“We lost so many things last year when water entered our gardens. Some of us couldn’t pay school fees for our children because of poor harvests. That’s why we don’t want it to happen again,” she said.
By Susan Achola
After suffering the devastating effects of poor harvests caused by floods over the past two years, women in flood-prone areas of Patongo and Omot sub-counties in Agago District have taken the lead in a community-driven initiative to manage flood control systems.
Mobilized by their Local Council one chairperson, the women gather every Monday in large numbers to clear water channels. This allows excess rainwater to flow freely into the Agago River, sparing their gardens from flooding and destruction.
Catherine Okwa, Chairperson of the women’s group in Toroma East Village, Toroma Ward, says the women chose to act because they bore the brunt of last year’s floods, which severely impacted their livelihoods.
“We lost so many things last year when water entered our gardens. Some of us couldn’t pay school fees for our children because of poor harvests. That’s why we don’t want it to happen again,” she said.
She noted that most of the work is done by women because many men are unwilling to take instructions during community initiatives or demand pay to participate.
“Some men refuse to work without being paid. Others simply go drinking after garden work in the morning,” she added.
Rose Adoch, 50, of Vietnam Village in Toroma Parish, echoed these sentiments, saying women have become the backbone of households and understand the importance of preserving their gardens.
“They are pillars of every household, the reason the community flood control work is important to them and women suffer the bigger burden in case of poor harvest calling,” she explained.
Adoch also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Water for introducing the EURECCA Project in their community, which taught them how to manage floods and reduce their impact.
Hope Amidst Floods
Introduced in 2017, the Enhancing Resilience of Communities to Climate Change (EURECCA) Project was a four-year intervention by Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment. The project aimed to build climate resilience among communities in catchment areas of Awoja, Aswa, and Mazimba through sustainable water and land management.
In Agago District, particularly under the Aswa catchment, the project brought hope to communities previously forced to shift their homes and lose crops annually due to flooding. Through community-led actions such as opening waterways and desilting riverbanks, the initiative initially showed success.
However, years after its completion, sustaining the impact remains a challenge.
Sustainability Struggles and Flood Resurgence
Binancio Ogwali, a Parish Development Committee member and resident of Toroma Ward, noted that while the project had clear success during its implementation, many residents have since abandoned the practices taught.
“People no longer maintain the water pathways that were opened. The Agago River has silted again, and floods have returned,” he said.
Former group leader Sabino Opio blamed poor maintenance and neglect of community responsibilities for the recurring floods.
“Some of the landowners who offered their land for the opening of the waterways have also abandoned them without removing the overgrown grass and sand, eventually diverting the water to gardens and homesteads as was the case before the project.,” he said.
Opio also noted that some residents expect to be paid for maintenance work, despite it now being a community responsibility.
According to Mr. Peter Torach Obol, the Omot Sub-county Community Development Officer, 1,326 households were affected by floods in 2024, with 150 households from project areas severely impacted.
“Efforts are being made to avert the negative attitude and encourage the community to own the project, and embrace maintenance of the waterways,” he said.
Efforts to Revive the Project
George Okot, Agago District Production Officer, revealed that plans are underway to integrate the project under Climate Smart Agriculture, starting with a stakeholder engagement meeting. Though details remain scarce, the goal is to ensure long-term sustainability of the flood control structures.
In contrast, Soroti District—another EURECCA beneficiary—has made notable progress. According to Soroti District Chairperson Mr. Eduro Simon Peter Ekuu, community sensitization efforts have led to the restoration of wetlands and relocation of encroachers from the Awoja Swamp.
Addressing the Climate Challenge
Uganda continues to face a highly variable climate, marked by rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and frequent disasters such as floods and landslides. These impacts, worsened by ecosystem degradation and population pressure, disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.
EURECCA was launched to counter these effects through catchment-based water management, ecosystem restoration, and capacity building at all levels. Yet, as the Agago case shows, community ownership and sustainability remain the critical missing links.
Noel Muhangi, Senior Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Water and Environment, stated that while the Ministry recently reopened some blocked waterways, the long-term responsibility has been handed back to the communities.
“We upgraded and desilted some structures and launched maintenance awareness campaigns. The future lies in the hands of community committees and local beneficiaries,” he said.
But according to Local Council one Chairperson Albino Opio of Toroma East, consistent community sensitization, particularly targeting men, is still needed to preserve the gains made and keep the flood control structures functioning.
This story was published through the generous financial support by Gender Tech Initiative Uganda (GTIU) in partnership with the African Human Rights Network (AHRN) on Bridging the Digital Divide for Gender-Responsive Climate Solutions project.
