increasingly polluted. Therefore, Jesa increased its investments in water treatment to ensure availability of clean water for their operations.

uganda Country Coordinator presenting natural resources stewardship — Mathew Parr, NatuReS Country Coordinator in Uganda, contributing to the discussion during the breakfast meeting
©UMA©GIZ

Cooperation is key

The public sector is open to partner with the private sector in reducing water and environmental risks. During the event, participants long discussed ideas to leverage actions. Among others, they agreed to establish a roadmap for continuous engagement between stakeholders who are affected by and affect water resources and the environment.

In the end, participants agreed on a follow-up meeting at the Ministry to concretize their ideas. Also, similar meetings between private and public sector are now set to occur annually during Uganda Water & Environment Week.