Melting snow and rivers in flood
Over the past one year, the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) has been implementing a project that contributes to the safeguarding and protection of cultural heritage sites against the impact of climate change in Uganda. We are pleased to announce the second phase of our project, ‘Melting snow and rivers in floods; mitigating the impact of a warming climate on Uganda’s heritage’, which is implemented in partnership with the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO),with financial support from the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund.
Strengthening our previous efforts
In the second phase, we will map, mark and document cultural heritage sites related to the Wang-Lei/Wang Wat Latong cultural heritage site in northern Uganda. This site maintains its symbolic function as a source of ethnic identity for the Luo people, a vast ethnic group occupying parts of Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and South Sudan. This activity will focus on tracing the foot-prints of the three brothers: Gipir/Nyipir, Labongo/Nyabongo and Gipur/Thiful.
Their legendary story will also be filmed to support awareness and advocacy campaigns within the Luo communities and to facilitate young people’s education and appreciation of their cultural heritage and history.
In south western Uganda, cultural heritage sites of the Bakonzo found within the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will be mapped, marked and documented. The Project will also pilot Natural Flood Management (NFM) methods on the section of River Kabiri and River Kithangetse from Ekyisalhalha Kya Kororo cultural heritage site in Kyondo Sub County, Kasese District, where they form a confluence and waterfall, to the boundary of the national park.
Expanding to the east
This phase will bring on board the eastern part of Uganda, by safeguarding Fort Luba, the former headquarters of Busoga Kingdom and a former slave trade site located on the shores of Lake Victoria, at Walumbe/Bukaleba village in Mayuge District.
There are four caves on the banks of Lake Victoria believed to have been used by armed guards who kept a watch over the lake for potential enemies who would steal their human merchandise but also make sure that slaves don’t escape. Behind them is a long ditch built in a square form with stones. It is believed to have served as the slave holding chambers/dungeons before they were loaded onto the ships to the slave markets on the East African coast. There is also a tower, a pyramid-like structure, built using stones. Some believe it served as the control tower for the ships, others say it built in memory of Major Thruston. The Project will carry out research and documentation of the site.
The site is threatened by climate change, with the caves threatened by the rising waters of Lake Victoria. Already the platform which was used to load the slaves onto the ship has since submerged. The ditch is affected by the continuous erosion due to increased degradation and loss of vegetation cover as a result of opening of the land for agricultural purposes.
The Project will support increasing the vegetation cover of the site, by planting indigenous trees and deep-rooted grass, and build a retaining wall using stones in gabions to protect the caves from the rising water. An information board will also be erected at the site to enable visitors have some information about the site.
Exchange learning
At CCFU, continuous learning is key to our activities, and we shall therefore collaborate with our partner, INTO, for experiential learning on using natural flood methods to prepare us to better implement the method and engage the community in flood preparedness.
Project progress
We kicked off implementation of the project in September this year. So far, we have held two community dialogues in Busoga and Rwenzori to raise awareness about climate change and to gather community knowledge on interventions that we can collaborate on to strengthen climate resilience.
Documentation of Wang-Lei/Wang Wat Latong related sites and Bakonzo sites in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park is on-going. In Kyondo, 140 farmers have already participating in the restoration exercise of the shoreline of River Kabiri and River Kithengthe as the first natural flood management method.
