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The impact of water One result of higher electricity prices has soil degradation, which in turn is responsible been increased pressure on forest resources. for poor food-crop yields, further threatening shortage on forest Almost all households (95 percent) in the food security. country use woodfuel (fuelwood or charcoal) to As the country has experienced abnormally resources – the case meet some part of their energy needs. With the high rains in 2007, with almost no recog- exorbitant power tariffs, dependence on tree nizable dry season during the period July of Uganda and forest products for fuel was heightened to September, the lake levels have slowly even further. Urban populations that generally risen. However electricity generation levels used electricity for cooking reverted to use have not recovered, and hydropower is still F. Kafeero of woodfuel. The demand for woodfuel then being supplemented by thermal generators. surpassed the supply, causing the prices of Thus power tariffs have remained excessively charcoal and fuelwood to skyrocket. high for the poor and middle-class Ugan- In Uganda, the reduction of An offshoot of this dynamic has been dans that make up the largest part of the water resources due to climate increased deforestation in unsustainably population. Tree cutting and deforestation change has weakened hydropower managed forests, especially private natural thus continue unabated in response to the generation, leading people to turn forests, as woodfuel suppliers seek to meet increasing scarcity of woodfuel. The heavy to woodfuels for energy – the increased demand and take advantage of rains further wash away the bare soils into and fueling deforestation. the price boom. Many rural households have the lake and rivers, increasing the problem resorted to cutting their trees, including fruit- of siltation. It is feared that if and when the trees, to get fuelwood as forests become more extreme dry conditions set in, the vicious In recent years the effects of climate change and more depleted. The heavy cutting of the cycle will be further exacerbated, posing a have been observed in Uganda in increased forest, coupled with unsustainable slash-and- threat to human life in Uganda in the present frequency of extreme weather events such burn practices, has contributed to land and generation and that to come. as prolonged droughts and heavy rainstorms © B Recent lowering of
resulting in floods and landslides. After the oard extreme and prolonged drought of 2004/05, the water level of Lake
Victoria has reduced of
the water level of Lake Victoria dropped by one R water supply to the egents whole metre in 2006. This dramatic fall was Nalubaale power
station (Owen Falls attributed to high evaporation from the lake of
dam), resulting in the surface, low rainfall in the headwaters of the
power shortage U rivers draining into the lake, and the excessive niversity removal of water for power generation from
Owen Falls dam to meet the growing demand of W
for electricity in the country. isconsin With reduced water availability for power S
generation in Lake Victoria (the only source ystem of water for the Owen Falls dam), the country experienced unprecedented power rationing which affected the industrial and domestic Along the shore sectors. The shortage of power caused the of Lake Victoria in Uganda, fishermen interruption of economic activities and had bag charcoal for an overall negative impact on the country’s smoking fish; economy and the livelihoods of its people. To fuelwood and charcoal are widely meet the demand for electricity, the government used in the country, resorted to using expensive thermal power, and unsustainable which escalated electricity tariffs from 216 to woodfuel production, especially from 426 shillings (US$0.13 to $0.25) per unit of private natural FAO/17541/R. F aidutti domestic consumption. forests, is a cause of deforestation
Fred Kafeero is Executive Director, Environmental Alert, Kampala, Uganda.
Unasylva 229,213, Vol. 58,55, 20072003
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