Uganda: How sand mining is compromising livelihoods near Lake Victoria
"How sand mining is destroying Lake Victoria catchment"
The expansive Lwera wetland...is a major water catchment area that connects several rivers and wetlands...and drains directly into Lake Victoria. For years on, many of the locals have lived in peace with the surroundings. However, over the past couple of months, sharp noises from [sand] dredgers are heard...The process of sand mining requires stripping the soil bare, meaning the topography of the area (vegetation, animals, soil, and bedrock) are transported to different areas...This process [also] requires more land for this purpose and takes large volumes of water...
Since the Chinese companies - Hong Hi Jeng Cai, Lwera Swamp, Site light lakes - are capable of importing in such powerful dredgers, according to locals and environment experts from the Uganda National Environment Management Authority (Nema), they are able to cause more soil stripping. So far, according to...the Nema environment monitoring and compliance director, the mining companies in the areas have contravened their license obligations...Dredging the sand 200 meters towards the highway puts the busy road, which connects Uganda to Tanzania on the brink of soil erosion through constant flooding and degradation. Recently, torrential rains caused flooding in the same area displacing more than 500 residences...
The destruction of the Lake Victoria is not a local thing though as it affects an inter-state issue as an estimated 30 million people depend on the 68,800 square kilometer lake for survival directly but the number swells with some countries using it to generate hydro power and irrigation, among other purposes.