Assessing the suitability of a sand dam along River Sambye, as a measure of combating water shortages in Buliisa district.

Abstract

With a changing climate globally, rainfall distribution patterns have become more irregular over time and space. The poorest people and countries are the most vulnerable and the challenge is to develop measures that will reduce this vulnerability. East Africa is one of the vulnerable areas and it is expected that the frequency of drought will increase in the future. Uganda is no exception. In this project, we examined the feasibility of constructing a sand dam in Kizongi village, Buliisa district, as a means of combating water scarcity in the region. Kizongi village is blessed with numerous seasonal rivers, such as Karubanga and Sambye, which dry up during the dry season, leaving the communities deprived of water. The methodology followed constituted of siting the sand dam, assessing the extent of water demand in the area, designing the sand dam, and finally establishing the environmental and social impacts the sand dam will have on the community. This is extensively discussed in chapter 3. The collected data was then analyzed and is discussed in chapter 4. This chapter has results obtained while siting the dam, dimensions of the proposed sand dam structure, evaluation of the potential impacts that the sand dam will have on the environment, and measures to reduce these impacts. In conclusion, we successfully determined the suitability of a sand dam for water storage in Kizongi village and successfully designed it. It was established that when properly designed, the sand dam is a promising approach to solving water shortages in Buliisa district, and Uganda at large. However, since its construction is capital and labor-intensive, the local community cannot independently implement this project. It is therefore advised that external aid be given to the community members for the implementation of the project.