Closing the electricity deficit, at what costs? The impact of small hydropower projects in west Uganda.

Abstract

Through the means of hydropower development Uganda has embarked on a mission to provide electricity to everybody by 2030. Much research has been done on the impact of large hydropower projects, however little is known about the impact of small hydropower projects. The aim of this research is to study the direct and indirect social and environmental impacts of small hydropower projects in west Uganda, and to study the displacement and resettlement effects. This leads to the following main research question:

What is the impact of small hydropower projects on the access and use of water and land, and on displacement and resettlement for the affected communities in west Uganda?

The research is carried out in west Uganda and the Rwimi small hydropower project is selected as case study. Using different research methods data is collected in four villages, three in the project area and one downstream. Desk research, focus group discussions and interviews with key informants and households in the affected villages have resulted in the following information.

The first discovery is the high number of hydropower projects in the country, 60 in total. Small hydropower projects account for 50% of the total number, which confirms that these projects have become a major focus in the effort to expand electricity throughout the country. When looking at the actors involved in Uganda’s electricity sector, it becomes clear that the sector is centralised and under government control.

This study shows that the Rwimi project affects people’s access and use of water and land. The degree of these impacts varies between the four villages. It also shows differences in impact between the project area and the downstream community, confirming that it is important to pay attention to the indirect effects of such projects.

It has become clear that access to electricity in the affected area is not always a given. Even though most benefits mentioned in the approval documents for the project rely on the assumption of electricity provision, only two of the 96 affected households have gained access to electricity.

When it comes to these small projects the general sense is that displacement and resettlement is less of an issue. The Rwimi project did not cause any physical displacement of people or demolition of houses. However, pieces of land had to be acquired causing 96 people to be economic resettled and compensated. The main issue in this process is the valuation of land, causing people to feel they received an unfair compensation.

The last point that must be addressed is the accumulative impact. Considering the high number of projects clustered in the western part of Uganda their impact can stack up. Where the impact may often be considered negligible at the individual level, the sum of the impacts can lead to big negative consequences. This accumulative impact needs to be understood and incorporated in the approval process.