Shs2bn Nile Breweries, WWF project restores 80 hectares of degraded Rwizi catchment
A shs2 billion project by Nile Breweries Limited and World Wide Fund for Nature has helped restore 80. 3 hectares in River Rwizi catchment area which had been degraded.
Speaking during the release of the report, Stephen Emor, Stephen Emor, the team leader for the Victoria Water Management Project in the Ministry of Water and Environment said the project which started in 2019 has had a number of benefits.
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“The project has helped restore 80.3 hectares done by fencing off or demarcating the river bank using live markers and planting of bamboo along the buffer. This has helped a lot in stopping sedimentation and siltation into the river,” Emor said.
He said the project has also done soil and water conservation aimed at reducing flowing of water into the river which carries a lot of silt and clogging the river.
According to officials, the Rwizi catchment area covers 12 districts and the population in these districts has benefited from the project.
“We have been able to demonstrate that nature-based interventions can solve the challenges of degradation of the river,” Emor said.
He said the project has supported livelihood options in communities which have been provided with income generating projects, away from degrading the river.
Nile Breweries Managing Director, Adu Rando said River Rwizi supports industries, health facilities, farmers and households but had been degraded, adding that the degradation was reversed by the project.
“My last visit to River Rwizi was three weeks ago and there is noticeable change in terms of how much higher the river water is. There has been so much improvement . There are higher levels of water and by all measure better quality of water . These actions really have delivered on short term improvement on our dream,” Rando said.
The WWF country director, Ivan Tumuhimbise hailed the partnership with Nile Breweries for helping deliver results.
“Our two organizations have leveraged our respective expertise, resources and influence to find innovative strategies for conserving watersheds and improving water quality. We have and continue to collaborate on activities including water risk assessments, sustainable agricultural practices and community engagement, working together to identify and address risks, develop sustainable solutions, and foster partnerships to achieve our shared goals,” Tumuhimbise said.
“ We recognize that scientific research, data analysis and stakeholder engagement are fundamental in driving effective water management strategies. By integrating the best available knowledge and involving local communities, governments and other stakeholders, we are laying solid foundations to create lasting and impactful change. We have measurably improved water availability, water quality and freshwater biodiversity. We are catalyzing key decision makers to recognize the value of water and improve water governance to enable solutions to address water availability and quality challenges.”
He said that as the world commemorates the international environment day, the rest of the private sector should come on board in restoring the environment.
