The impact of papyrus wetland encroachment on the spatial and temporal variability of stream flow and sediment export in the upper Rwizi catchment, Southwest Uganda
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Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
EGU General Assembly
Abstract
During the past 30 years, human activities in the Lake Victoria basin are responsible for eutrophication of Lake
Victoria via sediment-bound nutrients. This affects food security for millions on people. Addressing this problem
in this densely populated region will require adequate catchment management strategies. However, sediment yield
and runoff data to develop such a strategy are currently unavailable. Also in general, sediment yields for catchments
in tropical environments are very scarce, especially in East-Africa.
Therefore, runoff discharge and sediment export measurements were conducted in the upper Rwizi, a representative
catchment for the Lake Victoria basin which is located in Southwest Uganda. Land use in this catchment is
characterized by grazing area on the high plateaus, banana cropping on the slopes and Cyperus papyrus L. wetlands
in the river valleys. These papyrus wetlands are currently encroached and transformed into cropland. Eight
subcatchments (99 km2 - 2120 km2), with different degrees of wetland encroachment, were monitored during the
hydrological year June 2009 - May 2010.
Description
Keywords
Papyrus wetland encroachment, Temporal variability, Stream flow, Sediment export, Upper Rwizi catchment
Citation
Ryken, N., Vanmaercke, M., Wanyama, J., Deckers, J., Isabirye, M., & Poesen, J. (2014, May). The impact of papyrus wetland encroachment on the spatial and temporal variability of stream flow and sediment export in the upper Rwizi catchment, Southwest Uganda. In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts (p. 10287).