NatureUganda (NU) has over the years taken a lead role in conserving the country’s wetlands, though under difficulties.

“We are trying our best but it has not been an easy assignment, we face a lot of developmental challenges but we are determined to stick to our mission,” said Paul Mafabi, NatureUganda’s chairman of the executive committee.

Mafabi said some of the factors responsible for wetland degradation in Uganda include conversion for subsistence agriculture especially in face of the increasing rural poor populations but most importantly the massive drainage for economic investment by both the government and private sector.

He said flower farming, commercial / industrial infrastructures were some of the leading causes of massive wetland degradation. “Most wetlands around the shores of Lake Victoria and in around urban centres and towns have fallen victim of these developments, a situation that has been blamed to be responsible for the dwindling water levels of lake Victoria and hence little or no water supplies for domestic and industrial use,” said Mafabi.

NU’s Executive Director This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it said in 1940s and 1950s, wetlands in Uganda were condemned as wastelands and dangerous habitat that provides breeding ground for the deadly anopheles mosquito that causes malaria. The resultant effect was that large chunks of wetlands in east and western Uganda were converted to agricultural land, sometimes aided by government. In 1994, his organization started a biodiversity monitoring programme for some wetlands in the country and in 1998, about 10 wetlands sites were identified as key biodiversity areas in Uganda. “These wetlands are treasures for Uganda and some of them such as Mabamba Bay have become hotspots for tourism,” said Byaruhanga.

In 2004, he said NU worked with government and proposed the sites to be designated as wetlands of international importance i.e. Ramsar sites since it was clear that conservation of the wetlands was not only important for Uganda but for the whole world.

In 2005, at the 10th Ramsar convention of parties hosted in Kampala, Uganda announced the designation of 10 Ramsar sites, the single largest number of sites to be listed by any country in Africa. Byaruhanga said at the convention, it was also established that wetlands contribute enormously to supporting lives and sustaining livelihoods in both rural and urban set-ups in Uganda.

Byaruhanga said a survey that was conducted in 2002 by the Wetland Inspection Division (now Wetland Management Department) indicated that at least 15 million people depend on wetland for water amounting to approximately US$ 75,000 per year and other resources amounting to US$ 200 per rural household per annum. Nakivubo channel wetland was estimated to contribute US$1.7 M per year to the national economy through filtration and secondly treatment of sewage before it enters Lake Victoria. Byaruhanga said because of the important role played by wetlands, NU has supported efforts and initiatives to streamline management of wetlands in Uganda. Some of these include development of Community wetland Management plan for Nyamuriro that has led to community restoration of approx 1 km2 of the wetland, a community wetland management plan for Mabamba and Lutembe wetlands.

NU has also supported the development of community based and managed eco-tourism at a number of wetland sites as a means to generate incomes and other benefits, in order to make the wetland relevant to people and their livelihoods. These sites include Mabamba wetland in Wakiso district generating approximately sh5m per year and Nabajjuzi wetland in Masaka district generating approximately sh2.5m per year for communities.

NU also still strives to work for the protection of these wetlands of vital importance. One such initiative is the NU supported community eco-tourism and conservation project at Nabajjuzi in Masaka and Lake Katwe in Kasese, and Sango Bay/Musambwa islands wetlands in Rakai district.