Course outline

 1. Status of Water Resources Management in Uganda

 2. Water Resources Project Planning
 3. Flood Flow estimation; Flood mitigation
 4. Flood Routing
 5. Groundwater Flow Equations and Well Hydraulics
 6. Urban Drainage Engineering including Impacts of Land Use and
Development
 7. Basic design and operation of water for production facilities
(Reservoirs)
 8. Sediment Transport and Erosion Control
 9. Climate Change and its impacts on the Water Resources
 10. National, regional and Global Integrated Water Resources
Management trends
 11. Introduction to Watershed Management
 12. Case studies of Water Resources assessments
Mode of delivery
The course will be taught through lectures, consultations and
practical
Assessment
• The course will be assessed through assignments, tests, and
course examinations.
 Requirements Contribution
Assignments 20%
Tests 20%
Final course examinations 60%
Total 100%
Chapter One: Introduction
 Water Resources Engineering is the study of the occurrence of
water in nature with the purpose of putting it to the beneficial use
of man.
Applications in WRE
• Water control through flood mitigation, land drainage, sewerage
and highway culvert design.
• Water utilization for beneficial purposes through water supply
projects, irrigation, hydroelectric power development and
navigation improvements.
• Water Quality Management through non structural methods
such as zoning for flood mitigation and preservation of natural
beauty as in the case of an underground power station at
Murchison falls.
Quantity of Water
Basic questions water resources engineers needs to ask:
a) ‘How much water is needed?’
b) ‘How much water can be expected?’
Peak rates of flow are the basis of design of projects to control
excess water, while volume of flow during longer periods is of
interest in designing projects for use of water e.g. water
supply, irrigation.
c) ‘Who may use this water?’
Water rights are protected by law and the legal answer may be
required before the quantities of available water can be evaluated.
• In Uganda, a Water Act provides the legal framework for the
use of water and since Uganda is one of the Nile River Riparian
countries, it is bound by the River Nile treaties signed in the
19th and 20th Centuries.
 Water Quality
Once the adequacy in terms of quantity has been ascertained,
water must withstand chemical and bacteriological tests of quality.
These tests are employed to determine the amount and characters
of the impurities in water.
• Problems of water quality are encountered in planning water
supply and irrigation projects and in the disposal of waste water.
• The engineer provides the facilities for removing impurities from
water by mechanical, chemical or bacteriological methods.
• In Uganda, NEMA is the Government Authority, responsible for
regulating the disposal of wastes to safeguard our waters against
pollution.
• In a major investment like the construction of a factory, irrigation
scheme, or hydropower scheme, it is mandatory that an EIA is
done.
The Water Resources of Uganda
Water Availability
 Uganda is well endowed with water resources including lakes,
many rivers, streams and wetlands. The whole of Uganda lies
within the Upper Nile catchment, with numerous rivers flowing
into Lakes Victoria, Edward, George, Kyoga and Albert and also
directly into the River Nile.
 Uganda's rivers and lakes cover about 18% of the total surface
area of the country. Of the total area of the country, 36,280km2 is
covered by open water and 30,105km2 or 13% by wetlands.
 Most fresh water comes from seasonal rains. The annual rainfall
ranges between 700 -2000mm. Rainfall is however not uniform
and varies seasonally, which causes considerable variations in the
timing of onset of seasons and the amount of rainfall and
streamflow.
 Water Resources Use
 The water resources use falls under four main
categories namely: i) Domestic Consumption, ii)
Agriculture, iii) Industry and Energy and iv) Water
Transport.
 Domestic Consumption: the largely rural population
meets its needs form surface water, groundwater and
rainwater.
 Agriculture: this is predominantly rainfed. Wetlands
have been drained for farming and this can cause the
reduction in the replenishment of groundwater.
The Policy Framework
 This is considered based on the Guiding Principles; the
Uganda Water Action Plan; the Uganda National
Water Policy; the Africa Water Vision and Integrated
Water Resources Management.
 The Guiding Principles that were adopted in Uganda Water
Action Plan and the Uganda National Water Policy are;
➢ That freshwater is a finite and vulnerable resource,
essential to sustain life, development and the environment.
➢ The management of water resources should be at the
lowest appropriate levels.
➢ The role of Government as an enabler in a participatory
demand driven approach.
➢ The integration of water and land use.
➢ The essential role of women in the provision, management
and safeguarding of water resources.
➢ The recognition of water as a social and economic good.
➢ The important role of the private sector.
