Weak laws, resources affecting conservation of wetlands

Mr Alfred Okot Okidi, Permanent Secretary Ministry Water and Environment hands over the national wetland atlas to Minister Ssempijja. PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER KISEKKA

 BY CHRISTOPHER KISEKKA

As Uganda joined the entire world to celebrate the World Wetlands Day, it was  highly noted that weak laws and insufficient resources are affecting the fight against wetland protection in Uganda.

Speaking at the national celebrations which were held on Thursday at Bulakkati playground, Lukaya Town Council in Kalungu District, Mr Collins Oloya, commissioner wetlands, said the environment and natural resources department that is responsible for wetlands conservation is understaffed and poorly funded.

“In addition to the low funding, there have been delays in finalisation of the wetland bill and currently there is contradicting provisions of some laws including land ownership issues,” Mr Oloya said.

Mr Oloya said poor and weak coordination of institutions responsible for the management of wetlands and Dismissal and delays in completion of court cases and execution of offenders which can be attributed to backlogs in the Judiciary and no interest to execute environmental cases are great challenge to the stop of wetlands degradation.

He added that Uganda's wetlands are under threat and are being invaded, slowly and almost unnoticeable in rural areas, but heavily and very clearly in urban centres.

“This unplanned nibbling away at wetland edge does tremendous damage and undermines wetland productivity and thus livelihoods,” he noted.

According to Mr  Oloya, the  government has restored 151 ha wetland of the planned 250ha in Buhweju, Sheema, Butambala and in Buikwe district, Furthermore, the Department and Civil Society Organizations technically supported Local Governments of Katakwi, Kumi, Soroti, Kamwege, Mbarara, Kasese and Mityana districts to restore 909.9ha.

Statistics shows that Uganda has lost over 30% of the wetlands in the last 23 years.

In his message read by Minister of Agriculture, Vicent Ssempijja, president Museveni said the Government has embarked on a long term strategy to recover, restore and protect wetlands for the good of the whole country and beyond.

“I therefore urge all Ugandans to embrace this effort and appreciate the value of wetlands for the present and future generations,” the president said before noting that people who have occupied wetlands need to vacate them.

The president added that there is a need to provide timely advice to investors so that they can avoid causing problems to the wetlands and wisely manage wetlands to boost through carefully planned and properly designed irrigation schemes.

However, Mr Gonzaga Ssewungu, the Kalungu East Member of Parliament, challenged government foe having failed to handle the wetland degradation problem amicably.

“Government has been lineated on wetland protection since there are many people with in the government who are benefiting from works done I the wetland, take an example of Lwera sand mining,” Mr Ssewungu said.

He also blamed the environment officers to connive with ‘environment thugs’ and let them operate illegally in the wetlands.

The State minister of environment, Ms Mary Gorreti Kitutu said that environment Ministry is undertaking several strategic actions to halt degradation as they implementing the Cabinet Directive on cancellation of Titles in wetlands.

Ms Rosa Malango, the United Nations resident coordinator also doubling as the UNDP representative said that Kalungu district which is the home to Katonga wetland system of Lake Victoria is being threatened by commercial sand mining, a practice that reduces wetland retention capacity as well as fisheries in the area.

Ms Rosa Malango, the United Nations resident coordinator and Minister Ssempijja displaying the National Wetland Atlas . PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER KISEKKA.

“This is a practice that the responsible entities are both at the central and local level and need to stop in time to avoid any further degradation,” Ms Malango said.

At the function UNDP and UNEP together with the government of Uganda launched a nation wetland atlas which will help to indicate all the wetlands thus protecting and managing them well.