The Ministry of Local Government, with funding from the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), has earmarked UGX 371 million for the installation of water dam systems in communities of Kucwiny Sub-county, Nebbi District, to address acute water shortages for livestock.
Speaking during the commissioning and handover of the dam sites to the contractor, PEGOSA Engineering Works, Nebbi District Natural Resources Officer Doreen Fualing said the dam sites are located in Jupala Village, Lee Parish, Kucwiny Sub-county. Fauling noted that the project will help address water scarcity for both livestock and the surrounding communities. She added that it will serve as a model for locally led solutions aimed at building community resilience amid increasing climate-related challenges, including prolonged droughts and unpredictable flooding.
Nebbi District Assistant Water Officer, Brian Cwothembo, said the initiative will benefit more than 500 households and provide a total storage capacity of 100,000 cubic litres of water within the cattle corridor areas of Kucwiny Sub-county. Cwothembo explained that investing in ecosystem restoration and environmental conservation through such projects will reduce vulnerability to droughts and floods, while ensuring a sustainable water supply for future generations of both humans and livestock.
“In line with national policies to reduce water stress in sub-counties, the district water sector, subject to availability of funds, will continue processes to construct more water dams and extend clean piped water,” Cwothembo said. Jinaro Okaba, the Local Council One Chairperson of Jupala Village, commended the government for providing a reliable water source for livestock in the area.
Meanwhile, the Director of PEGOSA Engineering Works, Samuel Omara, assured district leaders that the five-month contract will include the design and installation of a check dam, silt trap structures, and an animal watering system, among other components. Nebbi District LCV Chairperson, Urombi Emmanuel, also rallied the community to embrace and safeguard the water dam project to ensure its sustainability.
In 2024, the government, in partnership with stakeholders under the Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) initiative, stabilized a similar water dam project in Got Tar, Ossi East Parish, Parombo Sub-county, Nebbi District. The 100,000-cubic-litre water dam was constructed for UGX 314,467,218 and includes animal watering troughs and boreholes. Doreen Fualing said the dam has significantly improved livelihoods in the area, serving about 3,834 households and 15,342 livestock, and enhancing the overall quality of life for families.
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