We are committed to ensuring sustainable management of Uganda's water and environment resources for the benefit of present and future generations. Our mission is to promote and ensure the rational and sustainable utilization of water and environment resources for socio-economic development.
Our Mission Statement:
To promote efficient and effective utilization of water and environment resources for a healthy, wealthy and climate resilient population
Vision Statement:
Transformed Ugandan Society with environment and natural resources sustainably managed.
Minister of Water & Environment
Minister of State for Environment
Minister of State for Water
Minister of Water & Environment
Minister of State for Environment
Minister of State for Water
Government, German Partners Inspect Karamoja Water Projects
EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGY: MINISTRY OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENT’S INNOVATIVE WATER PROJECT EXCITES NTUNG...
MINISTRY CONDUCTS SITE MEETINGS FOR SOLAR-POWERED WATER SYSTEMS IN GOBORO, LOBE & LOMUNGA RGCs,...
The Ministry of Water and Environment as the Lead Institution for the Natural Resources, Environment...
The Integrated Water Management and Development Project (IWMDP) is a Seven (7) year Government of Uganda (GoU) Project funded with a loan worth US $313 Million by the World Bank. The Project will support GoU through the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG #6, ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.’Core Objective:The primary objective of the IWMDP is to improve access to water supply and sanitation (WSS) services, strengthen capacity for integrated water resources management, and enhance the operational performance of water and sanitation service providers in project areas. This aims to ensure sustainable access to clean water and improved sanitation for a significant portion of Uganda’s population, particularly in vulnerable regions.Funding and Implementation:The project is funded by the World Bank, primarily through the International Development Association (IDA), with an initial credit of US $280 million and an additional US $29 million from the IDA 18 Sub-Window for Refugees and Host Communities. Additional co-financing includes KfW (US$25 million) and GoU Counterpart financing (US$8 million).The Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) are the key implementing agencies, responsible for different components of the project.The project commenced in June 2019 and is currently projected to close in January 2026.Project Area and Beneficiaries:The IWMDP targets various areas across Uganda, with a significant focus on improving services in:Small towns and Rural Growth Centers (RGCs): These areas are critical for expanding access beyond major urban centers.Large towns: Especially those with significant populations and growing demand.Districts hosting refugees and host communities: Addressing the increased strain on water and sanitation infrastructure due to large refugee populations. This includes areas like Adjumani, Yumbe, Arua, Moyo (including Obongi), Lamwo, and Kiryandongo.Specific towns and regions mentioned in project documents and news include Busia, Gulu, Mbale, Kumi, Namasale, Koboko, Rakai, Kagadi, Kakumiro, Kaliro, Iganga (Namungalwe), Kyegegwa, and Ruyonza (Rukungiri).The project is designed to benefit hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Ugandans, including an estimated 1,075,000 people in Adjumani and Mbale alone, with long-term projections to serve even larger populations by 2040.Key Components and Activities:The IWMDP is structured around four main components:Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) in Small Towns and Rural Growth Centers (RGCs) and Support to Districts Hosting Refugees:Construction and rehabilitation of WSS facilities: This includes new water supply systems, expansion of existing ones, and improvement of sanitation infrastructure.Technical assistance to small towns: Supporting the preparation of fecal sludge management assessments and integrated sanitation plans.Support for refugee and host communities: Providing piped water supply and sanitation services in areas with significant refugee populations.Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) in Large Towns:Construction and rehabilitation of WSS infrastructure in larger municipalities: This component is primarily implemented by NWSC to enhance services in growing urban centers like Mbale and Gulu, including the development of new water sources, treatment plants, transmission pipelines, and sewerage systems.Development of Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs): Improving urban sanitation by managing wastewater and fecal sludge.Water Resources Management:Strengthening institutional capacity for integrated water resources management (IWRM): This involves developing and implementing water management plans, monitoring water quality and quantity, and promoting sustainable use of water resources.Support for water source protection: Implementing measures to safeguard water sources and their catchments, ensuring long-term sustainability.Project Implementation and Sector Support:Project management and coordination: Ensuring efficient execution, monitoring, and evaluation of project activities.Capacity building: Strengthening the human and institutional capacities of MWE, NWSC, and local governments to manage water resources and deliver services effectively.Environmental and social safeguards: Implementing measures to mitigate any potential negative environmental and social impacts of project activities, ensuring compliance with World Bank and national standards. This includes the development and application of Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMFs) and site-specific Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs)/Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs).
