Achilles Byarunga’s article entitled “Mpanga George: Uganda’s ecological gem is going” (New Vision, Thursday, May 22 2008) is one of those that conforms to what is increasingly known as environmental romanticism. No doubt, Achilles raises sound environmental issues but he unfortunately fails to align them with the economic realities of the day.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which he bases on to rubbish the proposed development of the 18 mega watt hydro electricity facility at Mpanga falls by South Asia Energy Management Systems, does not give biodiversity precedence over development. It stipulates a strategic balance between conservation and development; a win-win scenario in which none (conservation or development) excludes the other. However, such a win-win scenario is more often than not, a contemplative goal that is untenable – especially in an impoverished country such as Uganda where the underlying impetus is fighting poverty!
Before making an argument for conserving the cycad plants for their tourist value, Achilles should have quantified in economic terms, how much benefit the Banyaruguru and other indigenous communities have obtained from cycad tourism. He should also have first quantified the economic benefit of 18 Mega Watts to determine whether its “paltry” (to borrow his word) compared with the tourism value of cycads.
The question of “who benefits from the cycad plants?” is pertinent in this argument. Achilles indeed mentions that “the first alert to the destruction of cycad was made by tourists…” and that “…now there is a big alarm allover the world about the survival of (what he termed) the Ugandan dinosaur.” He surprisingly does not mention if there are any concerns from the local population with regard to cycad destruction. On the contrary, he points out that “local community activities are a threat to the cycads.” Must Ugandans maintain “amusement parks” for foreign tourists at the expense of our indigenous community needs? It is not a reality that revenues from those concerned tourists are appropriated by UWA away from Banyaruguru and other indigenous communities, and that therefore that’s why UWA is opposed to the power scheme?
Whether the cycad plants at Mpanga are more than 200-300 years old or not is irreverent to the Banyaruguru and other indigenous communities who have not significantly benefited from their existence for all that time. On the other hand, the generation of 18 mega watts of power from that site stands to be a historic change to a whole generation of indigenous communities that have always been living in darkness; or indeed to the rest of the Ugandan population that has been bracing abominable power cuts and load-shedding for many years.
Achilles’ argument about the massive ecological damage arising from roads and other infrastructural investments within the “tourist spinner” landscape should be backed by guidance on alternatives (for roads, clean water, hydro power, etc). It actually reminds me of a similar rhetoric made recently by another senior environmentalist (Mr. Ofuna Adula of Makerere University) that Owen falls dam should be decommissioned because it has outlived its purpose. What then would happen to millions of Ugandans, Kenyans and Rwandans who depend on Owen falls dam for their electricity needs?
My view is that as environmentalists, we are not helping government at all! Rather than criticize government for every development endeavour, I would rather environmentalists thought beyond the typical “non-use” mentality, and set about advising government to tame nature; to use it as an asset for enhancing people’s livelihoods. We need to be part of the solution rather than romanticists; pace setters rather than obscurantists.
The stark truth is that conservation is meaningless if it relegates people’s development opportunities. Cycad plants may have tourist and other ecological values but this will remain meaningless unless it benefits the Banyaruguru and other indigenous communities. We have to accept that.
While I rarely agree with NEMA, Iam inclined to concur that lets have an electricity generation dam at Mpaga falls and identity entry points for mitigating the inevitable ecological alterations – such as the recommended on-farm planting of cycad plants. Achilles calls 18 Mega Watts “paltry,” but the Bakiga have a saying that “otuura okuzimu tagaya mushana” (one who has lived in darkness does not complain about dim light). In truth, 18 mega watts will be a valuable addition to the national electricity grid.
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