Water level in Lake victoria to Rise , communities to suffer ,NEMA warns

BY MOSES  KIDANDI

Waters in Lake Victoria are expected to rise by about 4 meters a situation which may come along with Environmental consequences especially to the communities staying on lake shores, Government through Environment Agency has warned.

According to the Executive director of the National Environment management Authority (NEMA).Dr.Tom Okurut the levels will rise by 4 meters in 2021 there by raising an alert to all landing sites across the country and surrounding villages living closer to the lake to adjust to the growing conditions.

Okurut Interacting with the local 

Okurut made the remarks as NEMA embarked on a demarcation exercise of lake shores in mayuge district to pave way for resettlement of 48 villages that were displaced by the National Forestry Authority NFA from the South Basoga central forest Reserve in 1998.

NEMA is demarcating 200 meters off the lake shore for conservation as the Government plans to gazette part of the forest reserve to settle affected locals from the 48 villages.

The resettlement is President Musevenis order directing NFA to hand over five hundred Hectares which is part of the Bukaleeba Forest Reserves to over thirty thousand families that had been evicted.

Naome Karenkaho the manager public and corporate affairs at NFA advised people living in the fishing villages in Mayuge to shift from the low lying areas near the lake to avoid possible catastrophes. 

During the meeting the local applauded government for considering the local people who were chased away by NFA many years

locals inthe meeting 

"We were told to leave the forest reserves this affected our livelihoods but we thank the president for being on our side” Said one of the local who attended the meeting