Browsing by Author "Matovu, Baker"

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    Mobilizing Evidence-based Knowledge for Sustainable Wetlands Co-management and Co-governance amidst increasing Anthropogenic and Environmental Stressors: Key Lessons from Mityana District, Uganda
    (Elsevier B.V, 2024-12) Matovu, Baker; Lee, Ming-An; Mammel, Mubarak; Lukambagire, Isaac; Lutalo, Bernard; Mwangu, Alex Ronald; Mwabvu, Bridget; Mim, Tahmina Akther; Bbira, Yasin; Lubega, Yasin; Muhoozi, Yosia
    Wetlands (covering about 1.5–1.6 billion hectares globally), are critical biodiversity and livelihood hotspots. Wetlands further replenish the global economy with $47.4 trillion/year worth of ecosystem services. By jealously guarding wetlands, progress toward sustainable development goals, and livelihood welfare are possible. Unfortunately, despite the promulgation of wetland governance mechanisms, 35 percent of the global natural wetlands have been lost since the 1970s. This could be worse in undocumented or explored wetland zones situated in remote tropical regions. In this study, we bring to the fore insights from 286 documents sourced from Scopus and engagements from 105 citizens in Mityana, to (i) map wetlands (including the current vulnerabilities and threats), and (ii) co-develop a wetlands management action pathway that could create sustainable co-management possibilities and sustainable livelihood futures. Findings revealed that although research on wetlands has increased for the last 31 years, since 2021, it has plummeted. In Uganda, wetland research and scholarship is predominantly situated around the Lake Victoria region. Most research focuses on natural or biological sciences. Emerging policy themes and trending research topics are shifting from key wetland management paradigms. From a total of 105 sampled wetlands scattered across fourteen (14) sub-counties in the Mityana district, critical wetland issues were unraveled. Mityana is crossed by two wetland systems (Lake Wamala and River Mayanja dominated by permanent papyrus and seasonal swamps respectively. Wetlands offer unique livelihood, cultural assets/capitals, and ecological benefits (including cultural/aesthetics meaning). An unfathomable rate of degradation is evident. Anthropogenic factors are the predominant threat drivers, especially eucalyptus planting. The loss of culturally valuable wetlands has increased socio-cultural-ecological grief, such as around Lake Wamala. Micro-level management actions are increasing, albeit mainly around accessible permanent wetlands. Most riparian wetland sedentary populations expressed willingness and interest in the co-management and governance of community wetlands. More robust actions and pathways are needed to create avenues for community co-management. The co-developed the sustainable wetlands management action pathway (SWeMAP) provides seven (7) coherent steps, including critical social science insights that could aid sustainable wetlands governance and management across geographies. As wetlands in Uganda have been gazetted as critical to sustainable development, the urgent co-development and financing of micro-level wetland action plans, including situational inventories could help create avenues for sustainable wetlands management.
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    Navigating through Complexity by Profiling the Main Threats to Sustainable Tropical Wetlands Management and Governance: A Case Study of Mityana District, Uganda
    (Springer International Publishing, 2024-03) Matovu, Baker; Sarfo, Isaac; Bbira, Yasin; Yeboah, Emmanuel; Muhoozi, Yosia; Lukambagire, Isaac
    Abstract Wetlands are crucial ecosystems that promote sustainable livelihood and biodiversity conservation, especially in tropical regions. However, recent studies have reported increasing threats to wetlands both environmental and human which threaten the provision and acquisition of several wetland benefts. Though there is recognition of the value of wetlands, in most local communities in Uganda; especially around the Lake Wamala region in Mityana district, there is still limited knowledge and research on the benefts of wetlands and the level of threat thus afecting wetland governance. This research addresses this gap by using participatory research to create a baseline inventory that could be used by wetland managers to identify the main wetlands threats to inform policy on how to develop participatory actions and local area-based management practices. The study was conducted in 14 sub-counties and a sample of 105 wetlands along the wetlands of Lake Wamala and River Mayanja wetlands system in Mityana District was captured. Study fndings revealed increased human threats to wetlands especially in the River Mayanja seasonal wetlands zone. The increased efects of environmental threats such as climate change are also altering permanent wetlands along Lake Wamala. Our developed inventory based on local participants’ perspectives revealed that since the level of damage to wetlands in Mityana especially the permanent wetlands is relatively low, a focus on developing new mapping, and a decentralized approach to wetland management that focuses on capacity building, development of wetlands action plans, increased support to local wetland authorities, and a system thinking approach in wetland threat identifcation and management could help in the regeneration of most wetlands zones.
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    Navigating through Complexity by Profling the Main Threats to Sustainable Tropical Wetlands Management and Governance: A Case Study of Mityana District, Uganda
    (Discover Environment, 2024) Matovu, Baker; Isaac, Sarfo; Bbira, Yasin; Emmanuel, Yeboah; Muhoozi, Yosia; Lukambagire, Isaac
    Wetlands are crucial ecosystems that promote sustainable livelihood and biodiversity conservation, especially in tropical regions. However, recent studies have reported increasing threats to wetlands both environmental and human which threaten the provision and acquisition of several wetland benefits. Though there is recognition of the value of wetlands, in most local communities in Uganda; especially around the Lake Wamala region in Mityana district, there is still limited knowledge and research on the benefits of wetlands and the level of threat thus affecting wetland governance. This research addresses this gap by using participatory research to create a baseline inventory that could be used by wetland managers to identify the main wetlands threats to inform policy on how to develop participatory actions and local area-based management practices. The study was conducted in 14 sub-counties and a sample of 105 wetlands along the wetlands of Lake Wamala and River Mayanja wetlands system in Mityana District was captured. Study findings revealed increased human threats to wetlands especially in the River Mayanja seasonal wetlands zone. The increased effects of environmental threats such as climate change are also altering permanent wetlands along Lake Wamala. Our developed inventory based on local participants' perspectives revealed that since the level of damage to wetlands in Mityana especially the permanent wetlands is relatively low, a focus on developing new mapping, and a decentralized approach to wetland management that focuses on capacity building, development of wetlands action plans, increased support to local wetland authorities, and a system thinking approach in wetland threat identification and management could help in the regeneration of most wetlands zones.