FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Department of Building, Energy and Environmental Engineering SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF BUJAGALI DAM MUWUMUZA LINDA 2014 MASTER OF SCIENCE THESIS, Credits: H.E 30 DIVISION OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY Supervisor: DR. JEEVAN JAYASURIYA A/PROF DR. JOHN BAPTIST KIRABIRA Dedication Well yes Mum, I did as we discussed and so this is for you. You spoke, I listened and this is the outcome. I pray you are proud of me. Love you always. Acknowledgements I would love to thank the following people for their contribution towards the finishing of my project. I would not have finished it successfully without you. My Family Daddy Angella Stephen Amanda College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology My local facilitators Dr. Sabiiti Adam Hillary Kasedde My Supervisors Dr. Jeevan Jayasuriya Dr. John Baptist Kirabira The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development especially: Eng. Moses Murengezi: Advisor to the Chairman Energy and Mining Sector Working group Eng. Paul Mubiru: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development The Bujagali Energy Limited Company especially: Mr. John Berry: Chief Executive Officer of BEL Ms. Achanga Jennifer: Environmental Engineer of BEL Francis Mwangi: Technical Manager Allan Ikahu: Infrastructure and Project Engineer My Friends: John, Anthony, Mue, Winnie, Arthur, Vincent, Hajarah, Fildah, Winnie, Richard and all the rest List of Acronyms ADB African Development Bank AES Applied Energy Services BEL Bujagali Energy Limited MEMD Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development NGO Non Government Organization O&M Energy Operations and Maintenance Energy Limited PAP Project Affected Persons USAID United States Agency for International Development Abstract There has been a steady increment in economic growth in Uganda and as the economy is on the rise, the demand for energy also increases. Hydro power energy production has been growing in Uganda as a result of the different types of dams created in Uganda along the River Nile. Uganda has been trying to reach the target of electricity capacity so as to ensure that her people get the energy required to improve on their livelihoods. Uganda as a whole has different energy sources but in this thesis, Bujagali dam will be at the center of the focus. Looking at the social and environmental impacts made upon its construction in Jinja. The main objective of this thesis was therefore to show how the livelihoods of the people dwelling in the neighborhood and the environment were affected by the construction of the dam. The livelihoods of the people before the construction of the dam were reviewed in regard to their social life as well as the environment from past literature provided. The different aspects in which the people and environment were affected after the construction of the dam were also reviewed through different interviews with the residents of Bujagali. There were both positive and negative effects, socially, environmentally and economically due to the construction of the Bujagali. The positive social effects were: provision of land for farming, provision of employment opportunities for the residents, increase in tourism at the dam, the falls and the cultural centers, community development including education, health facilities, skill training, water supply and power supply while the negative effects were loss of land, cultural loss, and less access to different points of the river for fishing purposes for the residents. The positive environmental effects were increase in fish species, more health and safety awareness, and thermal plants closure hence less green house gases effects on the ozone layer, the noise levels effects due to the dam construction, were of no consequence as they were in the required standard. The negative environmental effects were majorly water levels fluctuation that affects the head of water which in turn affects the capacity of power produced at the dam and air quality of the area during and after the construction of the dam especially air emissions. The positive economic effects were: increment of power to the national grid, lower electricity costs, closure of thermal plants as they were expensive to run and maintain and reduction of load shedding. The negative effect was the financial loan that the government of Uganda obtained to construct the dam that has to be paid back. TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... 3 Abstract ........................................................................................................................ 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................... 7 List of Figures.............................................................................................................. 9 List of Tables ............................................................................................................. 10 1.0 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................... 11 1.1 Power Generation in Uganda ...................................................................... 13 1.2 Bujagali Hydro Power Project .................................................................... 15 1.3 Bujagali Hydro Power Plant Location ........................................................ 16 1.4 Problem Statement ...................................................................................... 18 1.5 Objectives .................................................................................................... 18 1.5.1 Main Objective ....................................................................................... 18 1.5.2 Specific Objectives .................................................................................. 18 1.6 Scope............................................................................................................ 19 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................... 20 2.1 Dams and Hydro Power History ................................................................ 20 2.2 Basic Energy conversions for Hydro Power .................................................... 22 2.3 Three of the Largest Hydro Power Stations in the world ........................... 24 2.3.1 The Three Gorges Dam .......................................................................... 25 2.3.2 Itaipu Power Station ............................................................................... 26 2.3.3 Guri Power Station ................................................................................. 27 2.4 Effects of the Hydro Power Project in an area............................................ 28 2.4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 28 2.4.2 Economic Effects ................................................................................... 28 2.4.3 Social Effects .......................................................................................... 28 2.4.4 Environmental Effects ............................................................................ 29 2.4.5 Context of the study ............................................................................... 32 3.0 METHODOLOGY......................................................................................... 32 3.1 Identification of the lifestyle of people before the dam construction ......... 32 3.2 Identification of impacts of dam construction elsewhere in the world ...... 33 3.3 Identification of the social and environmental effects of Bujagali Dam .... 33 3.3.1 Data acquisition of social effects .............................................................. 33 3.3.2 Data analysis of social effects................................................................... 35 3.3.3 Data acquisition of Environmental effects ................................................ 35 4.0 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ................................................................. 36 4.1 Social effects of Bujagali Dam .................................................................... 36 4.1.1 Resettlement and loss of Land ................................................................. 36 4.1.2 Community development ........................................................................ 40 4.1.2 Cultural loss ............................................................................................ 44 4.1.3 Life alteration ......................................................................................... 46 4.1.4 Fishing ................................................................................................... 48 4.1.5 Farming .................................................................................................. 49 4.1.6 Employment opportunities ...................................................................... 50 4.1.7 Tourism ................................................................................................. 51 4.2 Environmental impacts of Bujagali Dam ................................................... 53 4.2.1 Noise pollution ....................................................................................... 53 4.2.2 Water quality and levels ..........................................................................