FACULY OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY, APLIED DESIGN AND FINE ART.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING.

BCE3106-WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING.

Assignment 1.

Qn. What could be the likely causes of floods that occurred sometimes ago at

(a) Mbale, Uganda (b). Kabale in May 2023.

From your observation, classify the types of floods that occurred in Mbale and Kabale
Uganda.

As an engineer, propose measures to alleviate the risks associated with such flood for the
future.

Mbale, Uganda

The devastating floods, which left 29 dead and others missing (Daily monitor) were
triggered after rivers such as Nabuyonga, Namatala, Nashibiso and Napwoli burst their banks
shortly after a heavy down pour that spanned 10 hours on Sunday.

Other factors that could have accelerated this flood may include the following;

Poor drainage infrastructure.

Inadequate drainage systems or blocked drains could have contributed to the flooding
by preventing water from flowing away efficiently. In addition, the run off was much greater
as compared to the predicted maximum.

Urbanization in the area.

Rapid urban growth without proper planning and infrastructure could have led to
increased surface run off.
Climate change.

Changing weather patterns and climate variability could have resulted in more
frequent or intense rainfall events increasing the likelihood of flooding.

Poor land use practices.

Unregulated construction in flood prone areas including the building in river banks or
wetlands could have exacerbated flooding issues.

Infrastructure damage.

Damage to bridges, culverts due to a heavy unpredicted runoff could have worsened
the flooding.

Kabale Uganda

Heavy rainfall.

Intense and prolonged rainfall could have led to flooding as rivers and streams may
have overflown their banks into roads and other lands.

Terrain.

Kabale District, like other hilly areas is susceptible to flash floods due to the rapid
flow of rain water down slopes.

Poor drainage.

Inadequate drainage infrastructure or blocked drainage system could have hindered

the efficient flow of water increasing the risk of flooding.

Soil saturation.

It is predicted due to heavy rains than spanned over so many hours, the soil had
reached full saturation, this quickly led to runoff.

River channel modification.

Man made changes to river channel such as embarkments and levees altered the
natural flow of water and potentially increased the flood risk

Upstream development.
 Activities and development upstream of Kabale could have impacted downstream by
altering river flow dynamic leading to floods.

(b)

Mbale Uganda.

This was Urban flooding.

Urban flooding refers to inundation of urban areas due to excessive water

accumulation primarily caused by heavy rains or other water related events. This type of
flooding is a growing concern worldwide given the increasing urbanization of areas.
Addressing this issue requires a combination of infrastructure improvement, sustainable
urban planning.

Kabale Uganda

This was river flooding.

River flooding occurs when a river overflows its banks causing water to spill onto the
adjacent land areas. This type of flooding occurs due to various factors including heavy rains
as the main cause. This results into increased volume of water flowing through streams
exceeding the capacity of the river. Excess flow moves to nearby banks and areas leading to
floods.

(C) Measures to alleviate floods for the future.

Early warning.

Develop and implement effective early warning systems to alert communities about
impending floods. Conduct drills and educate the public about on how to respond to
warnings.

Land use planning.

Enforce zoning laws and regulations that restrict construction in flood prone areas.
Promote sustainable land use practices and avoid deforestation.

Flod control structures.

 Build and maintain flood control structures like dams levees and retention basins to
manage excess water. Implement river bank stabilization projects to prevent erosion.

Improve on drainage system in urban areas.

Construct and maintain efficient drainage system to channel rainwater away from
urban areas. Regularly clean and desilt drains to prevent blockage.

Flood plain management.

Establish and enforce flood plain management regulations to limit development in

high-risk areas.