Dr Musonda Mumba, the secretary general for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has applauded the government for its endless effort in the conservation and restoration of wetlands in the country.

“It is exciting that the leadership in Uganda right from the President is calling for the stop of the destruction of wetland ecosystems,” she said.

Mumba is in the country officially at the invitation of the government and is meeting several stakeholders in the conservation and protection of wetlands.

Dr. Musonda Mumba (C front) the Secretary General for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and Alfred Okot Okidi (second from L) the PS Ministry of Water and Environment posing for a group picture with Water Ministry officials. This was during a meeting to discuss among others wetland conservation and restoration at the ministry headquarters in Kampala on May 15, 2023. Photos by Lawrence Mulondo.

While on a field visit at Katanyebwa wetland wise use model in Nakaseke district, where she went to see how the country is managing wetland restoration, Mumba said extreme weather events, high rainfall impacts, levels of degradation, climate change and extensive use of agriculture has resulted into more wetland degradation.

She said the destruction of nature, especially wetlands is resulting in loss of lives, infrastructure and livelihood.

She said a case in point is recently in Kalungu where bridges were washed away and in western Uganda where more infrastructure was destroyed.

(L-R) Dr. Musonda Mumba the Secretary General for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and Lucy Iyango the Acting Commissioner for Wetlands Management Department at the water ministry at a field visit at Katanyebwa wetland wise use model in Nakaseke district on May 15, 2023. Photo by Lawrence Mulondo.

Mumba applauded Uganda for having communities actively involved in the restoration of wetlands adding that it has to be in their interest that the wetlands are healthy and thrive as it provides them with a livelihood.

“We cannot talk about restoration without talking about survival, we cannot eat wetland restoration,” she said.

She further said there is a need for continuous data collection to keep in the know of the state of wetlands in the country

Mumba said there is a need to use traditional information systems where people, especially elders, advise on restoration activities to make informed decisions.

“Elders will help in finding out what plants are no longer seen, which birds are no longer in the area, and how wetlands used to be for better restoration,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water and Environment Alfred Okot Okidi explained that the wetland coverage in the country currently stands at 9.3%, down from 13%.

He emphasized that wetlands provide services including management of floodwater as they slow down its flow and absorb some of it making it a flood control.

Okidi said the recent floods at Katonga were a result of human development adding that there was a blockage that was created which resulted in a lot of water being retained upstream of the river.

Officials looking at a water reservoir at Katanyebwa wetland wise use model in Nakaseke district to conserve the environment.

He further said when the water came up it created havoc, washing away infrastructure and livelihood.

“It is important that we listen to messages given in relation to coexisting with wetlands and conservation,” he said.

“For the developers of infrastructure, we urge that climate change effects are going to be real, rains are going to be intense and they are to create flash floods. “

Okidi said there is a need to ensure that the infrastructure is climate-smart so that it can withstand some of these shocks.

Currently, the Government through the ministry of water and environment has set up 22 wetland-wise use models in 22 districts to demonstrate how humans can coexist well with wetlands.

The move is meant to promote wetlands conservation and restoration as well as improve the livelihoods of people in communities around them.

The sh6.6b project is fully funded by the government under projects titled Building Resilient Communities Wetland EcoSystems and Catchment.

The districts hosting the sites include Nakaseke, Palisa, Kibuku, Ngora, Butaleja, Kabale, Kisoro, Bushenyi, shema, Mitooma, and Ntungamo among others.

Lucy Iyango the Acting Commissioner for the Wetlands Management Department at the water ministry said previously they were only focusing on the ecological restoration of wetlands, which means getting back wetlands as they used to be.

Iyango said with the current population increase, they are now emphasizing the intermarriage of promoting conservation and improving livelihoods.

She added that at the demonstration sites, they are looking at enterprises such as fishponds and irrigation farming where people grow high-value horticultural crops on the edges of the wetlands.