As one of the most effective techniques of Natural Flood Management (NFM) methods, two leaky dams have been built in the Rwenzori region as a way of mitigating the effects of the flooding rivers on cultural heritage sites. The dams were constructed on the section of rivers Kabiri and Kithangetse between Ekyisalhalha Kya Kororo cultural heritage site and the boundary of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Kyondo sub county, Kasese district.
Natural flood management aims to reduce the downstream maximum water height of a flood (the flood peak) or to delay the arrival of the flood downstream, increasing the time available to prepare for floods. This is achieved by restricting the progress of water through a catchment using a range of techniques, including leaky dams, cross drains, restoration (targeted tree planting), ground cover to stabilize the soil, etc.
Leaky dams usually naturally occur when large sections of trees fall into, and across the channel, holding back water during high flows. We have replicated this process by building them using locally sourced wood, securely pinned in place. This technique relies on one or a combination of: increasing soil filtration, evaporation, slowing water, storing water or reducing water flow connectivity.
The dams will create a barrier that reduces the amount of water that flows down the river during heavy rains and it slowly drains into the surrounding vegetation and soil.
The construction of the dam was led by the community in Kyondo using the knowledge that was in December, 2022 shared with them by our partners the International National Trusts Organisation and the National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Melting snow on the top of the Rwenzori Mountains has caused flooding of rivers which have ravaged the Rwenzori region destroying properties, people’s lives and as well cultural heritage sites of the Bakonzo. However, in the absence of effective adaptation measures, flood risks are exacerbated and it is against this background that CCFU is piloting managing the floods using natural methods.
Performance and effectiveness of the leaky dams is being monitored by the community and this will inform interventions on other rivers in the region.
We are also supporting the community to restore the vegetation cover of the area. The Kyondo community has committed to observe a 30-meter buffer zone with the rivers, and this has been our starting point to plant indigenous trees such as bamboo that are locally known to be effective in controlling floods.
Mitigating the impact of climate change on Uganda’s cultural heritage
The Cross- Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) in partnership with the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) embarked in late 2020 on a project aimed at contributing to the preservation of the important elements of the cultural heritage of communities in the Rwenzori and Alur regions.
With support from the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, heritage sites under risk from climate change were identified, documented, part-protected and signposted. The project not only illustrates the relationship between climate change and natural and cultural heritage, but also shows why measures to address climate