Name: Could a miracle grass solve Lake Victorias problems?
Uploaded: 2025-11-11T15:23:24.436Z
Duration: 5 min 42 s
Description: Vetiver grass is helping farmers in Uganda to fight climate change, protect the soil and restore the ecosystem, thanks to scientist Ali Tebandeke.

Vetiver grass is helping farmers in Uganda to fight climate change, protect the soil and restore the ecosystem, thanks to scientist Ali Tebandeke.

Kampala

Farmers along the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda are planting vetiva grass to address environmental issues such as soil erosion and water pollution. The plant's deep root system helps stabilize slopes, reduce runoff, and protect crops, while also providing material for mulch and alternative energy in the form of cooking briquettes.

Since the vetiva project began in 2016, over 4,000 farmers in more than 50 villages have been trained to cultivate the grass. Vetiva is also used for producing fragrant oil and organic fertilizer, and is not considered invasive in Uganda. Local leaders hope to expand its use to reach one million people in the next decade.

Could a miracle grass solve Lake Victoria's problems?

Once planted, these roots can grow meters long. That's what makes vetiva so resilient. The fragrant grass originally comes from tropical Asia. Environmentalist Ali Tevandeke regularly visits farmers on Lake Victoria to hear how they are getting on growing vetiva. It's a very special plant. 1.5 meters is a viable root system that could enable the thriving of other plants, meaning it can retain water for a long period of time. Even if you are facing wildfires, this grass cannot easily be burnt down. Along the shores of Lake Victoria, farmers have planted vetiva to protect the land and prevent rainwater from washing pollutants into Africa's largest lake. Hamidu Mosika fishes in these waters and is also a farmer. Before we planted the vetiva, every time it rained, the lake would turn brown. All the runoff, including plastic bags and bottles, ended up in the water. But lately, things have changed. Even after a heavy downpour, the lake now retains its colour, showing that much less runoff is entering it. Thanks to its long roots, vetiva can help secure the ground. That's what it's doing on Hamidu Mosika's slopes. When I look at where he planted the vetiva, there is not a lot of erosion running down the hill. But in the hills of Butambala, central Uganda, erosion has stripped the land. Fertile topsoils wash away each rainy season, leaving fields bare. Thanks to vetiva, the slopes are now more stable and farms are slowly recovering. It is a resilient crop that you could plant as a hedge. That's why you could see the bean plants being protected against this running water. The vetiva project at Lake Victoria began in 2016, led by a local researcher with support from Japanese partners. Over 4,000 farmers from more than 50 villages have been trained. One of the main trainers is Ali Tewandeke. For five years, he's been in the field showing farmers how to plant vetiva. The project slowed down during the global pandemic, but Hamidu Mosika kept on planting, mixing vetiva with bananas and tomatoes. The plant is also good for making mulch. It controls weed during the rainy season and safeguards the soil during dry periods. We are currently experiencing a dry spell. The land is hot and plants can't thrive well. To help, I cut some of the vetiva grass and used it as a mulch in my garden. As you can see, it's really helped protect my plants. Deforestation is another major problem. Many trees have been cut down for farmland and firewood. Ali Tewandeke grew up seeing this happen in central Uganda. He has realised that vetiva can also serve as an alternative energy source for cooking. He's showing the villagers how to turn the grass into cooking briquettes. The grass stalks are first charred and then mixed with cow dung. The women here now grow vetiva themselves. Like Zulaine Nachisodze, she has been involved in the project for about two years and is now a big fan of vetiva. We can now make briquettes from this grass for cooking. And it has other uses too. That is why I really treasure it. The grass has another useful quality. A fragrant oil can be extracted from its stems and roots. This is mainly used in perfume production. This company in Kampala specialised in producing vetiva oil for export. After extraction, the leftover plant matter is used to generate clean energy that powers the factory. And the remaining ash, rich in potassium and calcium, is sent back to farmers as organic fertiliser. Instead of applying chemicals to the soil for improving soil pH, we just have to apply the ash from this product that we've already supplied you as a farmer. But in the long run, you're going to get it back as a product good for the soil and the environment. Even though it is not native to Uganda, vetiva is for now not considered invasive. It does not produce seeds and only propagates through root division. Many people have approached me after seeing me planting vetiva. They were inspired to plant it too and I've shared it with them so they can also grow it. Farmers have had good experiences with the plant so far, both on Lake Victoria and in central Uganda. With his peer-to-peer approach, Alicha Bandeke hopes to reach a million people in Uganda over the next 10 years.

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