By Innocent Kiiza
In the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains, Kasese District in southwestern Uganda is a paradox of abundance and scarcity. Blessed with rivers and scenic landscapes, its people still grapple with a deepening water crisis.
This crisis, rooted in climate change, poor infrastructure, and neglect, reflects broader water scarcity challenges globally.
As COP29 launches the Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action, the plight of Kasese exemplifies why addressing water security is critical for climate resilience.
Water Scarcity in Kasese
Access to clean water in Kasese varies starkly across communities. While Ihandiro Sub-County boasts a 95% access rate, areas like Kyondo Sub-County lag at a dismal 18%. With 3,391 domestic water points serving over half a million people, the district’s rural residents, who comprise a significant majority, bear the brunt of the crisis.
Alarmingly, nearly 500 water points have been non-functional for over five years, effectively abandoned, leaving families to rely on unsafe roadside channels and other unreliable sources.
Climate Change and Water Insecurity
Kasese’s water scarcity is exacerbated by climate change. Prolonged droughts have reduced water levels in rivers and streams, while erratic rains lead to flash floods that contaminate water sources. The district’s single piped water scheme is insufficient to meet growing demand, leaving communities increasingly vulnerable to water-borne diseases and food insecurity.
Voices from the Ground
Sarah Masika, a resident of Kyondo Sub-County, shares her daily ordeal. Every day begins in darkness. By 4 a.m., she is awake, preparing for her long trek to a distant stream. Armed with jerrycans, she leaves her children asleep in their small mud-walled home.
The journey is treacherous. The dirt paths are slippery during the rainy season and cracked under the scorching sun in the dry months. Along the way, she meets other women and girls, all burdened with the same mission: finding water.
When Masika finally reaches the stream—often crowded with livestock and other desperate families—she must wait for hours. By the time she fills her jerrycans and makes the arduous journey home, half her day is gone.
“We use the water sparingly,” Masika says. “I worry every time we drink it because it isn’t clean, but we have no choice. If my children fall sick, I have to sell the little food we grow to buy medicine.”
Masika says the lack of clean water means her family is constantly at risk of waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid. The health toll adds to the burdens, but so does the disruption to her children’s education.
“My daughters help me fetch water when they should be in school,” she adds. “How can they study when we don’t even have enough water to cook porridge?”
Moses Kule, a resident of Kilembe Quarters in Kasese Municipality, has endured nearly a month of erratic water supply in his community. During the day, taps remain dry, forcing water to flow only in the middle of the night.
This disruption has upended daily life for residents and sparked economic strain. Kule explains that the inconsistencies have driven the price of water sharply upward, with a 20-liter jerrycan now costing between 800 and 1,200 Shillings. For many families in the area, this is an unaffordable expense.
“Most people can’t keep up with these prices,” Kule says. “We’re forced to make difficult choices—either spend the little money we have on water or go without it and risk our health.”
The scarcity has also led to unsettling new routines. Residents, particularly women and children, can often be seen queuing in the middle of the night to fetch water. Long lines now snake through neighborhoods like Kilembe Quarters, Habitant, Mumbuzi, Nyakasanga, Kisanga, and Acholi Quarters.
For women like Grace Bwambale in Nyakasanga, the nighttime excursions are perilous.
“I fear for my safety, but what choice do I have?” Grace says. “We need water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Without it, life becomes unbearable.”
The scarcity highlights a broader challenge for the region, where climate change and inadequate infrastructure compound water supply issues. As taps run dry, the pressure on already strained household incomes and the physical toll on women and children intensify.
Local leaders and residents are urging swift intervention to stabilize water supply systems and ensure affordable access. However, without immediate action, communities like Kilembe Quarters may continue to bear the brunt of an escalating water crisis.
The Impact of Flooding
Kasese town has been grappling with a water crisis brought on by recent flooding that washed away critical water supply infrastructure.
Andrew Muhumuza, the Branch Manager of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in Kasese, attributes the disruption to prolonged rainy seasons that have battered the district since August.
The most severe rainfall occurred in August, triggering floods that damaged key water pipes across the town and left residents without a reliable supply.
“The flooding destroyed many water pipes, and this has significantly disrupted the water supply,” Muhumuza explains. “Our technicians are working tirelessly to repair the damage and restore normalcy as soon as possible.”
The damage has left many neighborhoods, including Kilembe Quarters, Nyakasanga, and Acholi Quarters, in dire need of water. Residents now rely on costly alternatives or endure late-night queues at scarce water points.
Local leaders and residents are hopeful for a quick resolution, but the incident underscores the vulnerability of the district’s water infrastructure to extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly common due to climate change. The community is calling for more resilient water systems to mitigate the impacts of future disasters.
Until repairs are completed, many families in Kasese are left to navigate the hardships of water scarcity, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable solutions to the region’s water challenges.
Global Relevance and COP29’s Role
Masika’s plight echoes the experiences of millions worldwide, a reality acknowledged by leaders at COP29.
In Baku, the COP29 Declaration on Water for Climate Action highlighted that 2.2 billion people globally lack access to safe drinking water, with 3.5 billion without adequate sanitation. Hilda Schweiger, a water policy expert addressing the summit, stated:
“Water is the bloodstream of our planet. Without urgent, integrated action, water scarcity will cripple communities, disrupt economies, and deepen the climate crisis.”
The declaration launched the Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action, a platform for international collaboration on water-related climate challenges.
It emphasized the need for investments in water infrastructure, data-driven solutions, and innovative approaches like nature-based solutions and integrated water resource management.
Hope Amid Crisis
As delegates at COP29 closed the session, there was a resounding message of hope and urgency. By addressing water scarcity and climate resilience together, the declaration aims to catalyze a global transformation, ensuring future generations inherit a planet where water scarcity is no longer a barrier to health, dignity, and prosperity.
This ambitious declaration, while promising, will require concrete actions to bridge the gap between policy and reality—actions that could one day transform the lives of people like Masika Mumbere in Kasese
