Achwa River

Achwa

river, watercourse

Mouth of the watercourse	White Nile
Drainage basin	Nile basin
Country	South Sudan, Uganda
Coordinate location	3°44′44″N 31°55′39″E, 3°44′1″N 31°56′22″E

De Achwa River be a river of Uganda. E dey flow thru de northern central part of de country, wey dey drain much of Uganda einnorthern plateau den northeastern highlands, before crossing de border into South Sudan wey e dey join de White Nile. Insyd South Sudan e be known as de Aswa River. De river be a lifeline for communities along ein path thru wey dey offer fishing activities.

De river be a source of livelihood to nearby communities despite e be under degradation threats. E be a protected area.

De Achwa River be a major river insyd northeastern Uganda wich dey flow northwest into South Sudan wey dem dey bell de Aswa River wey e dey join de White Nile. De river dey begin insyd hills insyd de northwestern part of Katakwi Province den dey flow thru Lira Province wey e cam be de border between de provinces of Pader den Gulu wer de Agago River den then de Pager River flow into am. De Achwa River dey form most of de border between de provinces of Atiak den Kitgum before e dey cross into Sudan east of de border town of Nimule den dey join de White Nile about ten miles northwest of Nimule. Dat particular section of de White Nile be known as Bahr el Jebel anaa "River of de Mountain", anaa Mountain Nile.

De Achwa dey drain much of de northeastern highland den northern plateau of Uganda. Like most rivers insyd de region de flow of de Achwa be strongly influenced by de season den weather. E be prone to flooding at times. Insyd 2000, e submerged de bridge connecting de cities of Gulu den Kitgum.

De distance from de Achwa ein headwaters to joining de White Nile be about 185 miles. De river dey flow thru East Sudanian savanna wich dey encompass much of northeastern Uganda. Dis hot, dry, wooded savanna composed mainly of Combretum den Terminalia shrub den tree species den tall elephant grass be adversely affected by agricultural activities, fire, clearance for wood den charcoal, but large blocks of relatively intact habitat remain even outside protected areas. Populations of sum of de larger mammal species be reduced by hunting, but good numbers of odas remain.

Catchment den hydrology

De Aswa (Achwa) catchment be a transboundary basin between Uganda den South Sudan, wey dey cover over 31,000 km2. Wetlands International reports dat de Aswa River Basin insyd northeastern Uganda dey drain about 27,677 km2 den dey contain extensive wetland systems (about 2,045 km2), plus de catchment delineated into eight tributaries anaa sub-catchments. Average annual flow of de Aswa be reported at about 3.0 km3 per year (1940–1977).

Ecology

Large parts of de Achwa basin lie insyd savanna landscapes of northern Uganda den South Sudan. Wetland systems insyd de basin support water regulation den local livelihoods, wey dey include fishing den small-scale agriculture, den provide habitat for wetland-dependent biodiversity.

Human use

Hydropower

De Achwa River dey support run-of-river hydropower development insyd northern Uganda. De Achwa II project be a 42 MW hydropower plant wey dey locate on de Achwa River insyd de districts of Paper, Kitgum den Gulu. De project scope dey include access den service roads den grid interconnection facilities.

Livelihoods

Communities insyd de basin depend on river den wetland resources for domestic water use, small-scale farming, livestock, den fishing, especially during dry seasons wen alternative sources are limited.

Conservation den threats

Parts of de Aswa basin face degradation pressures linked to wetland encroachment, land conversion, den declining freshwater ecosystem condition. Reporting insyd Uganda link basin degradation to reduced access to safe water for nearby communities. Restoration work insyd de basin include catchment management activities wey focus on wetlands den landscape recovery, as documented by Wetlands International dema “Rise of Okom” initiative.

Protected areas

Protected Planet lists “Achwa River” as a protected area site insyd Uganda (85.68 km2), designated insyd 1948.

Spy sanso

• River Okot
• River Semliki
• River Sezibwa
• Rutshuru River
• River Reizi

• Semliki River
• Sezibwa River

• Turkwel River

• White Nile

External links

• Hydrology Regime in the Nile Basin (Nile Basin Initiative):
• WaterwayMap.org river listings (OpenStreetMap-derived):