Reclaiming a Wetland for Crop growth.

Programme for Mobilizing Community Wetland Defenders aims at confronting dire environmental consequences faced by Kabarole district; Western Uganda. Underlying causes of wetland destruction is insatiable desire of the rich and poor to derive livelihood from wetlands, compounded by high population growth rates exerting pressure on land leading to wetlands destruction. Prevalent impacts of wetland destruction include adverse local climate modification, frequent flooding, among others. Limited awareness on usefulness of wetlands among the population calls for sensitization and educational programmes to empower local communities with knowledge and awareness with a view of influencing positive shift of attitude and practices towards conservation of these ecosystems.

Community Sensitisation.

Project will involve communities in wetlands management through:

Communications: to create awareness and raise people’s conscience about wetlands through mass media and project team presentations.

Lobbying: persuading key decision makers to realize the importance of wetlands and influencing wetland related local government legislation.

Education and Sensitization: training and developing capacity of key target audiences to get an understanding of the dynamics of wetlands, sustainable wetland utilization and management.

Key project outcomes will be:

a. By helping raise awareness about values of wetlands and ways to manage them sustainably, communities will appreciate these areas and maintain their characteristics, natural functions and socio-economic benefits.

b. Engagement of all stakeholders in discussions will facilitate effective cooperation in project implementation thus fostering community togetherness in addressing communal issues.

c. Community Wetland Defenders will provide an immediate point of contact for community members to report misuse of wetland resources.

d. Instituting byelaws to control the wetland use will enable communities realize seriousness of wetland conservation.

e. Communities will be helped to engage in ecologically friendly activities like the promotion of community based eco-tourism.

f. Action plans to be developed for all wetland sites that require protecting or restoring in the project area.

The Project will be conducted in 12 months targeting ten (10) parishes in the sub-counties of Kichwamba, Ruteete, Busoro and Buhesi of Kabarole district. Activities will include community mobilization, reviewing Information, Education and Communication messages with a view of amplifying voices in support of sustainable wetland management. We’ll train community wetland defenders; who will be our key community resource personnel in conducting and sustaining the project activities. The project team will continually offer support during the supervision exercises. Strategic alliances and working relations will be developed with actors in environmental conservation to maximize impact and ensure sustainability.