| dc.description.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. | |
