River Manafwa
River in Eastern Uganda
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0.9420°N 33.920°E River Manafwa is a natural river found in Eastern Uganda. The river originates from Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda,[1][2][3] and traverses the districts of Bududa, Manafwa, Mbale and Butaleja. It joins the Mpologoma river , which empties into Lake Kyoga.[1][4] The river basin is prone to flooding, which disrupts transportation between the Bududa and Manafwa districts, and has resulted in damage to buildings and deaths.[5][3][6][7][8][9][10]
| River Manafwa | |
|---|---|
 River Manafwa in Bududa District | |
  Mouth of River Manafwa | |
| Location | |
| Country | Uganda |
| Region | Eastern Uganda |
| Districts | Bududa, Manafwa, Mbale, Butaleja |
| Cities | Mbale |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Mount Elgon |
| • location | Eastern Uganda |
| Mouth | Mpologoma River |
• location | Butaleja District |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Mpologoma River → Lake Kyoga |
| River system | Mpologoma River system |
The River Manafwa basins have for long been of great socialeconomic importance to the population in the region.[3][11] The river area possess phosphate and iron deposits with quarry sites around the river.[12] These quarries are a source of income for indigenous people who produce aggregate stones, hardcore and sand mining along the river beds for the construction industry.[2][12] The river is also a source of water to surrounding areas.[2]
Geographical location
River Manafwa lies along coordinates of (1.089092, 34.46106) and coordinates of (0.943084, 33.98428).[13] And it flows along the Uganda - Kenya border in Manafwa district mainly.
Hydrology
Manafwa river falls under the Kyoga Water Management Zone and its characterized by bimodal rainfall (April-June, August-November), extreme flooding leading to high Surface runoff.[14] The river is also highly sedimented since the surrounding areas have high level vegetation loss resulting into soil erosion.[15][16]
Importance
Challenges
The river is facing numerous issues related to environmental degradation such as pollution, silting, sedimentation. These problems are due to human activities such as deforestation, and climate change.[16][19]
