Bududa, Butaleja Leaders Develop Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan

By Brian Makawa

MBALE

Local leaders and civil servants in Bududa and Butaleja districts have collaboratively developed a disaster management contingency plan aimed at effectively addressing disasters in their regions.

The plan, supported by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its consortium partners with funding from European Union Humanitarian Aid, was disseminated at a meeting held at Mt Elgon Hotel in Mbale on Monday 19th- August 2024.

The leaders emphasized that this plan is crucial in tackling the recurrent disasters that have led to the loss of lives, destruction of property, and hampered development in these districts.

The contingency plan adopts a bottom-up approach, focusing on identifying disaster risks, providing solutions, and establishing localized institutions and guidelines.

Leaders also say the plan seeks to strengthen early warning systems, raise awareness, and enhance the district’s overall disaster management capabilities. The plan supports existing disaster management policies, such as the Environment Act, which aims to protect the environment.

Butaleja District:   Mr. Himigu Herbert, the Principal Chief Administrative Officer and Chairman of the Butaleja District Disaster Preparedness Committee, highlighted that the contingency plan aligns with the National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management, 2010.

The plan is designed to ensure that the district is well-prepared to manage disaster occurrences.

“This will also enhance efforts to reduce vulnerability at the community and local government levels, mitigating the impact of hazards through prediction, early warning, preparedness, and response,” Mr Himigu stated.

Butaleja’s LC5 Chairperson, Higenyi Michael Bory, expressed optimism, noting that the district is severely affected by floods and drought. He mentioned plans to restore riverbanks to mitigate the flooding of River Manafwa.

Musa Galandi, the LC3 Chairperson of Mazimasa Sub-County, one of the most affected areas, raised concerns about the risk of waterborne diseases due to flooding. He urged the government to develop a plan for relocating residents from disaster-prone areas.

Butaleja District, with its two counties, ten rural sub-counties, five town councils, 76 parishes, and 443 villages, has a population of approximately 332,200 people. The district’s poverty levels have increased significantly, attributed to reliance on smallholder subsistence agriculture, high population density, small landholdings, and frequent flooding.

Bududa District:  Musamali Michael, the District Natural Resources Officer of Bududa, emphasized the importance of the District Contingency Plan (DCP) for effective disaster preparedness and management at the community level.

He stated that the plan provides a coordinated response framework to ensure the safety of life and property. The DCP is aligned with the district’s vision and mission, the National Development Plan (NDPII), and Vision 2040.
The 2023/24-2024/25 DCP will be instrumental in implementing disaster and climate-related initiatives as part of the district’s Five-Year Development Plan (2020/21-2024/25).

Bududa District Vice Chairperson, Rachael Nabulo Martha, says the plan will be used to lobby for funds from partners and the government. She urged other district leaders to embrace the plan to effectively address disasters.

Issa Bukoma, the District Engineer for Bududa, called for a mindset change among residents in disaster-prone areas to vacate. He also noted that the district’s transport network has been heavily impacted by disasters, leading to significant maintenance costs. He stressed the need for the plan’s implementation to improve transport infrastructure.

Africano Aharikundira, the Resident District Commissioner for Bududa, described the contingency plan as timely, given the frequent landslides in the district. He called on all leaders and the technical team to collaborate in implementing the plan to combat disasters effectively.

James Masika, a Bududa District Councilor representing people with disabilities, highlighted the challenges faced by disabled individuals during disasters. He urged the government to develop a special action plan for people with disabilities, noting that they often require extra support to evacuate from prone areas.

” When disasters occur in Bududa District, we the disabled people suffer most because we need extra support for vacate from this prone area which we don’t get in time.” He said

Reagan Ronald Fitina, Program Manager at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), says that they have conducted various training sessions with district leaders, leading to the development of the contingency plan.

He emphasized that it is now the district’s responsibility to secure funding for the plan’s implementation and pledged continued advocacy from CRS for necessary resources.

Bududa District receives an average of 1,800mm of rainfall annually, providing ideal conditions for intensive agriculture, which is the cornerstone of the local economy. This abundant rainfall places Bududa among the regions with highly reliable conditions for agricultural production, making it a vital national agricultural hub and food basket. However, this potential is frequently undermined by landslides that devastate crops and threaten the district’s agricultural stability.

In the past decade, Uganda has lost over 300,000 lives, and 3 million people have been internally displaced due to disasters. In one tragic event, a landslide in Bududa District on March 1, 2010, triggered by heavy rainfall, claimed at least 100 lives, with 94 bodies recovered.

During her visit to Bududa district on Thursday, August 15, 2024, State Minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness Lillian Aber highlighted on the government’s commitment to relocating families at high risk of landslides in the Elgon sub-region.

This program, initiated in 2010 following the devastating Nametsi landslide that claimed over 100 lives, aims to ensure community safety. In 2022, the government adopted a cash transfer strategy to accelerate relocation efforts in the Mount Elgon region.

The relocation program, launched in March 2024, prioritizes Bududa, the most disaster-prone district in the Bugisu region, with an initial target of relocating 1,000 families to Bunambutye.