The Future of Smallholder Farming in Eastern Africa - Uganda ...

egins with a summary of the literature on the economic valuation of wetland resources in
Uganda. The importance of wetlands biodiversity is explored next. The third topic is food
security as a critical component and indicator of poverty. The fourth topic is agriculutral
productivity with an emphasis on the policy context for productivity in Uganda. Lastly we
review the literature on irrigation and its contribution to agricultural productivity in the Ugandan
context.
The last three sections of the paper present the primary research, beginning with the presentation
of research methodology in Section Four. Section Five presents the data analysis and its
interpretation. This includes both the qualitative and historical trend data collected by means of
the Participatory Rural Assessment (PRA) and the quantitative survey data analysis. The final
section discusses the findings in light of the literature and draws conclusions about the
relationships between the elements of the critical triangle in the Ugandan context. Policy
recommendations are drawn from this analysis.
2.0 THE IMPORTANCE OF UGANDA’S WETLANDS
About 18% of the area of Uganda is open water. In addition, Uganda possesses some major
wetland resources, including 8,832 sq. km of swamps; 365 sq. km of swamp forest and 20,392
sq. km of other wetlands 7 . Around the extensive and widely distributed lakes and many of the
country’s rivers, especially in the lowland areas bordering the River Nile, there are elongated
tracts of papyrus and grass swamps. Permanent wetlands are estimated to cover about 3.7 % of
the country’s land area. In addition there are about 2,191,500 ha of seasonal swamps, which
bring total wetland area to just over 15% of Uganda’s land area.
2.1 The Study Area
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake in central Uganda into which the White Nile flows and out of
which, eventually, the Blue Nile proceeds on its journey northward. Along the fringes of Lake
Kyoga there are a variety of wetlands, both permanent and seasonal, which exhibit unique soil
and plant conditions adapted to the saturated conditions and characterized by an accumulation of
organic materials that decompose slowly. These wetlands are integrally linked to the ecology of
the upland and lake systems that they border. Lakeside communities in this area closely follow
the natural cycle of the lake, adjusting to the seasonal movements of the fish, vegetation growth
and changing water levels. With the rise in population, and the subsequent demand for more
resources to sustain livelihoods, the Lake Kyoga wetlands and their benefits are now under
threat. Small but continuous ‘nibbling’ at wetland edges has reduced the wetland area, mainly in
the seasonal swamps. The damage to permanent wetlands, however, is limited by their
inaccessibility and the lack of drainage technology. These developments have taken place
without a well-developed social framework to regulate wetland use. The limited understanding of
how wetlands work, what the immediate and long-term impacts of modifications may be; and the
economic value of wetlands as compared to the economic benefits of alternative uses; is
compounded by the lack of clear legal framework. (National Wetlands Conservation and
Management Programme, 1999)
7 A large area of swamps adjacent to Lake George is so far the only site in East Africa protected by the Ramsar
Convention. (Frazier, 1999)