The government of Uganda has introduced an online monitoring system around the oil sites especially Lake Albert as a measure to safeguard the water quality and avoid future water contamination from oil wastes and spillages.

The monitoring online system is designed to send a warning message electronically to a central point at the ministry of water and environment on any compromise to water quality in the lake and its surroundings.

This revelation was made by The Director Water Resources Management at the Ministry of Water and Environment Florence Grace Adongo in an exclusive interview with Weinformers  on the sidelines of a regional training on International Water Law (IWL) for improved trans-boundary water management in Africa.

“Once the equipment sends a warning system, we put together a laboratory to carry out tests on the water quality. So far, we have not had any incident but we have prepared adequately to counter any future risks and ensure residents around the oil sites consume clean water,” says Adongo.

Participants from different countries in Africa pose for a group photo at hotel Africana in Kampala.

Adongo says Uganda stands to benefit from the training since the country has signed a number of bilateral agreements with countries where it shares water sources, adding that this helps reaching a common ground in waste management.

She says there is need for Uganda to cooperate and continuously negotiate with its neighbours in the management of water resources so as to realize sustainable development.

The ministry of water takes lead in the coordinating issues on water resources management.

Adongo, who is also the chairperson Uganda country partnership also revealed that the Nile Basin brings together 10 countries that dependent on the water source for its various economic activities.

The week-long training from 06-12 June, 2016  held at Hotel Africana in Kampala-Uganda, has attracted over 50 water practitioners and professionals from regional countries  with direct roles in water management in Africa.

Participants have come over 30 African countries of Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia,CHAD,Burundi,Rwanda,Malawi,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Nigeria,Ghana ,Burkina Faso, Niger among others.

The training organized by the Makerere and Dundee Universities  in  partnership with the Global Water Partnership Eastern Africa (GWP) together with the International Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Network on Basin Organisations (ANBO),.

It is aimed at among other things to;

• Raise awareness and promote the value of international legal frameworks in fostering national, regional and international cooperation.
• Facilitate good water governance through the strengthening of technical and institutional capacities of agencies and individuals that have the potential to influence and advise decision makers on negotiation, adoption and implementation of legal frameworks for water management.

It is expected that at the end of the training participants will have an increased awareness of the importance of incorporating Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), ecosystem-based approaches, climate change and variability and gender perspectives into water-related treaty arrangements as a strategic approach to enhance water governance at the international level in order to ensure water security and peace in Africa.