Africa-Press – Uganda. There was drama in Ayer Sub-county on Monday as the government, through the Ministry of Water and Environment kicked off the demarcation exercise of wetland boundaries in Kole District to restore degraded wetlands.
Locals who derive their livelihoods from water and environmental resources said the boundaries mapped for demarcation were part of their customary land which was affected by the expansion of Atwol wetland.
They even threatened to bewitch anybody who would participate in the demarcation of the protected ecosystem.
Mr Edward Ojok, a resident, said: “We are not very happy with this arrangement because it will affect the people who live around the wetland.”
But the area Resident District Commissioner, Ms Josephine Omara Olili, told the aggrieved locals gathered under a big mango tree near Leye Dam that there was nothing they could do to stop the exercise.
“I have not even heard of or witnessed any witchcraft practice in Kole. So this exercise will go on as planned and I urge you to embrace it so that we can benefit more from our wetlands,” she said.
Later, there was some calmness after Ms Omara, who heads the Kole District Security Committee, threatened to deal harshly with anybody who tried to sabotage the programme.
The exercise comes amid continued encroachment and degradation of the available wetland covers owing to population pressure and human activities.
Case study
Between 2006 and 2007, the Ministry of Water and Environment through its Water for Production Department constructed Leye Dam in Ayer Sub-county. The dam was stocked with fish, and the community has since been benefiting from it.
However, because of uncontrolled activities around the dam, it is now undergoing a lot of siltation.
“As a result, the Ministry of Water and Environment deemed it right to come and demarcate the wetland so that there are controlled activities around our dam,” said Ms Takuwa Nuubu, regional wetlands coordinator, adding that people who are cultivating in Atwol wetland are using pesticides which also end up in the dam.
“When we demarcate off Atwol wetland, we shall be having controlled activities around our dam and we shall have sustainable livelihoods. We shall also be able to control floods in the area,” she said.
“We know what comes with encroachment on our natural resources. We experience extreme weather events. When it rains heavily, we have floods, during the dry season we have prolonged drought. So, I’m just urging you to embrace the programme and also cooperate with us to conserve our wetland and also benefit from the dam.”
Ms Nuubu said there are 8, 614 wetlands in Uganda, further highlighting that permissible activities around those wetlands include animal grazing, fetching water and fish farming.
Mr Barnabas Nambwila, Kole deputy Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), clarified that the ministry is demarcating wetlands across the country on the behalf of the entire government of Uganda to protect our environment for the future.
“I know when we demarcate, we are trying to put a line such that in future there is no conflict at all. Where I come from there is Mount Elgon National Park. Because the boundary of that mountain is not clear, now you find Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) officials are killing people who are cultivating and people also gathering and killing the UWA officials simply because the boundary is not clear,” he said.
“But now what we are doing here today, we want to plant mark stones and even if the wetland expands tomorrow, we shall say the boundary of 2024 is here, no moving. So, I wanted to just request that we as people of Kole welcome this government programme,” he added.
Mr Moses Angor Ongom, Kole LC5 vice chairman, said the demarcated wetland is now a no go zone.
“Whoever is encroaching on our wetlands is playing with fire,” he said.
As the country celebrated the World Wetlands Day at Kaunda Ground, Gulu City, on February 2, 2024, Minister for General Duties, Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba, said the government targets to demarcate 5,000 km of wetland boundaries across the country by 2025. A cumulative 2,096.4 km have already been demarcated.
President Museveni, in a written message presented by Ms Kasule, urged the implementing agencies and the local governments to protect the wetlands from destruction.
Without issuing the timeframe of the planned demarcation, Ms Kasule noted that the exercise would start with sensitisation of the affected communities.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
