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| Floods Management and Socio-Economic Development of Kambuga Sub County in Kanungu District, South Western Uganda
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Friday Christopher and Kanyesigye Shallon
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Abstract:
The study assessed the impact of Floods management on the socio-economic development with reference to Kambuga Sub County in Kanungu district, South western Uganda. It was guided by three objectives; namely: To investigate the causes of floods in Kambuga sub county in Kanungu district, to examine how floods are managed in Kambuga Sub County and to examine the impact of floods management to the socio-economic development of Kambuga Sub County in Kanungu district. The study used data collected using the questionnaire and interviews which were argumented by documentary review and during data collection, simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used. mixed approaches were used to analyse the data of 80 respondents that were selected from the sub county under the study. The study revealed that floods were brought by unsustainable human activities like deforestation, climatological factors and physical factors, the study also revealed that floods management had had a significant impact on the socio-economic development of Kambuga Sub County in terms of high crop productivity, food security, infrastructural development, ensuring easy access to social services like schools, churches, safe water, and hospitals among others. The study also revealed that floods could be managed by afforestation, early warning, terracing, proper drainage systems, early preparation, de-silting, conservation and restoration of wetlands and construction of contours. From the findings from the study, the study concluded that floods management had a remarkable impact on the socio-economic development of Kambuga Sub County. This is because respondents revealed that if floods management takes place, there can be food security, infrastructure development, increased incomes and high crop productivity. The researcher recommended for disaster preparedness through mass sensitization over the radios, TVs, newspapers, churches among others. It also recommended for evacuation of people settling in vulnerable areas such as people settling in floods plains, river basins and hilly areas to settle in other free and safe areas, recovery programmes were recommended by the study. This will help in the flood mitigation, recovery and preparedness that will in turn result to the socio-economic development of Kambuga Sub County. 25(31.2%) of the respondents who comprised of both males and females, the highest percentage agreed that poverty was the main cause of floods occurrence in Kambuga Subcounty,25(31.2%) were of the view that floods were brought about by climatological forces,20(25%) of the respondents were of the view that floods were brought about by unsustainable human activities such as deforestation, poor farming methods, diversion of channels among others,05(6.2%) the least stated that floods were brought about by the nature of the land and poor drainage systems. Using the study findings, respondents cited different strategies to manage floods in Kambuga Sub County. The majority of the respondents corresponding to 30(37.5%) cited afforestation as a leading strategy to manage floods. This is followed by rain water harvesting systems as cited by 20 (25%) of the respondents, 10(12.5%) of respondents cited those floods can be managed by early warning, terracing and contours in Kambuga Sub County.
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