Twenty activists trek 65km in wetland conservation drive

Feb 02, 2024

Several community awareness initiatives along the way that the walkers were scheduled to engage in including sensitisation Barrazas, tree planting, and street cleaning.

Sam Cheptoris the Minister of Water and Environment posing for a group picture with walkers during their flagging off to Gulu district at the ministry of water headquarters in Kampala. (Photo by Lawrence Mulondo)

Lawrence Mulondo
Journalist @New Vision

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Twenty activists and three cyclists have trekked 65km to the Gulu district in a bid to sensitise locals on wetlands conservation and restoration.

The walk is one of the several activities being conducted before this year’s 27th National World Wetlands’ Day, which is being marked at Kaunda grounds Gulu district today February 2, 2024.

The day is being marked under the theme: Wetland and Human Wellbeing and the president of Uganda is expected to be the chief guest.

In the two-day awareness-raising campaign, the walkers trekked 10km in Kampala suburbs of Luzira, Mbuya, and Bugolobi; then 50km from Corner Kamdini in Oyam district to Bobi in Omoro district on Thursday and subsequently 15km from Omoro district to Gulu city.

Several community awareness initiatives along the way that the walkers were scheduled to engage in including sensitisation Barrazas, tree planting, and street cleaning.

While setting off the walkers at the water ministry headquarters in Kampala on Wednesday, minister Dr Sam Cheptoris said despite the progress the country has made in wetland conservation from 8.9% to 9.8%, there is still a need for all Ugandans to engage in the restoration efforts.

The decline recorded between 1994 and 2015, was 6,146.6 sq. km of wetlands lost, representing 2.5% of Uganda’s total coverage of wetlands.

He said the wetlands have fish and are breeding grounds for species alike, adding that encroaching on them threatens the existence of these species.

Cheptoris give an example of the crested crane, a bird that he said numbers are going down as a result of the fact that their areas of stay and breeding have been invaded.

“It is very unfortunate to see one or two individuals occupying a whole wetland which would benefit the majority of people,” he said.

Cheptoris added that many roads in the country often get flooded as a result of people invading areas that should be housing the running water.

He explained that wetlands are important in climate regulation and are a store where water is stored and later released slowly into the lakes well purified.

“In the onset of climate change, things are likely to be worse. There will be more rain, flooding and perhaps this is when Ugandans will start understanding the urgency of wetlands conservation,” Cheptoris said.

“The president has ordered us to evict people from wetlands, as authorities have, we don't do our part. We must act without fear or favour,” he said.

In his speech that was delivered by water ministry undersecretary Dr Emmanuel Freddie Mugunga, ministry permanent secretary Alfred Okoti Okidi, 'walking for wetlands’ is not a choice, but an obligation by every able citizen to raise awareness on the valuable contributions wetlands make to our lives.

“Wetlands play a vital role in the hydrological cycle, which is responsible for the country’s agricultural production that is more than 80% dependant on nature,” he said.

He appealed to the public to join the Government in the journey of creating a liveable environment for all.

David Okurut, the commissioner of the wetland management department explained that World Wetlands Day is a United Nations international day recognised as the anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention in 1971.

He said the annual event aims at raising awareness about the contributions of wetlands and their resources, to the well-being of the people through providing livelihoods, food, fresh waters, and mitigation of climate change effects.

Okurut added that at this year’s event, the water ministry expects the president to launch the gazettement of wetlands instrument for the country.

“The ministry has finalised the process of the gazettement of all wetlands in the country and a total of over 8000 wetlands have been gazetted, more will be unveiled after the launch,” he said.

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