Inter-ministerial committee to coordinate response plan on rising water levels

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The government has set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee to coordinate a response plan to the rising water levels of lakes and rivers, across the country. 

According to the Information Minister Judith Nabakooba, the committee which will be chaired by the Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda is comprised of 14 ministers. Nabakooba further notes that a multi-sectoral national technical task team chaired by the Ministry of Water and Environment has also been set up to provide technical support to the committee.”  

She further observed that the government is working to ensure that the the public is fed with timely information on the weather and changing water levels in addition to raising awareness and early warning to the public. 

Each passing day the water levels continue to rise with Lake Victoria reaching a new record high currently standing 13.45 meters which are 5 centimetres above the previous historical maximum level of 13.40 meters recorded in 1964. This has resulted in flooding, displacement of people as well as the loss of lives and property. 

The fresh recording indicates that the increased outflow from Lake Victoria has further raised the water levels of Lake Kyoga and Albert with resultant flooding around and further downstream. Lake Kyoga water level has also exceeded the historical maximum recorded of 13.25 meters in 1964.

The rising water levels have been blamed on human activities such as deforestation, encroachment on wetlands, lakeshores and river banks for housing and agriculture. However, other theories are indicating that the current situation could have been caused by the amount of water released by Uganda into the The Nile.

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