CASE STUDY OF: THE EGYPT-UGANDA AQUATIC WEED CONTROL PROJECT: South-South Cooperation, Capacity Development, and Aid Ef

1. CASE STUDY OF: THE EGYPT-UGANDA AQUATIC WEED CONTROL PROJECT: South-South Cooperation, Capacity Development, and Aid Effectiveness  Outline: Context and Background Methodology The Egypt-Uganda Aquatic Weed Control Project Key Challenges Lessons Leaned

2. Context and Background Aquatic weeds in Uganda Water Hyacinth Problem - its effects on livelihoods of fishing communities Assistance to Uganda to address the Water hyacinth problem and key concerns Heavy rains in 1997/98 � the rise in lake level The papyrus problem � blockage and flooding

3. Context and Background Responses: The period 1989 to 1997 Help form United States, The Netherlands, Japan, UNDP, and Belgium Responses: From 1998 to date Egypt-Uganda Aquatic Weed Control Project

4. METHODOLOGY Review of relevant literature Information search Interviewing key project implementers We interviewed key people on both sides � Egypt and Uganda. This included people on the Steering Committee, Technical Committee, and The Egyptian Engineering Company. Focus group discussion with communities in Kikoge village on Lake Kyoga

5. The Egypt-Uganda Aquatic Weed Control Project Agreement was signed on 22, March 2008 between Egypt�s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and Uganda�s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Project objectives Project financing Management of the project - Steering Committee - Technical Committee - Egyptian Technical Firm of Engineers Payments based on submission of details of work implemented

6. The Egypt-Uganda Aquatic Weed Control Project Project results Phase 1 (1999-2007): US$13.9 million Phase 2 (2008 - 2009): US$4.5 million Phase 3 (2010 � 2011): US$ 2.0 million Extensions were at the request of the Uganda Government

7. The Egypt-Uganda Aquatic Weed Control Project Project results during phase 1: Purchase of mechanical equipment (46 stomachs) Use of geographical information system (GIS) to determine tracks to be cleared from weeds to solve the problem of blockage on Lake Kyoga Construction of an outlet (36 Km Long and 100 meters wide)

8. The Egypt-Uganda Aquatic Weed Control Project Cleaning the mouth of Kagera river on Lake Victoria Preparation of training programes for 100 trainees and facilitation of 1200 Ugandan technicians and engineers Project results during phase 2: 25 villages developed thru strengthening of rivers/lakes banks Gaba fish landing site developed 20 water harvesting dams constructed to cater for domestic and livestock needs Periodic maintenance of lakes and rivers to free them of aquatic weed

9. The Egypt-Uganda Aquatic Weed Control Project Project results during phase 3: Established 10 water harvesting and 5 aquaculture farms Development of 5 villages around the shores of the great lakes Development of Masese fishing landing site Maintenance of rivers and lakes to clear them of the aquatic weed

10. Key Challenges Ownership and mutual accountability The project addressed some critical development challenges facing the country Uganda Government was involved But implementation raised some doubts Domestically on the Uganda side the MAIF, NEMA, and Ministry of Water and Environment had different views about the project

11. Key Challenges Ownership: On the Egypt side, location of the project in the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation raised some concerns in some circles in Uganda Financing of the project was controlled from Cairo. Uganda national financial systems were not used Accountability was mainly to Cairo

12. Key Challenges Capacity Development Yes, the project was effective in purchasing of equipment and involving Ugandans in operation of the equipment Retention of manpower that operated the machinery proved difficult Continuity � Exit of knowledgeable politicians, and high level management and technical staff Machinery was reported to have remained idle despite the fact that the project is on-going

13. Key Challenges Aid effectiveness The project was effective in addressing flooding and associated problems Its impact on the welfare of fishing communities are mixed Expectations of communities on the ground were very different from those of project managers Fishing communities doubt that Uganda has the capacity to contain such a problem in case it arose again The project stretched to unfamiliar area of development, beyond controlling the aquatic weeds

14. Lessons Learned Objectives should be clearly stated � from phase to phase Ownership and mutual accountability should be streamlined as the guiding principle A capacity development plan must be made; it should include a strategy of maintaining built capacity (both equipment and human resource) Suspicion adversely affects results Aid effectiveness depends on the extent to which stated objectives are pursued