Wetlands
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NatureUganda is actively involved in demarcating and restoring wetlands countrywide. NatureUganda’s approach to wetland conservation centers around advocating for their protection by identifying Ramsar Sites, enhancing the capacity of local communities residing in close proximity to the wetlands to engage in conservation practices, and undertaking efforts to restore degraded wetland systems. Some of NatureUganda’s efforts contributing to wetlands conservation include;
Out of 12 Ramsar Sites in Uganda, NatureUganda has been a major contributor of key information for the designation of 10 Ramsar sites. Looking to the future, we are advocating for the designation of new sites.
Two other sites namely Lake Bunyonyi and Kiyanja wetland have been approved by the national Ramsar committee but await government recommendation to the Ramsar Secretariat.
NatureUganda has financially and technically supported the development of Wetland Management Plans, such as, the Ssemagimbi Management Plan, The Gulu-Oyam Tochi Wetland Management Plan, Sangobay Wetland Management Plan and Rushango Wetland Management Plan among others.
NatureUganda continues to be an active player in informing and influencing the formulation of Environment and Natural Resources policies and strategies in the country. This is based on its wealth of knowledge and information from research and biodiversity assessments as well as advocacy work and implementation of downstream programme for conservation-cum-development. NU is garnering support in order to designate more wetlands as Ramsar sites.
Community Conservation Agreements
Community Conservation Agreements provide legally protected rights for communities to manage wetlands and also empower the communities to take responsibility and play an active role in wetland management now and in the future, making it hard for outside interests to develop unsustainable projects within the wetland areas.
Site Support Groups
Communities near natural resources are the major custodians for these resources. NatureUganda, has been implementing initiatives aimed at enhancing collaboration between the local communities living adjacent to Important Bird Areas “IBAs” that are critical for biodiversity conservation since 1995 (Byaruhanga et al. 2005). These communities are organised into groups referred to as Site Support Groups (SSGs). These SSGs were initially developed by adopting the Community-based institutions found existing at the IBAs and currently, NU works with 17 SSGs in Lutembe bay, Katwe-Kabatooro, Musambwa Islands, Mabamba bay and in lakes Opeta and Bisina.