|
|
|
|
|
ENVIRONMENT-UGANDA: Landslides - Experts Warn Worst is Yet to Come
|
|
|
By Joshua Kyalimpa
KAMPALA,
Mar 9, 2010 (IPS) - Fourteen-year-old Isaac Wadyegere of Bundesi
village in Bududa district woke up to a rainy and chilly Monday morning
and went to school as usual.
But Mar. 1 was not a usual day in eastern Uganda.
When he heard the sound of rocks and soil tumbling down
Mountain Elgon on a path to destroy part of his school, Wadyegere,
along with other pupils, fled home.
But instead of finding the refuge he hoped for, disaster awaited Wadyegere.
His house and family were destroyed.
"My father, mother, step-mother, and five siblings all died when our house was covered by the landslides," the boy says.
Orphaned Wadyegere now stays in a camp set up by the Uganda Red Cross
for survivors of the landslides that buried three other villages
including; Nametsi, Namakansa and Kubewo villages in the Bududa
district.
So far 92 bodies have been dug out of the rubble by the army and rescue
workers and over 300 people are still missing. More than 300,000 people
will be displaced by the worst disaster in the region according to Joel
Aguma, the police commander for eastern Uganda. "We never planned for
this and here we are, with so many people to look after, the scale of
this disaster is surely beyond our capacity but we are trying our
best," Aguma said as the rescue continued.
Government has now declared the scene of the Bududa landslides a mass grave.
Minister of state for disaster preparedness, Musa Ecweru, says
government has called off the search for survivors after dysentery
broke out and rescuers contracted it. "We realised it will take longer
to get all the bodies out and it was increasingly risky for the
rescuers," Ecweru says.
Experts warn that the worst is yet to come. A weather outlook report
released recently by the Intergovernment Authority on Development’s
(IGAD) Climate Prediction and Adaptation Centre (ICPAC) based in
Nairobi, stated that the region was expected to have higher rainfall
than normal.
The statement was released during the Climate Outlook Forum for the
Greater Horn of Africa held in Nairobi, Kenya in February. National,
regional and international climate scientists reviewed the state of the
global climate system and its implications on the seasonal rainfall
over the region.
Experts said regional systems that include sea surface temperatures in
the Indian Ocean, which are currently warmer than average, and Atlantic
Ocean will have greater influence on the rainfall performance over
Uganda
Professor Laban Ogalo, director of ICPAC advises countries in the
region to plan accordingly as the changing rainfall pattern may be both
a blessing and a curse.
"Rain is a good thing if managed well. The region can benefit from it
if it’s used to spur food production for those who get it in plenty so
they can supply others who will get less rain," says Ogalo. He said
heavy rains in the region could be destructive to infrastructure and
may lead to loss life.
Ugandan weather experts are warning of more landslides and floods in
the east, central and western parts of the country as heavy rains
continue in most parts of the country. River Malaba in Busia district
in eastern Uganda, near the Bududa district, has already burst its
banks.
Bildard Baguma, deputy secretary general of the Uganda Red Cross, says
there is an increasing possibility of flooding from the river if rains
continue. Baguma says people in the affected areas will be evacuated
from their villages to higher ground where temporary camps are to be
set up.
Uganda’s government has asked residents in low-lying and flood-prone
areas to move before tragedy hits. The ministry for disaster
preparedness has already started registering people in high risk areas
for relocation. Over 300,000 affected people in the Mountain Elgon
region and the neighbouring lowlands of Butaleja, Budaka and Tororo are
expected to be relocated.
Deus Bamanya, a senior meteorologist with the department of metrology,
explains that extreme weather conditions in southern Europe weakened
the high pressure systems in north Africa, which in turn pushed the
rain belt down to Uganda. Heavy rains that could lead to flooding are
expected to continue until June.
Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi has told parliament government
is appealing for donor funds to carry out the relocation exercise
before further rainfall causes more destruction.
As the country still mourns the death of those in Bududa district,
landslides have displaced hundreds in western Uganda. Heavy rainfall
resulted in landslides on Mar. 4. Officials from the ministry for
disaster preparedness have rushed to Kabale, which borders Rwanda and
DR Congo, to assess the extent of the damage.
District authorities say landslides hit Rubaya and Butanda sub-counties
destroying houses and blocking the only access road. Rescuer workers
spent an entire day clearing the road before they could access the
area.
Three people have been confirmed dead after they were swept by fast
running waters off Kigarama Bridge in Kabale district. Soldiers have
joined Kabale district authorities in verifying reports that some
people are still trapped under the collapsed mud walls of their houses.
Mark Choono, the United Nations Children’s Fund’s Uganda emergency
coordinator, warns that an outbreak of water borne diseases is also
likely.
"We are concentrating on providing safe drinking water, which is the
biggest problem in areas affected by landslides and floods. We have
begun providing water purifying chemicals to affected people," says
Choono.
Already in Bududa 60 people have contracted cholera
|
|
Tags:ENVIRONMENT-UGANDA: Landslides - Experts Warn Worst is Yet to Come
|
|
|
|
|
|
|