An integrated, basin-wide planning approach for the River Malaba catchment

This paper describes a study carried out to investigate one possible approach to the development of catchment management plans for Uganda, using the River Malaba catchment as a case study. The approach involved considering the entire river basin as an integral planning unit, as opposed to planning for individual projects separately. A simulation model of the catchment was established using MIKE BASIN, a modelling tool for integrated river basin planning. The model was then used to investigate planning scenarios involving existing, proposed and hypothetical water uses in the area. Through this process, the planning approach was evaluated with respect to the validity and significance of modelling results, data requirements and steps involved. The approach was considered valuable in contributing to the sustainable development of water resources for the area, as it facilitated the integrated consideration of the impacts of individual projects on the performance of the system as a whole.