Mpanga-Site-Visit-Re.. - Cycad Specialist Group
Mpanga-Site-Visit-Re.. - Cycad Specialist Group Mpanga-Site-Visit-Re.. - Cycad Specialist Group
Background The small (16 Megawatts) hydro-electric project at Mpanga Gorge became known outside of Uganda due to a visit by two Kenyan tourists, Steve and Jane Turner, followed by a report circulated by Andrew Roberts of Kampala through Dr Henk Beentje of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. At this time (May 2008) the situation was already being investigated locally by Dr David Hafashimana, National Forestry Resources Research Institute, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority Executive Director in their questioning of NEMA’s (Uganda) acceptance of the Project’s very poor EIA. Following international outcry, NEMA was persuaded by the Ugandan conservationists to sign an environmental compliance agreement with the developer in which NEMA pointed out the key action areas, including protection of the cycads Encephalartos whitelockii (photo 1). No mention had been made in the EIA of the presence of the only known population of this rare species,. Much email correspondence exists regarding the outcome of UWA and Nature Uganda’s intervention and comments and advice from many well known biologists. Dr James Kalema, from Makerere University Botany Dept, made a site visit with Achilles Byaruhanga, of Nature Uganda, and filed a report on the situation in the Gorge. The contractor then agreed to actions mitigating the impact of both the road works and dam construction, and it is understood that Dr Kalema initiated several visits to the Gorge, funded by the Contractor, to establish a plant nursery, to translocate and then replant significant numbers of E. whitelockii. Photo 1. The Cycad, Encephalartos whitelockii
Site Visit When QL was invited to attend an IUCN workshop in Entebbe, he took the opportunity of planning a visit to the Gorge to see the current situation with the Cycads. Dr James Kalema made arrangements for the visit, but due to University teaching commitments was unable to accompany the team and therefore detailed his assistant, Dennis Kamoga to accompany them. The team, now consisting of QL, PL, Dr Wendy Foden, Programme Officer (Climate Change) of IUCN Species Programme and DK, set out for Mpanga from Kampala on the morning of 21 st August and arrived at Kamwenge in the afternoon. A representative of the contractor, Mr LPD Dayanandra had been waiting for the team and returned to the Gorge with them in the late afternoon. The dam site was visited first (photo 2) where the small scale of the dam wall was noted. The most shocking sight was the large area of grassland occupied by cycads, that had been recently burnt by the local owners of the eastern side of the Gorge (pers comm. Dayanandra – photo 3). An attempt by the contractor to remove some of the bigger cycads from an island within the impoundment area was evidently in progress (photo 4). The minimum flow (during the dry season) along the river from the dam to the falls and down to the powerhouse is set by two pipes in the dam wall of 450mm diametre each (one shown marked in red in photo 5). A very brief visit (as it was getting dark) was made to the powerhouse, a few kilometres down river, followed by a brief visit to the contractor’s staff encampment on a ridge overlooking Lake George. Photo 2. Mpanga Dam Wall
- Page 1: Site Visit Report: Mpanga River Gor
- Page 5 and 6: Photo 5. Minimum Flow provision in
- Page 7 and 8: Photo 8. River below Mpanga Powerho
- Page 9 and 10: Photo 11. Local Cow (Ankole) Photo
- Page 11 and 12: situation over translocations of th
- Page 13: Polygonaceae Persicaria decipiens (
Background<br />
The small (16 Megawatts) hydro-electric project at <strong>Mpanga</strong> Gorge became known<br />
outside of Uganda due to a visit by two Kenyan tourists, Steve and Jane Turner,<br />
followed by a report circulated by Andrew Roberts of Kampala through Dr Henk<br />
Beentje of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.<br />
At this time (May 2008) the situation was already being investigated locally by Dr<br />
David Hafashimana, National Forestry <strong>Re</strong>sources <strong>Re</strong>search Institute, and the<br />
Uganda Wildlife Authority Executive Director in their questioning of NEMA’s<br />
(Uganda) acceptance of the Project’s very poor EIA. Following international<br />
outcry, NEMA was persuaded by the Ugandan conservationists to sign an<br />
environmental compliance agreement with the developer in which NEMA pointed<br />
out the key action areas, including protection of the cycads Encephalartos<br />
whitelockii (photo 1). No mention had been made in the EIA of the presence of the<br />
only known population of this rare species,. Much email correspondence exists<br />
regarding the outcome of UWA and Nature Uganda’s intervention and comments<br />
and advice from many well known biologists. Dr James Kalema, from Makerere<br />
University Botany Dept, made a site visit with Achilles Byaruhanga, of Nature<br />
Uganda, and filed a report on the situation in the Gorge. The contractor then<br />
agreed to actions mitigating the impact of both the road works and dam<br />
construction, and it is understood that Dr Kalema initiated several visits to the<br />
Gorge, funded by the Contractor, to establish a plant nursery, to translocate and<br />
then replant significant numbers of E. whitelockii.<br />
Photo 1. The <strong>Cycad</strong>, Encephalartos whitelockii
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