Local solutions for water management at Muhanga Resource Center, Uganda

Abstract: Uganda has experienced extreme weather for example droughts and flooding for many years resulting from rainfall deficits and variability. With the increased manifestation of negative effects related to climate change and global warming, this challenge is becoming greater and greater. And with increased public awareness about disasters and disaster risks, communities are ceasing to portray droughts and floods as mere acts of nature and are therefore eager to contribute to sustainable solutions to prevent them. On the project site Muhanga, Uganda, a new resource center is planned to be built for multiple purposes. However, water related issues such as flooding, landslides, water shortage and sanitation have been a big problem and a risk for the new site, so does the existing building which has suffered from erosion and water related problems for quite a long time. Human and social vulnerability are coupled with overall capacity to predict, respond to and reduce the disaster impact on site. Local solutions for stormwater management require to be brought up aiming to prevent this situation happening again and again and make the local people live in a better life. Objectives of this study: (i) Evaluate the water resources problem on site in Muhanga, Uganda; (ii) Evaluate the capacity of storm water that can be collected on site in Muhanga, Uganda; (iii) Propose a local storm water solution handling for normal and extreme rainfall (particularly in the rainy reason) without flooding or means to contain flood waters and safely convey them out of the urban area deviating the flows to some other usages to minimize the threat of flooding for example water storage for dry season or irrigation system; (iv) Evaluate the drinking water quality and quantity in the site and improve a better solution as water supply resource; (v) Propose a proper sanitation proposal. This paper demonstrates an integrated process of solutions pursuing by using a variety of methodologies especially in ArcGIS Hydrology Model for computer simulating modelling in lab and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) for on-site field study in Muhanga. Results of computer analysis and field study will be illustrated by presenting a simulated and practical hydrological and water resources situation of Muhanga site in different aspects and subjects. Several solutions will be put forward for stormwater problems handling, with proposals for drainage, roof gutter, retaining wall, wood structure and vegetation; a water harvesting feasibility investigation will be explained by mathematic calculation details, combining with a new site plan afterwards; sanitation solution will be eventually chosen with traditional latrines. After various comparison of different ways; recommendations for future plans will be proposed at last; a correction improvement of limitations in this study will be suggested, which gives a guidance procedure that needs to be considered for similar future works and research.