IDEAS REACHES-OUT TO BUDUDA HAILSTORM VICTIMS

Bududa district created in 2006 from Mbale district. It lies approximately 5900ft above sea level and blessed with many cliffs, water falls, ridges and streams and the Mt. Elgon forest occupying about 40%  of the district

 Masereka Adiddas at one of the waterfalls in Masakanu village

. With 16 sub counties, Bududa had a population of 146000 persons at the time of its creation.

Sadly, the people of Bududa have wiped unending tears since 1997 when the first landslide occurred in Nametse killing 5 people from the same family. This was followed by that of Bunamboka in 1999. The most tragic event was that of 2010 in the villages of Namtetse, Kachonga, Masimasa, Kubewo and Nankobe which left over 100 people dead and thousands displaced.

This year, on 25th/August a new disaster befell the people of Bududa which created controversy as some reporters called it a landslide and others a mudslide. This ignited the IDEAS for Uganda team to travel there and find out what had happened, the possible causes and solutions.


Shalakano village  as at 10th/ August/2013 soon after the hailstorm

IDEAS for Uganda team arrives at Bukalasi subcounty of  Bududa district

Nametse village where hundreds lost there lives and a lot of property lost in 2010

We surveyed about 10 villages, climbing hills we had never thought of before reaching the village affected by the 2013 disaster. On our way, we observed that poor farming techniques were common among the Bamasaba! This was compounded by  Land fragmentation, poor settlement patterns and deforestation of steep slopes. In addition, no contours/terraces could be observed on the extensively tilled slopes which probably renders them prone to mass wasting(downslope movement of soil and rock in response to gravity triggered by excessive water content).

The two sub counties  of Bumayoka and Bushiyi which were hit by the hail storm, which is said to have been about three feet from the ground could expose the details of land fragmentation in this district. From a distance, small portions of gardens could be observed. On would think that the place had been set on fire! Cassava, banana, coffee, maize, onion, and sweet potatoes plantations were all destroyed by the hail storm and what remained is bare ground which makes the affected hills susceptible to mass wasting once heavy rains come!

Unstable rock in Masakanu village.

"I am scared that landslides may sweep my house. My coffee, banana, two maize plantations, and cassava were all washed away and all I have now is my house. I am not sure whether I will feed tomorrow!" said Mafabi Wantsusi, a resident of Imuti village in Burafura village.

Coffee plantation destroyed by the hailstorm

Having listened to the outcry of Mafabi and many others in his category, IDEAS for Uganda immediately held a Think Tank at Bumayoka trading center where the community members highlighted the possible causes of landslides and solutions to this. The IDEAS for Uganda team led by Masereka Adiddas sensitized the people about afforestation, contour ploughing and warned them of settling on disaster prone areas especially steep and rocky  slopes.


Banana plantation severely hit by the hailstorm in Burafura parish on 13th/08/2013

Whereas the dwellers of Bududa contend that the landslides are caused by volcanicity, there was no evidence to prove this! Not even the other factors like liquefication, seismicity, glacier melting or blasting could have caused the 2010 Namatse landslides and the those of 2012.what is evident is the poor farming practices, poor settlement partners, and loss of vegetation cover through cultivation, settlement and deforestation and the landslides are eventually triggered by the heavy rains.

Land fragmentation in the Imuti village which was hit by the hail storm

WAY FORWARD

IDEAS for Uganda agreed with the Bamasaba of Bududa to plant more trees, especially the indigenous species like Markhamia lutea, Albisia species, Ficus species and Prunus africana to hold the soil together.We also called for resettlement of the people to safer places in the lo land area.
We plan to have a sensitization project about good and sustainable farming techniques and advise farmers to embrace terracing as opposed to land fragmentation.
Food relief is require. People lost their crops and they have nothing to feed on at the moment.

More Think Tanks are expected in the coming weeks to come up with an action plan to help save these people from future disasters through reforestation, ecosystem and restoration

Think Tanks in Bududa

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IDEAS Adivisor Sinamakosa Isaac observing Eucalyptus planted by locals in Bukalasi sub county which suffered a landslide in 1999