Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Zadock Amanyisa
Published on 2024-02-02 13:47:36
As the world marks World Wetlands Day on Friday, governments and conservation enthusiasts are emphasizing the importance of community-led approaches to the protection and restoration of wetlands and the environment. Environmentalists argue that empowering local communities and individuals can be more effective in combating threats such as population pressure and resource cuts.
Eron Kiiza, an environmentalist at Environment Shield, believes that communities and individuals pose the biggest threats to wetlands. However, he suggests that involving these groups in the protection of wetlands could be highly beneficial. “Because they participate in the destruction of wetlands, they can be turned from being real threats to protectors. You know wetlands are destroyed by both ordinary people and high-end individuals, and most of these people do it out of ignorance. If sensitised through robust public sensitization, especially on the role of wetlands, they can be resourceful,” he said.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), wetlands cover around 6 per cent of Earth’s surface and are crucial for human health, food supply, and livelihoods, but they are disappearing at a rapid rate. In Bushenyi District, wetland degradation stands at 12 per cent against the district’s wetland cover of 15 per cent. Vincent Kataate, the Bushenyi District Environment Officer, emphasizes the need to involve communities in wetland protection in order to build sustainability.
Community involvement in wetland protection has also been successful in Bushenyi, according to Kataate. Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of Women for Green Economy Movement Uganda, Ireen Twongiirwe, asserts that communities can be more useful in conservation programs when empowered. She emphasizes the important role of government in prioritizing sensitization engagements to help people understand the dangers of destroying wetlands.
In a statement issued on World Wetlands Day, the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) highlighted their ongoing efforts to engage stakeholders in adopting sustainable ways of utilizing resources. The statement also mentioned the successful restoration of part of Lubigi Wetland and several others across the country in 2022, with plans for more exercises in all degraded wetland ecosystems.
The government’s commitment to scaling up actions on wetland conservation includes the cancellation of land titles in wetlands, the restoration of degraded wetlands, and the enforcement and provision of alternative livelihoods to wetland users. These initiatives aim to address the major threats to wetlands and ensure the long-term sustainability of these valuable ecosystems. By involving and empowering local communities, environmentalists and government bodies believe that the fight against wetland degradation can be more effective and sustainable in the long run.
Read the original article on Uganda Monitor
