UNDAF/Expected Country Programmme Outcome: By end 2025, Natural resources management and energy access are gender responsive, effective and efficient, reducing emissions, negating the impact of climate-induced disasters and environmental degradation on livelihoods and production systems, and strengthening community resilience.
Output 1: Enhanced capacity of cities/ municipalities to develop waste management plans and manage municipal solid waste and wastewater in a more sustainable manner.
Activities implemented
- Held project entry meetings in the pilot cities of Jinja, Mbale, Mbarara and Masaka from August – December, 2019
- Conducted preliminary site identification and assessment for establishment of biogas to electricity plants in the pilot cities of Kampala, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara and Mbale (August – September, 2019)
Output 4: Lessons learnt and success of the demonstration projects supports replication and scaling-up of project results
Activities implemented
3. Held inaugural Board meeting on 4th April, 2019
4. Held Project Technical Committee meeting on 27th – 29th November, 2019
5. Held End of Year, 2019 Project Board Meeting; 2nd December, 2019
2020
Output 1: Enhanced capacity of cities/ municipalities to develop waste management plans and manage municipal solid waste and wastewater in a more sustainable manner.
Activities implemented
5. Project Entry Meeting with KCCA and GKMA municipalities held in January, 2020
6. Private sector dialogue on grid fed electricity generation using waste as a resource in January, 2020.
- Market constraints faced by the private sector with regards to energy generation from waste were discussed.
7. Raising awareness amongst Municipalities and other waste sector stakeholders.
The activity was carried out through workshops facilitated by NEMA (August – September, 2020);
8. Support Cities and Municipalities to design and develop gender responsive waste management plans and ordinances.
- Introduction of MSW disposal/ off-taker fees (September – Oct, 2020)
- Introduction of provisions for waste to energy systems as sustainable waste management strategies.
- Introduction of provisions for gender mainstreaming developed.
9. Development of sensitization campaign on waste management and biogas for males and females in the pilot cities of Masaka, Mbale Jinja, Mbarara and Kampala. (June – Nov, 2020)
10. Enhancing the capacity of cities and municipalities to undertake sensitization campaigns on biogas and waste management for females and males
11. Training of promoters (private sector players involved in waste management value chain) for IWM and source separation and development of User’s manual for sorting Municipal Solid Waste). Workshops were held in the 5 cities of Jinja, Kampala, Mbarara, Mbale and Masaka from Oct-Nov, 2020, led by NEMA.
Output 2: Biogas and WWT plants using MSW feedstock and sewage sludge procured and fully operational
Activities implemented
12. Conduct detailed technical feasibility studies (Feedstock supply and characterization studies, Legal, Financial and Economic and Environmental Social Impact Studies) to select a site for biogas to electricity plant utilising waste generated in KCCA
12. Conduct detailed feasibility studies (Feedstock analysis, legal, financial and economic and environmental social impact studies) to enhance biogas production at National Water and Sewerage Corporation Nakivubo Wastewater Treatment Plant
Output 3: Biogas technology replicated in other potential municipalities with the help of a grant and technical assistance fund
Activities implemented
13. Procurement of a consultant to develop a gender strategy and gender action plan for the project
Output 4: Lessons learnt and success of the demonstration projects supports replication and scaling-up of project results
Activities implemented
14. Develop/ Update standardised baselines for emissions reductions from biogas production from waste
15. Conduct professional audit for the project, February, 2021.
16. Conducted lessons learned studies
17. Held four Project Technical Committee meetings
18. Held Two Board meetings (Mid-year Board Meeting – 20th August, 2021; End of year Board Meeting – 27th November, 2021
Effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on project implementation - 2020
Implementation of activities of the NAMA Biogas project, like any other project or program was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Whereas the Covid-19 pandemic had been reported to breakout in December, 2019, the first case of the virus in East Africa was recorded on 13th March, 2020 in Kenya. This led to institution of several measures in the neighbouring countries including Uganda. i.e. suspension activities which involve mass gatherings, and mandatory 14 days’ quarantine for all arrivals in the country.
Having registered its first case on 21st March, 2020, a series of additional measures were instituted by the government of Uganda including closing of the country’s borders except for cargo and goods, suspension of physical reporting to schools, suspension of public transport, restriction on private vehicle movements and restriction on staff capacity at workplaces.
With increasing cases of COVID-19 infections, a lockdown and a nation-wide curfew from 7:00 pm to 6:30 am took effect on 30th March, 2020.
Throughout this period, the project was constrained especially with undertakings that involved collaboration with other institutions such as approval of pending Memoranda of understanding with project partners like KCCA, the cities of Jinja, Mbale, Mbarara and Masaka which required approval from Office of the Solicitor General, setting up a project account at National Environment Management Authority which involved approval from Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, among others.
Restrictions on staffing at work premises slowed submissions and approval processes both at the Ministry and UNDP. The project team also found it difficult to conduct field activities since the project sites were inaccessible.
Gradual easing of the restrictions mentioned commenced towards the end of May, 2021.
Delays experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions led to reduced activity implementation time. As a result, some of the project activities that had been planned to be completed in 2020 were extended to 2021 some of which include;
- Benchmarking visit to Accra, Ghana
- Incentives in selected cities/ municipalities policy, legal and regulatory environment to promote increased uptake of IWM and biogas technology through computation of emission reductions
- Feasibility studies to select suitable site for biogas to electricity plant using waste generated in KCCA
- Feasibility studies to enhance biogas production at Nakivubo Wastewater Treatment Plant at NWSC
- Support project developers with permitting procedures, power purchase agreements and grid connection of biogas systems