After a successfully held inaugural Save River Rwizi Marathon 2022, Abahumuza Development Group is at it again with another marathon that seeks to sustain
efforts realized last year and rally a broader pool of stakeholders towards the need to conserve the only water resource that’s essential to the livelihoods of over 6 million people.
Numerous threats in terms of degradation of the river have been cited over the years but plastic pollution emerges as one of the biggest challenges facing the river ecosystem.
Statistics from NEMA show that plastics take a lion’s share of the waste with over 600 tonnes being produced every day throughout the country. Given that only 40% of this waste is collected and disposed off properly, the remaining 60% finds its way into the environment leading to several problems.
These (60%) constitute the greatest part of the pollution of our lakes and rivers, degradation of our soils and rendering fertility and productivity of agriculture ineffective, and needless to say, the rampant blockage of our drainage channels culminating into floods we see today.
According to Ramadhan Kimbugwe from Abahumuza Development Group, this year’s marathon proceeds will go towards the scaling of the plastic waste bunker innovation. This is an idea that will ease the disposal, collection, and recycling of plastic waste that’s threatening human and aquatic life. The innovation seeks to create 200 bunkers in Mbarara City with the capacity of collecting 480 tonnes of plastic per year.
“We therefore urge all stakeholders including manufacturers, corporate entities, government agencies, local authorities, civil society organizations, environmentalists, youth groups, and all nature-loving citizens to popularize and support this initiative. The gains from the restoration of our river are a win for all of us,” Ramadhan further said.
The marathon is slated for Sunday, July 30, 2023, in Mbarara City at the Mbarara Golf Course grounds starting at 7:00 am is organized in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Environment, NBS Television, Taasa Obutonde, Lato Milk, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Mbarara City Council among others. Participation will be through the purchase of a run kit across various selling points that will be communicated in due course.
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