Overview: This is an ongoing Government of Uganda initiative, led by the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD). It is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).Problem: Uganda faces significant deforestation and environmental degradation due to unsustainable charcoal production, which remains a primary energy source, particularly in urban areas.Goal: To mitigate the negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of charcoal production by promoting sustainable practices and cleaner energy alternatives across the value chain.Key Interventions:Sustainable Forest Management: Supporting the establishment of wood energy plantations with fast-growing tree species and rehabilitating degraded natural forests on private lands.Improved Charcoal Production: Facilitating the adoption of efficient charcoal kilns (e.g., Casamance kilns) through subsidies and training to reduce wood waste and increase efficiency.Policy & Governance: Strengthening regulatory frameworks and fostering cross-sector collaboration to formalize and govern the sustainable charcoal value chain.Clean Energy Promotion: Raising public awareness and supporting the adoption of cleaner energy alternatives like solar, LPG, and improved cooking stoves.Impact: The project aims to achieve reduced deforestation, increased forest cover, enhanced livelihoods for communities reliant on charcoal, and the development of a more efficient and sustainable energy sector in Uganda. Project activities are concentrated in 14 districts across Northern, West Nile, Central, and Mid-Western Uganda.
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VCS ProgramThe Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program is the world’s most widely used greenhouse gas (GHG) crediting program.The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program is the world’s most widely used greenhouse gas (GHG) crediting program. It drives finance toward activities that reduce and remove emissions, improve livelihoods, and protect nature. VCS projects have reduced or removed more than one billion tons of carbon and other GHG emissions from the atmosphere. The VCS Program is a critical and evolving component in the ongoing effort to protect our shared environment.By marrying scientific rigor and transparency with innovative thinking, the VCS Program has continually brought new projects, organizations, and people into the voluntary carbon market, as well as a growing number of compliance markets, and given them the necessary confidence to participate.Read More about the Project
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IntroductionThe Government of Uganda (GOU) has received funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the development of the Strengthening the Adaptive Capacity and Resilience of Communities in Uganda’s watersheds project (SACRiAC). The Project’s Executing Agency, the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), is responsible for the overall implementation and management of the Project.The project (SACRiAC) objective is to build adaptive capacity of rural communities and reduce their vulnerability to climate change and improve rural livelihoods and food security through integrated watershed management, climate-resilient infrastructure, and sustainable agriculture.SACRiAC will be implemented in Bukedea, Sironko, Kapchorwa, and Bulambuli districts, within the Awoja catchment downstream of the sub-catchments of Komirya, Sironko, Simu-sisi, Muyembe, and Sipi. It will be implemented, with focus on catchment management and improving rural livelihood.BackgroundUganda’s economy and local communities are vulnerable to climate change and variability as a result of several compounding factors:heavy reliance on natural resources, particularly within the agricultural sector;dependence on rain-fed agriculture;close linkages between agriculture performance and climatic changes – with the gross domestic product (GDP) and inflation rates closely corresponding to seasonal rainfall patterns;high population growth rates – ~3.6% per year – that in combination with high poverty levels reduce capacity to cope with climate hazards;low per capita income;limited financial capacity to fund adaptation measures;weak and inadequate infrastructure;inadequate supply of clean water and sanitation facilities; andinadequate availability of health and medical services.Floods and droughts have the greatest impacts on local communities as well as socio-economic sectors – particularly the agriculture sector. Other predicted socio-economic impacts will result in the reduction of:national security;the life-span and durability of infrastructure;hydropower production;human health; andecosystem integrity, and thus natural capital.Climate change is expected to disproportionately affect vulnerable groups. These include the poor, people living with disability and HIV/AIDS, youth and children – orphans in particular – the elderly, refugees, and marginalized communities.Current and future impacts of climate change, therefore, make adaptation urgent. Without adaptation, the negative effects of climate change will undermine years of development assistance and asset accumulation in Uganda. Effective adaptation planning – in the context of this project and in particular for an increase in intensity and frequency of droughts, floods, and severe storms requires:improved climate monitoring and early warning systems;reduced vulnerability of people, livelihoods, physical assets, and watersheds to the adverse effects of climate change, through improved storage and reduced land degradation; andstrengthening institutional capacities for effective climate change Adaptation.
