Factsheet: Gulu Integrated Catchment Management Partnership

Gulu in Northern Uganda is one of the country’s fastest growing cities, with an annual population growth
rate of approx. 2.8%. As the city continues to grow, so does the amount of solid waste and the degree of catchment degradation. Yet, Gulu City’s young waste and natural resource management system is unable to deal with increasing pressures. Particularly, the water resources are increasingly polluted by plastic and organic waste. This is aggravated by the diminishing water holding capacity of the existing wetlands. Gulu City lies within the Albert Nile and Aswa Catchments of the Upper Nile Water Management Zone. Both catchments are characterized by high vulnerability to dry spells. Changing climate conditions of the last years have led to the drying-up of the Oyitino valley dam and the associated streams, which serve as main water source for the city. The accelerating rate of wetland degradation poses an additional threat to their provisioning, regulating and supporting ecosystem services to the City’s businesses and population.