The once-shimmering waters of Lake Nakivale, a vital resource for refugees and host communities in Isingiro District, are disappearing at an alarming rate.
Uprooted papyrus roots, smoke from wood fires, and vast patches of dry land now dominate the lake's landscape, signaling a severe ecological and humanitarian crisis.
The lake has long sustained over 260,000 refugees from Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and other nations, as well as local residents, providing water for domestic use, agriculture, and livestock.
Yet, in recent years, its shoreline has receded dramatically, leaving cracked earth where water once flowed.
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Desperate for cooking fuel, refugees have turned to the papyrus-rich wetlands surrounding the lake.
The roots, which once acted as a natural barrier against erosion and filtered pollutants, are now being ripped out to serve as firewood.
"You can literally walk where boats used to float," said Benon Mugisha, a resident of Kabatamba in Juru Zone.
"The lake is dying before our eyes. We are now digging small ponds into the ground to get water for domestic use and to feed our animals. This is worrying."
For many refugees, survival leaves little choice.
"We know it is destroying the lake, but what choice do we have?" said Nyiramwamwiza, a Burundian mother of four.
"My children need food, and food cannot be cooked without fire."
The overexploitation of papyrus has also sparked tensions between refugees and host communities. Locals accuse refugees of overharvesting, while refugees point to the lack of alternatives.
Authorities have urged calm.
"We must avoid turning this ecological disaster into a human conflict," said a Nakivale Settlement Commandant.
Local officials and humanitarian agencies have warned that if immediate interventions are not made, the lake could vanish within a decade, leaving a combined ecological and humanitarian catastrophe.
Isingiro District Chairperson Jeremiah Kamurari described the situation as an "ecological emergency."
"If Nakivale dries completely, refugees and host communities will lose their primary water source, and wildlife that depends on the lake will perish," Kamurari said.
Efforts to mitigate the crisis include introducing energy-efficient stoves, promoting alternative fuels like briquettes from agricultural waste, and reforesting wetlands. However, limited funding has slowed progress.
"Refugee settlements need sustainable energy solutions," said Cecilia Kambabazi, Assistant Community Services Officer and LEE Focal Person at the Office of the Prime Minister.
"We are working to sensitize communities about alternative fuels, but time is running out."
Environmentalists stress that papyrus roots are crucial to the lake's ecosystem, filtering pollutants, preventing erosion, and providing wildlife habitats.
Diversion of water from the lake's only inlet, the River Rwizi, for farming has further exacerbated the decline.
Community-based organizations and conservation groups are piloting solutions, including training women to make fuel briquettes and promoting fast-growing trees for firewood.
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Environmentalists are also calling for stricter regulations to prevent uncontrolled papyrus harvesting and for community-led wetland restoration.
For now, the shores of Lake Nakivale remain a scene of desperation. Refugees and locals continue harvesting papyrus, while the lake shrinks further each day.
Children who once played along its edges now walk on cracked earth where fish once swam.
"It feels like we are killing the only thing keeping us alive," said Nyiramwamwiza. "But what else can we do?"
Lake Nakivale's plight highlights a painful dilemma for Uganda: balancing urgent human survival with the imperative to protect the environment.
Without immediate, coordinated action, the lake that once symbolized refuge may soon become a graveyard for both nature and human hope.