The Integrated Water Management and Development Project (IWMDP) is a Seven (7) year Government of Uganda (GoU) Project funded with a loan worth US $313 Million by the World Bank. The Project will support GoU through the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG #6, ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.’Core Objective:The primary objective of the IWMDP is to improve access to water supply and sanitation (WSS) services, strengthen capacity for integrated water resources management, and enhance the operational performance of water and sanitation service providers in project areas. This aims to ensure sustainable access to clean water and improved sanitation for a significant portion of Uganda’s population, particularly in vulnerable regions.Funding and Implementation:The project is funded by the World Bank, primarily through the International Development Association (IDA), with an initial credit of US $280 million and an additional US $29 million from the IDA 18 Sub-Window for Refugees and Host Communities. Additional co-financing includes KfW (US$25 million) and GoU Counterpart financing (US$8 million).The Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) are the key implementing agencies, responsible for different components of the project.The project commenced in June 2019 and is currently projected to close in January 2026.Project Area and Beneficiaries:The IWMDP targets various areas across Uganda, with a significant focus on improving services in:Small towns and Rural Growth Centers (RGCs): These areas are critical for expanding access beyond major urban centers.Large towns: Especially those with significant populations and growing demand.Districts hosting refugees and host communities: Addressing the increased strain on water and sanitation infrastructure due to large refugee populations. This includes areas like Adjumani, Yumbe, Arua, Moyo (including Obongi), Lamwo, and Kiryandongo.Specific towns and regions mentioned in project documents and news include Busia, Gulu, Mbale, Kumi, Namasale, Koboko, Rakai, Kagadi, Kakumiro, Kaliro, Iganga (Namungalwe), Kyegegwa, and Ruyonza (Rukungiri).The project is designed to benefit hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Ugandans, including an estimated 1,075,000 people in Adjumani and Mbale alone, with long-term projections to serve even larger populations by 2040.Key Components and Activities:The IWMDP is structured around four main components:Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) in Small Towns and Rural Growth Centers (RGCs) and Support to Districts Hosting Refugees:Construction and rehabilitation of WSS facilities: This includes new water supply systems, expansion of existing ones, and improvement of sanitation infrastructure.Technical assistance to small towns: Supporting the preparation of fecal sludge management assessments and integrated sanitation plans.Support for refugee and host communities: Providing piped water supply and sanitation services in areas with significant refugee populations.Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) in Large Towns:Construction and rehabilitation of WSS infrastructure in larger municipalities: This component is primarily implemented by NWSC to enhance services in growing urban centers like Mbale and Gulu, including the development of new water sources, treatment plants, transmission pipelines, and sewerage systems.Development of Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs): Improving urban sanitation by managing wastewater and fecal sludge.Water Resources Management:Strengthening institutional capacity for integrated water resources management (IWRM): This involves developing and implementing water management plans, monitoring water quality and quantity, and promoting sustainable use of water resources.Support for water source protection: Implementing measures to safeguard water sources and their catchments, ensuring long-term sustainability.Project Implementation and Sector Support:Project management and coordination: Ensuring efficient execution, monitoring, and evaluation of project activities.Capacity building: Strengthening the human and institutional capacities of MWE, NWSC, and local governments to manage water resources and deliver services effectively.Environmental and social safeguards: Implementing measures to mitigate any potential negative environmental and social impacts of project activities, ensuring compliance with World Bank and national standards. This includes the development and application of Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMFs) and site-specific Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs)/Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs).
Overview: This is an ongoing Government of Uganda initiative, led by the Ministr...
VCS ProgramThe Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program is the world’s most widely...
IntroductionThe Government of Uganda (GOU) has received funding from the Global...
The Ministry of Water and Environment is committed to avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating adverse environmental and social impacts associated with its projects, as well as adopting a gender-sensitive and gender-equitable approach for all its projects.
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