Prime
A dam at Murchison Falls contradicts Vision 2040
What you need to know:
- In 2007, Cabinet approved the National Vision Statement, “a transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years”.
I have keenly been following reactions by several environmentalists and concerned Ugandans towards the government plan to construct a dam at Murchision Falls, Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area hosting 76 species of mammals and 451 of birds.
My reaction to the above environmentally hazardous proposal is based on the reflections I made on the Uganda government Vision 2040.
In 2007, Cabinet approved the National Vision Statement, “a transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years”.
The National Planning Authority in consultation with other institutions and stake holders developed the Uganda Vision 2040 to operationalise that vision and it was launched on April 18, 2013. The aspirations in it were arrived at following a nationwide consultation process which reflects the collective understanding, desires and determination of Ugandans.
During its launching, the President said: “I therefore call upon all Ugandans to take up the challenge as set in this Vision 2040 to enable the country realise its full potential”.
So, is the process of preventing government from constructing a dam at Murchision Falls one of the challenges the President calls us to take ? If yes, government should then listen to Ugandans.
On further dissection of the Vision 2040, chapter 4 specifically 4.1.1 talks about tourism. Clause 90 says that tourism support infrastructure and services will be improved to effectively facilitate the tourism industry; by extending electricity and ICT infrastructure to all major tourist attractions. Ugandans have been waiting for these services to be extended to the tourist sites and now government wants to use the tourist attraction itself to generate electricity which we already have in abundance just that they have made expensive for the public to tap.
Clause 96 says government will secure and protect all tourist attractions and destinations to ensure their integrity as well as eliminate the problem of wildlife dispersal.
A dam at Murchision fall will instead accelerate wildlife dispersal, reduction in the water table by the process called riverbed deepening resulting to loss of forest, extinction of many aquatic species ,disappearance of birds in the flood plains and many other immitigable impacts.
It is upon this background that I appeal to government to walk the talk of Vision 2040 and protect Murchision Falls as pledged in the above clause.
David Komakech,
[email protected]
