Abstract:

This ecological monitoring survey No. 26 (4th -9th June 2020) on the Upper Victoria Nile is the sixteenth one to be undertaken after completion of construction of 250 MW Bujagali hydropower plant commissioned in September 2012. During the post construction period, ecological monitoring have been conducted at the original two sampling transects Kalange-Makwanzi and Buyala-Kikubamutwe and third one (mid-reservoir) established in the mid reach (30 m deep) of the new reservoir to track any developments/changes in the water environment and aquatic biota.

In the post-construction monitoring surveys, the assessments of algae, zooplankton and benthic macro-invertebrates which had been dropped since April 2008 were reverted to. The biannual (every April and September) ecosystem monitoring surveys of the Bujagali Hydropower Project impacts have regularly been undertaken since 2006. From climatic records, April represents the peak of the rainy season while September represents a dry-wet period. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown, the planned regular ecological monitoring survey No. 26-April 2020 period was differed to June 2020. However, the period through May and June experienced more rain than normal and there was considerable water level rise and discharge in the project catchment area. Therefore, in discussions with Project management, the June 2020 sampling was considered to represent more or less similar hydrological conditions as would normally be experienced in April. This report presents observations made on the above-mentioned ecological aspects of the Upper Victoria Nile and draws comparisons of the present results with those made in the previous monitoring at the three transects.