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Kitagwenda, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kitagwenda District has started the demarcation of Nyakabale Wetland.
Nyakabale wetland pours water into River Rwambu which is a tributary of River Mpanga. It also serves as a water catchment area for five water sources used by more than seven villages.
The Kitagwenda District Natural Resources Officer, Moses Byaruhanga, noted that the National Environment Act 2019 says that intervention follows the rampant human activities like cultivation, brick-making, and planting of Eucalyptus trees in the wetland.
He explained that the demarcation of wetland boundaries will be done using pillars.
Byaruhanga said that they will record the coordinates for each pillar erected to allow easy monitoring and locating of people who may uproot them.
Kitagwenda Senior Environment Officer, Anthony Kalyegira, said that the district is still lobbying for over 1,000 pillars from the government and private sector to ensure complete demarcation of all wetlands in the district. He said that 2,000 hectares of wetlands have been encroached on. The district has about 46 wetlands.
The Kitagwenda Vice Chairperson, Peter Ashaba, asked leaders to sensitize the community about the benefits of the ecosystems and how to protect them.
In 2022, 34 kilometers of the Kyarutanga-Kanunka-Ruhagura, which is also part of the Rwamba and Mpanga ecosystem, were demarcated following rampant human activities like cultivation, and brick-making among others.
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