Over 30-acre rice field destroyed in Kwania wetland restoration drive

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Wetlands are critical ecosystems providing essential services such as water regulation, biodiversity support, and food production.

However, the growing demand for rice, a staple food and income source for locals, has intensified wetland degradation. While rice is a vital food source for millions, its unchecked cultivation in wetlands poses severe environmental risks.

It is because of this concern that the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) destroyed over 30 acres of rice being grown in a wetland in Kwania district's Abongomola sub-county.

On August 4, 2025, a team from the Ministry of Water and Environment, led by regional environment officers, destroyed the rice plantations in the two parishes of Acungi and Abany.

The operation follows the recent approval of the National Wetland Restoration Countrywide Programme and Executive Order No. 3 issued by President Yoweri Museveni in 2023.

Wilberforce Wanyama, the Senior Wetland Officer in charge of Monitoring and Enforcement in the Ministry of Water and Environment, said the operation is aimed at restoring the degraded wetland.

Kwania district senior environment officer Jimmy Okweny described the encroachment of the swamp as massive and encouraged the public to seek permission from Environment officers to carry out only the regulated activities in the wetland.

Preservation of wetlands is key

Wetlands are invaluable ecosystems that act as natural buffers, absorbing excess water to prevent flooding, filtering pollutants to maintain water quality, and hosting diverse plant and animal species.

Yet, their future is under threat as the push for agricultural expansion, particularly rice farming, accelerates. While rice cultivation is a critical source of food and income for many, its encroachment on wetlands has raised concerns among experts about the long-term environmental consequences.

Rice farming thrives in waterlogged conditions, making wetlands a prime target for cultivation. Unfortunately, the process of turning wetlands into rice fields often involves drainage and alterations to the natural water flow, leading to the destruction of these critical habitats.

Agronomist Gideon Zakke warns that such practices disrupt the delicate balance of wetlands, causing soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and increased vulnerability to climate change.

“Wetlands are not just empty lands waiting to be farmed,” Zakke emphasises.

“They are home to unique plants and animals, many of which cannot survive elsewhere. Converting wetlands to rice paddies destroys this biodiversity and reduces the ecosystem services they provide.”