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

improve food security, and that there is no intrinsic contradiction between wetlands utilization
and increased productivity per se. While correlation is not causation, the positive relationship
implies that it is not necessary to sacrifice one of the objectives of the critical triangle in order to
achieve another. Rather than being mutually exclusive, it is imperative that policy seeks to
maximize all three in order to achieve the most sustainable and balanced path of development to
serve human long-term interests.
6.2. Recommendations
Uganda national policy stresses three central principles of wetlands utilization and conservation
(National Wetlands Conservation and Management Programme, 1999, p. 2-3).
“The hydrological and ecological integrity of the wetland ecosystem must be maintained”
Sustainable use of wetlands, or wise use according to the Ramsar terminology, means using
wetlands for a variety of different purposes or activities. Use will almost always mean that
the original conditions of the wetland will change. This in itself is not a problem so long as
the main ecological processes are maintained. Management options for resilient wetlands are
quite diverse as they pose little threat to the ecological integrity of the system as a whole.
Management must comply with larger ecosystem management objectives
Wise use of wetlands has to be considered also in the context of wise use of the ecosystem as a
whole. Proposed wetland management options, therefore, will have to support wider ecosystem
management objectives. In many cases this means that the scope of strategic management should
encompass defined hydrological units, either catchments or river / lake basins.
Wetland management options must be supportive of the socio-economic objectives and
aspirations of the people of Uganda
In many cases, improved management of wetland sections may increase the range of products
derived from wetlands, increase the total harvested produce, or increase the value of the produce,
all of which will help to improve the economic well-being of wetland users. Therefore, an
integral part of the wise-use use of wetlands is the optimization of the socio-economic benefits
within the restrictions of the former two principles; firstly to contribute to the wider development
goals of Uganda, but also to muster continuing support for sustainable wetland management
amongst all levels of Ugandan society.”
The principle is clear - wetlands conservation should be implemented to meet the diverse needs
of Ugandan communities in both the short and long term. The difficult task, is to implement the
policy within the context of rural communities that have no existing structures for the
management of common property resources. The first recommendation of this study is that
greater emphasis needs to be given to apply these principles in their entirety, with conscious
policy formulation to promote systems for maximizing sustainable agricultural output to meet the
needs of the growing population, while simultaneously striving to protect the important
hydrological functions of the wetlands and their precious biodiversity. To date, the emphasis on
meeting community needs is largely lip service, while regulatory efforts concentrate on stopping
further exploitation for agricultural purposes. This is shortsighted. Individual initiative will
continue to push the margins of irrigated agriculture to respond to the urgent food needs of a