Year 2017 Uganda

Purpose

Protect local farms and agriculture against extreme drought, heatwaves, and soil erosion.

 

Climate Impacts

Community members from Mayuge report the following impacts:

Declining crop yields

from erratic rainfall

Loss of Livelihoods

from poor agricultural productivity

Water insecurity

from lack of rainfall or rainfall storage capacity

Increased soil erosion

from drought followed by extreme rainfall

Uganda-Better irrigation-01
Uganda-Better irrigation

Activities

Irrigation site selection

The initial construction site was chosen based on proven need and collective farming capacity.

Construction of irrigation system

Nearly 200 community members worked to construct an irrigation system consisting of a large water storage tank, an attached smaller tank for filtering sediment, a pipe used to capture run-off from the existing borehole, a gas-powered water pump, and a 150-meter hose to distribute water to the crops.

Knowledge-sharing

Project partners invited community members from nearby regional zones to observe and participate in irrigation system construction to encourage widespread adoption.

project outcomes

One 14,000 gallon water storage tank and associated filtration and transport system

2 acres of community farmland irrigated

100+ community members trained and participated in irrigation construction

Crops including pumpkins and passion fruit successfully grown during the dry season, thereby fetching a higher price

project design

In recent years, Mayuge district residents have experienced long periods of drought and excessive heat, punctuated by extreme rainfall and accompanying soil erosion. These changes have had devastating effects in a society where nearly 90% of people make a living through rain-fed agriculture. In response to water insecurity and poor crop yields, WWF teamed up with a Peace Corps volunteer, Sam Strimling, to support a community-wide effort to construct a much-needed irrigation system to support local farms. This project provided the community with the materials and training needed to build underground storage tanks to collect and filter runoff during heavy rainfall, and store it safely for use during prolonged dry spells.

Construction for irrigation