 The Uganda Water Action Plan
The overall objectives of the Uganda Water Action Plan is to manage
and develop the water resources of Uganda in an integrated and
sustainable manner so as to secure and provide water of adequate
quantity and quality for all social and economic needs.
It discusses the accepted principle on trans-boundary waters;
examines Uganda's international obligations and argues a case for
rational and equitable utilization of the Nile waters.
The Uganda National Water Policy
Promotes a new integrated approach to manage water resources in
ways, that are sustainable and beneficial to the people of Uganda and
is based on the fact that water is recognized as a social and economic
good. It provides the policy objectives, principles and strategies for
monitoring assessment, allocation and protection of the resources
and management framework.
Institutional Framework
 The institutional framework has been designed to reflect the
transboundary nature of the water resources, the increased demand for
development activities the increasing pollution threats and the
decentralization and devolution of powers at the lower levels of
Government.
National Level: The Minister of Water and Environment has the overall
responsibility for initiating the national policies, setting standards and
priorities for water resources management in the country.
District Level: Under the District Local Government Councils, a District
Environment and Natural Resources Committee exists comprising of
water, environment, forestry and meteorology, departments which is
designed to ensure coordinated management of natural resources and the
environment as well as those of agriculture, fisheries and livestock at the
district.
 Municipal/ urban councils handle licensing of industries, solid and
sewerage disposal and drainage systems and manage and protect the
water resources.
 Local Level: The Sub County is the legal entity and
has responsibilities in the areas for the provision of
water and sanitation services and protection of natural
resources including water, with the assistance of the
extension staff. Local Councils (LC1-LC3) play a role in
setting local priorities and enforcing byelaws,
monitoring and mediating in water management
issues.
 The Directorate of Water Resources Management
 The DWRM is the agency responsible for managing
water resources in Uganda. Its mandate is to:
“Promote and ensure the rational and sustainable
utilization and development, and the effective
management and safeguarding of water resources
of Uganda for social and economic welfare and
development"
Structure of DWRM
The Key Water Management Issues
Watershed Conditions: Uganda's watersheds are experiencing serious
levels of degradation as a result of land use pressures arising from
increased human and livestock populations and the combined effect
of agricultural encroachment and deforestation.
Climate Change: water resources are ever-diminishing due to unfavorable
climate variability and change.
Institutional Fragmentation: there are insufficient links to planning and
management of other closely related sectors.
International Water Agreements: (Nile Water Agreement of 1929 between
Great Britain and Egypt, The Owen Falls Dam Agreement of 1949
between Great Britain and Egypt) These Nile Water Agreements
allocate all the waters of the Nile to Egypt, while denying the Upper
Riparians the right to utilize the waters for irrigation and power
generation.
Inequalities in Use, Access and Participation
Water Resources Planning
 The development of water resources requires: the
conception, planning, design, construction and
operation of facilities to control and utilize water.
Water resources projects are usually classified on the
basis of their objectives. They can be either a single
purpose project or a multipurpose project.
The planning of a water resources project involves
systematic consideration of the original statement of
purpose, evaluation of alternatives and the selection of
the preferred alternative.
 The planning of a water resources project generally consists
of the following:
Statement of objective: this should be based on the need of the region
and they vary depending on the agency planning the project.
Collection of Data: Reliable data is needed for realistic and accurate
planning. General data-This includes physical, hydrological, geological,
cartographic, ecological, demographic, economic, legal, data on existing
projects, data on public opinion.
Specific data-This includes data for agriculture, municipal water supply,
hydropower, flood control, navigation, recreation, pollution control, fish
and wild life data.
Future Projections; Projections should include the study of future
population growth, land use water requirements for various uses, likely
changes in patterns among others.
Project Formulation: A list of various alternatives is made and all these
alternatives are properly evaluated.
Project Evaluation: This is carried out to select the alternative, which is
economically most suitable. It should meet the laid down economic
criteria such as the minimum expected benefit‐cost ratio.
After the selection of the preferred alternative, detailed designs
are made including environmental considerations. Once these are
completed implementation can begin.
Environmental aspects in Water
resource planning
 Negative impacts
 Damage to fish and wild life, damage to vegetation on river
banks, loss of agriculture land, loss of geological, historical
or archaeological scenic sites, displacement &
rehabilitation of people, Reservoir Induced Seismicity, and
water borne diseases.
 Positive impacts
 Flood protection, land use improvement by irrigation,
improved water supplies for domestic and municipal
supplies, water quality improvement, improvement in
climate of the surrounding area, development of
sanctuaries and wildlife improvement