Environmental specialists have linked Lake Bunyonyi’s recent colour changes to heavy rainfall and poor waste disposal, while warning that siltation, pollution and pressure on water treatment threaten the lake and surrounding communities.
Environmental specialists from the Ministry of Water and Environment have linked heavy rainfall experienced in August last year and poor waste disposal to the recent discolouration of Lake Bunyonyi, raising concerns about water quality and the lake’s long-term health.
Located between Rubanda and Kisoro districts in southwestern Uganda, Lake Bunyonyi is a major natural attraction with 29 islands and an average depth of about 39 metres. It supports tourism and provides a source of water for surrounding communities.
Speaking at a dissemination workshop on Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale Municipality, Dr John Peter Obubu, the Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry of Water and Environment’s Department of Water Quality Management, said specialists had investigated several possible causes of the change in the lake’s colour.
“The investigations considered changes in temperature and other environmental factors but had not established evidence linking the discolouration to volcanic activity,” Obubu said.
The team examined the possible effects of heavy rainfall and poor waste disposal on the lake’s water quality.
According to Obubu, heavy rainfall can wash waste and other pollutants from surrounding areas into water bodies, while improper waste disposal introduces substances that can compromise water quality and damage aquatic ecosystems.
“There is need for proper waste management and protection of the lake’s catchment area to minimise pollution and safeguard the resource and surrounding area,” he said.
The Commissioner for Water Quality Management, Lillian Idrakua, warned that the lake could undergo significant changes in its size and depth within the lifetime of the current generation if urgent measures were not taken to control siltation.
She said the lake’s surface area was already shrinking because of sediment accumulation, warning that failure to implement recommendations aimed at protecting it would worsen the situation.
Patrick Otim, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation manager in charge of Kabale, said deteriorating raw water quality, unstable electricity supply and rising demand were affecting the reliable provision of water in the area.
He cited increased suspended solids, faecal contamination and changes in water colour among the challenges affecting the corporation’s water treatment operations.
The concerns have also drawn attention to wastewater management by tourism businesses operating around the lake.
Kabale District Natural Resources Officer Henry Tumwesigye Kamutooro questioned hotel operators around Lake Bunyonyi about how they dispose of wastewater generated by their facilities.
His counterpart in Rubanda District, Jane Amumpeire, called for increased funding to support environmental conservation efforts. She also urged owners of high-end hotels, cottages and other tourism facilities around the lake to participate actively in discussions and initiatives aimed at protecting the environment.
The Assistant Resident District Commissioner for Kabale District, Nelson Atwongyeire Black, called for sustainable waste management systems to address pollution and protect the lake.