Govt to implement a 10-year plan to restore degraded natural resources

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The Government says it is set to implement a comprehensive 10-year action plan to restore all degraded natural resources across the country.

The water ministry says the plan, which was approved by Cabinet, is expected to shape the trajectory of natural resources management indefinitely.

Ministry permanent secretary Dr Alfred Okot Okidi says the decade-long plan is a programme designed to restore Uganda's entire natural resource base and environment.

“The plan encompasses wetlands, forests, riverbanks, lake shores, protected areas and hilly landscapes, among others. If implemented, this broad programme will help Uganda achieve its ambitious goals outlined in vision 2040,” Okidi says.

“We want to restore 24% of the forest cover, restore wetland to at least 13.9 or 14%, secure river banks and lake shores, and regenerate fragile ecosystems and mountain ranges such as Mountain Rwenzori and Mountain Elgon, which have suffered from wildfires and deforestation.”

According to the wetlands mapping exercise conducted in 1994 by the water ministry, Uganda’s wetland coverage stood at 37,559.4 square kilometres, which is 15.6% of the country’s surface area, while in 2015, the wetland coverage was at 31,412.7 square km which is 13% of Uganda’s surface area.

Regarding funding, Okidi revealed that the programme will be supported by multiple sources, including government allocations, development partners, and the private sector.

He made the remarks during the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the water ministry and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Kololo, Kampala on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

The MOU between the two entities will enhance the management, conservation and sustainable use of Uganda's water resources, wetlands, forests, catchments, and natural resources.

What is triggering the degradation

Okidi said Ugandans involvement in unsustainable agricultural practices is triggering environmental degradation. Noting that, despite the growing population, people continue relying on subsistence agriculture which is expensive, instead of adopting smart agriculture which is intensive and using less of the land.

“We are also not utilising water retention facilities on our farms. These could be simple dams, trenches that you can put in your own garden that can retain water and allow you to do production during the dry spell.” Okidi said.

According to Okidi, people need to shift from relying solely on rainfall and adopt local solutions such as trapping runoff water when it rains, use trenches, galleries or small little dams to have access to water and increase productivity.

Regarding the MOU, Okidi explained that the collaboration will anchor on the sustainable management of Uganda's natural resources, while focusing on forest landscape restoration and management (restoration and natural regeneration), managing fragile ecosystems and catchments (drought resilience programs), trans-boundary natural resource and water resource management, conservation and management of terrestrial and aquatic (freshwater) natural resources, biodiversity and associated ecosystems.

“This partnership will promote sustainable development and conservation of Uganda's natural resources. As a ministry, we pledge to ensure a successful and fruitful partnership with visible impacts, practical natural resources management tools, capacity enhancement and lessons that can be scaled up with in the country and across borders,” stated Okidi.

According to the Regional Director of IUCN-East and Southern Africa, (ESARO), Luther Bois Anukur, water ministry became a State Member of IUCN in 1996, in line with Article 112 of the IUCN Statute, through Uganda’s Instrument of Accession endorsed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on January 12, 1996.

ESARO comprises 24 countries in the Horn of Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean.

Through this collaboration, Anukur revealed that IUCN has worked closely with the water ministry in programme development, resource mobilisation, implementation and support in natural resource management, water resources management, climate change, forest and wetland management, among others.

“As IUCN, we are committed to realising the objectives of this MoU through technical support, convening power, resource mobilisation and implementation partnerships that enable the Ministry to realise its objectives,” concluded Anukur.