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Masaka starts wetland restoration
Gardens in Kititi wetland system were cut down by environment police officers in Kyanamukaka sub-county, Masaka District on August 14, 2024. PHOTO | ISSA ALIGA
What you need to know:
- Mr James Bukoma, the Masaka regional environment police commander, said the affected farmers had earlier been directed to leave the area but they refused.
Environment authorities in Masaka District have embarked on an exercise to restore wetlands which are grossly degraded in the area.
On Tuesday, a team from the environmental police and district natural resources department cut down several acres of banana, coffee, beans, and passion fruits gardens in Kititi wetland in Kyanamukaaka sub-county.
Mr James Bukoma, the Masaka regional environment police commander, said the affected farmers had earlier been directed to leave the area but they refused.
“We first sensitised the farmers about the dangers of cultivating in the wetlands and they were given a grace period of six months to vacate, but they continued planting crops while using agro-chemicals which contaminated the water,” he said during an interview.
‘’This is the reason why we have applied force to evict them,” he added
Mr Bukoma said the crackdown on wetland encroachers is going to be extended to other wetlands including Kibogera, Mazigo, Mikomago, Buwunde, Kyantale, Gunakwamuka and Nalubabwe.
The Masaka District senior environment officer, Mr Bruno Kiyimba, said the district has a wetland coverage of 320sq km, but more than 42sq km of the wetland buffer zones have been degraded.
“The district is facing a threat of rapid population growth and many people have encroached on wetlands to do agricultural activities while others have constructed permanent houses,” he said.
Mr Kiyimba said all the degraded wetlands are going to be restored to improve the ecosystem and boost the tourism sector in Masaka District.
Meanwhile, environmentalists in Greater Masaka have called on the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) to open boundaries of all wetlands to prevent more encroachment.
Mr Abdul Kiwalabye, the chairperson of Bugonzi Parish in Bukulula Sub-county, Kalungu District, said: “The only amicable solution against encroachment on swampy areas is an urgent national demarcation of all buffer zones so that people don’t trespass in such fragile areas,” he said.
Wetlands
The Uganda Wetland Atlas puts the cost of wetland destruction at nearly Shs2b annually and contamination of water resources, which is partially caused by reduced buffering capacity of wetlands near open water bodies, at nearly Shs38b annually.
