ENERGY
Rural Electrification
The district through Ministry of Local Government has continued to build capacities of the community in embracing the rural electrification program. The task that remains is to encourage the community to utilize power productively while saving the energy. Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) is installing solar panels in all the LLG headquarters which is not connected to WENRECO to support the Community Information System (CIS). We have identified Namrwodhu River falls in Jupangira Pawong for mini/micro/Pico hydro sites for isolated mini grid electrification. This is to initiate a drive to accelerate electricity access in the remote area of the district. This year WENRECO will extend power to Parombo via Angal and Nyaravur and to Pakwach Town Council. This is contained in the plan for power extension for WENRECO. Extension to Panyimur may be considered in the next phase.
ENVIRONMENT
The Natural Resources and Environment directorate is new creation of the recent local government restructuring program. Originally the management of Natural resources and environment fell in various department with environment under planning, Forestry and lands under production and some pockets in health and water. The new directorate presents a new challenge to the Natural Resources and Environment management as a result of integration of the various policy actions from various parent sectors.
During the review process, stakeholders listed general environmental problems and later prioritized Nebbi district specific problems, which are as follows:
1. Uncontrolled bush burning
2. Poor waste management
3. Uncontrolled tree cutting/ deforestation
4. Reclamation of wetlands
5. Over fishing
6. Soil degradation
To note here is that the above environmental priority issues/problems are not in any order of ranking or prioritization but they affect the district with equal impacts in the respective areas of the district. The main causes of these problems are related to land uses; production, distribution and consumption patterns of environmental resource users in the district. The stakeholders formulated a district environment action plan to realize the vision. The integration of this action plan in the DDP is believed to promote effective environmental monitoring to ensure minimum negative impacts of development on the environment.
Land Management
This is a grey area in the land development in this district. Community needs to be encouraged to get land title for their land and should be advised on the issues of land as a fundamental resource. The recruitment of staff in this section/unit is therefore pertinent in the planned period especially the land officer, Cartographer, and Staff Surveyor. Furthermore, the civil society organizations should be encouraged to open the eyes of our community in the land areas.
FORESTRY
Nebbi District is richly endowed with forest vegetation – both artificial and natural covering a total land area of about 10.131 hectares. The government through the National Forestry Authority (NFA) is promoting the establishment and management of private investments in the forestry sector.
Opportunities include:
• Establishment of wood plantations for timber and poles
• Establishment of bamboo woody grass
• Wood processing – establishment of pulp and paper factory, wood treatment plants, making of furniture and other wood products e.g. ply woods, pencils.
• Tree seedlings production – establishment of Nursery beds to raise seedling stocks for sale.
• Planting of medicinal plants and research: there are lots of herbal plants in the district which have been growing naturally. Besides, Neem Tree and Moringa Oliferae are widely planted.
These offer prospects of research for treatment of various tropical diseases including Malaria. The Ministry of Health, National Chemotherapic Research Laboratories offer research expertise on potential of medicinal plants for production of natural products e.g. perfumes.
