Mabamba swamp gets special status
Mabamba swamp is now a Ramsar site after environment minister Maria Mutagamba last Friday declared it a wetland of global importance.
By Gerald Tenywa
Mabamba swamp is now a Ramsar site after environment minister Maria Mutagamba last Friday declared it a wetland of global importance.
Mabamba, on the shores of Lake Victoria, is one of the nine sites countrywide that were last year recognised as Ramsar sites under the Convention on Wetlands.
Mabamba, which is one of the critical swamps near Kampala, is becoming a top tourist destination for bird-watchers. It harbours the shoebill, an endangered bird, that is sought after by many bird watchers.
Mutagamba made the declaration during the national celebrations to mark the United Nations World Wetlands Day in Kasanje, Wakiso district.
The Convention on Wetlands, signed in the Iranian City of Ramsar, is an inter-governmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the sustainable use of wetlands.
Mutagamba recognised the contribution of Nature Uganda, a partner of BirdLife International, which has brought bird conservation issues into the spotlight.
She also commended Environmental Alert, which addresses poverty alleviation and promotes interventions that protect the environment.
Mabamba swamp is now a Ramsar site after environment minister Maria Mutagamba last Friday declared it a wetland of global importance.
Mabamba, on the shores of Lake Victoria, is one of the nine sites countrywide that were last year recognised as Ramsar sites under the Convention on Wetlands.
Mabamba, which is one of the critical swamps near Kampala, is becoming a top tourist destination for bird-watchers. It harbours the shoebill, an endangered bird, that is sought after by many bird watchers.
Mutagamba made the declaration during the national celebrations to mark the United Nations World Wetlands Day in Kasanje, Wakiso district.
The Convention on Wetlands, signed in the Iranian City of Ramsar, is an inter-governmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the sustainable use of wetlands.
Mutagamba recognised the contribution of Nature Uganda, a partner of BirdLife International, which has brought bird conservation issues into the spotlight.
She also commended Environmental Alert, which addresses poverty alleviation and promotes interventions that protect the environment.