A team of the Environmental police unit and UPDF in a joint operation to restore part of the Okole-Omito wetland in Lira City. Photo by Sharon Akello
By Sharon Akello
Lira: Lira City has restored 65% of its depleted wetlands since 2022 when started sensitizing locals and arresting those who defy orders to vacate the
In 2021, the Ugandan government released a report listing the seven most degraded wetlands in the country, among which Lake kyoga had 40% of degradation, the highest on the list after Lake Edward which had a 32 % level of degradation.
Following the poor state of wetlands, the government prohibited the cultivation of rice and other crops in wetlands to prevent further degradation of the wetlands.
From 2022 to 2023, authorities in Lango sub-region embarked on sensitization of the wetland encroachers against the unsustainable use of wetlands as well as using the law to penalize deviants.
Leonard Otika, Lira City Environmental Officer revealed that 65% of degraded wetlands from 45% in the City have been restored, following the sensitization and enforcement by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Regional team backed up by the Environmental Police Protection Unit.
“As a result of these enforcements, people complied and vacated. And the restoration efforts that we made clearly show that about 65% of the wetlands have been recovered,” Otika said.
The wetland that has experienced the highest level of degradation is Okole wetland.
“We have also been doing sensitizations to inform them about the benefits of wetlands. Those who keep resisting or are defiant we conduct enforcement,” he said.
Community engagement vital
Edward Odipio, the NEMA Northern Regional Manager, urged the population to actively take part in the restoration of degraded wetlands and other ecosystems in their communities to fight against climate change.
“Initially, there were not many wetland degradation issues in the Lango Sub-region, but due to population growth rice farming became the practice on wetlands,” Odipio said.
Urbanization and agricultural expansion are blamed for the rapidly disappearing wetlands.
Over 40 percent of Uganda’s wetlands have been lost since 1994, threatening biodiversity and reducing wetland infiltration capacity to protect water quality in lakes, according to a 2020 titled: “Uganda’s Wetlands face Depletion by 2040”
Lake Kyoga basin in Lango sub-region, which is among the most degraded wetlands in the country, covers one-quarter of Uganda and has over 40% of the remaining wetlands, according to a 2022 Uganda Water Resources Profile under USAID’s Sustainable Water Partnership activity.
Over 800 square kilometers of wetlands in Uganda are lost every year due to encroachment from urbanization and agricultural conversion, the report adds.
Lake Kyoga and the Albert Nile are the main drainage basins in Lira City and all the major wetland systems drain into these basins.
Wetlands act as natural filters for impurities that would have otherwise ended up in freshwater bodies.
However, untreated industrial and municipal waste, as well as agricultural runoff, have caused algal blooms, and invasive hyacinth outbreaks, and left some zones of the lake without oxygen, leading to the death of aquatic animals.
According to Odipio, the restorations of wetlands in some parts of the sub-region were done by backfilling ditches and excavation of the degraded wetlands.
In 2022, officials from the Ministry of Water and Environment, together with the Environmental Protection Police Unit in Lira City, slashed 10 hectares of rice that were illegally planted in Okole wetland as one of the ways to restore the wetlands.
Arrest and remand
In February 2022, five people were arrested and remanded to Lira Government prisons for taking part in the degradation of Okole Wetlands at Railway Quarters A and B in Lira City.
The arrests followed a joint operation and enforcement by NEMA, the Ministry of Water and Environment Wetland Department in Northern Uganda, and the Environmental Police Protection Unit.
The suspects included Michael Olaka, Emmanuel Okot, Jimmy Otwanga, Aron Odur, and Gol Sherrif. They were all charged with the degradation of a wetland and the introduction of alien species into wetlands contrary to the National Environment Regulations.
Lawrence Egole, Lira Resident City Commissioner, warned Lira City Council officials against the continued issuance of land titles and approving building plans in wetlands, to reduce encroachment on wetlands.
Wetlands comprise seasonally flooded grasslands, swamp forests, permanently flooded papyrus, grass swamp, and upland bog among others.
The wetlands in Lira City include; the Lira Pentecostal church (LPC) stretch to Te-Obaya, Omodo, Anai, Anyomorem, Okole-Omito stretch, Aler, Anyalo, Okole-Ngetta stretch, Okole–Railways and Te-Kulu wetland among others.
