The water and environmental resources are critical in national transformation and sustainable development. Uganda’s economy is dependent on its stock of environment and natural resources, calling for significant investments in water development and natural resources management if the country is to achieve its goals focusing on attainment of a middle income status. Water and the environment are central in contributing to the achievements of NDP goals, most especially the goal on Sustainable Production, Productivity and Value Addition in Key Growth Opportunities. Broadly, the availability of adequate water resources is critical to hydro-power development, agricultural production and productivity, livestock, fisheries, health, industrial development, tourism development and mitigation of climate and climate change effects. Similarly, a healthy, clean and productive environment is essential in boosting wealth creation for social transformation and sustainable development. Besides, climate change is already affecting most of the major drivers of the economy including water availability in the country.
In order to meet the over-arching aims of socio-economic transformation, the National Develooment Plan II identified water and environment sector specific priorities and interventions for the period 2015/16-2019/20 that constitute the strategic direction towards addressing national challenges, in line with the Vision 2040 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). These priorities are:
- To increase access to safe water in rural and urban areas to 79% and 100%, respectively by ensuring that each village has a safe water source; increasing sanitation and hygiene levels in rural, and sewerage coverage in urban areas to 95%; increasing functionality of water supply systems and promote catchment based integrated water resources management.
- To increase the provision of water for production facilities, and increasing the functionality and utilization of water for production facilities from the current 27.8MCM to 38MCM by 2019/20.
- To protect, restore and maintain the integrity of degraded fragile ecosystems, increase national forest cover to 18%, increase national wetland coverage to 12%, increase automation of climate monitoring network to 40% and increase the country’s resilience to the impacts of climate change
This document, Water and Environment Sector Development Plan, outlines the development priorities being addressed by the water sector; describes the general state of affairs; covers the objectives, strategies, and priority interventions under the Sector Development Plan and National Development Plan (NDPII); and outlines the options for sources of funds to invest in the Water and Environment Sector.