by Kielly Dunn with contributions from Lori Pottinger, International Rivers Network
Bujagali Falls Dam is a 200-megawatt hydropower project proposed for Bujagali Falls on the Nile River near Jinja, Uganda. Although the original sponsor, a United States-based energy company named AES, has backed out, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and the African Development Bank have pledged financial support for the project.
Opponents have raised several objections to the dam. First, the government did not consider potentially cheaper and less destructive alternatives, such as geothermal energy, before making a decision. Throughout the decision-making process, there was a troubling lack of transparency. Second, the dam’s electricity will be too expensive for the majority of Ugandans. In addition, the proposed dam will have a number of negative environmental effects, including harm to endangered fish species, flooding of precious agricultural land near the river, and the loss of biologically rich island ecosystems in the Nile.
The National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) has played an important role in raising questions about the dam. The group successfully opened up public debate on an issue that was considered a “done deal.” The organization has worked to educate and empower the Ugandan people to become involved in environmental issues and assert their rights and concerns. Ugandans have successfully raised serious questions about the project, and there is now greatly increased public awareness of the environmental and social impacts of large dams.
As part of its campaign, NAPE organized a major conference on geothermal energy, the alternative most often considered to hold the best promise for Uganda. The meeting drew geothermal experts from around the world, government officials, environmental groups and the general public. NAPE and the Ugandan government now are planning to co-sponsor a second conference on this promising energy source.
NAPE also produces an environment and energy magazine with increasingly broad circulation. The publication is part of the group’s efforts to promote the development of solar, small hydro, wind and geothermal energy, as these types of energy would likely be more affordable for poor, rural communities and would have less environmental impact.
Members of NAPE have been subjected to pressure from the Uganda’s President to drop the campaign. After their many successes in delaying the dam, the President increased the pressure in 2002, calling Bujagali opponents “economic saboteurs” and “enemies of the state.” In a Jan. 26, 2002 article in the state-owned New Vision, President Museveni said, “Those who delay industrial projects are enemies and I am going to open war on them.”
When NAPE began campaigning against the proposed Bujagali Dam and for alternative energy sources for Uganda, there was no public debate, and national energy policy could be summed up as, “When can we build Bujagali Dam, and how many more dams can we build on the Nile after that?” Today, the costly dam’s future is uncertain, clean geothermal power is moving forward, and Uganda is benefiting from a thoughtful, broad public discussion of the best approach for providing electricity to the millions of Ugandans without power, and the role of civil society in making such decisions. The group has accomplished this despite great pressure from the Ugandan president to drop their opposition, and have thus created more space for other NGOs to enter into controversial environmental debates.
Greengrants has made four grants to NAPE over the past several years and may continue to follow up. The future of the Bujagali Dam project is uncertain. Recently, Uganda’s president and the World Bank decided to resurrect the project.
NAPE was recommended to us as a grantee by International Rivers Network, one of our global advisors.