The government of Uganda requires up to UGX 1 trillion over the next decade to restore, demarcate, and manage degraded wetlands, according to experts from the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE).
Dr. Alfred Okidi, the Permanent Secretary at MWE, said the funds would cover boundary demarcation and restoration efforts. “To demarcate 71,294km using concrete pillars, we need UGX 320.8 billion. If we use live markers, the cost reduces to UGX 99.8 billion,” Okidi said. Over the past five years, only 3,217.43km have been demarcated due to resource constraints.
The ministry also aims to increase wetland area under management from 6,669.16km² to 10,000km² at a cost of UGX 75 billion. So far, 1,284.9km² out of a 4,942.55km² restoration target has been achieved. Restoring the remaining 3,000km² will cost an additional UGX 741.3 billion.
Demarcating wetlands using pillars costs about UGX 4.5 million per kilometre, while live markers cost UGX 1.4 million per kilometre. Okidi emphasized that wetland protection is a shared responsibility. “Everyone—government officials, community members, and development partners—must act to protect these fragile ecosystems,” he said.
Wetland degradation has far-reaching ecological, economic, and social impacts. Loss of wetlands leads to more severe flooding, declining water quality, disease outbreaks, collapse of fisheries, and loss of traditional livelihoods.
David Okurut, Commissioner for Wetlands at MWE, noted that Uganda’s wetland cover dropped from 37,559.4km² (15.6% of surface area) in 1994 to 31,412.7km² (13%) in 2015—a loss of over 6,100km² in just 21 years due to encroachment from agriculture, settlements, and industry.
However, six years of interventions between 2015 and 2021 have increased coverage to 33,762.6km² (13.9%), a 0.9% rise. Government efforts include the establishment of the Wetland Management Department, designation of 12 Ramsar Sites, cancellation of illegal titles in wetlands, development of a national wetland policy, and mobilization of resources for wetland protection and restoration.
In addition, the government has implemented several projects aimed at reversing wetland loss. These include the National Wetland Restoration Project, the Strengthening the Adaptive Capacity and Resilience of Communities in Uganda’s Watersheds (SACRiAC) Project, the Policy Dialogue and Knowledge Management on Emission Strategies (DIAPOL-CE) Project, the Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) in Wetland and Forest Ecosystems Project, the Restoration of Wetlands and Associated Catchments Project (RWACP) in Eastern Uganda, and the Building Resilient Communities, Wetland Ecosystems and Associated Catchments project.
Despite this progress, the degradation rate still outpaces restoration. Restoring the 1994 wetland levels will require significant external support.
President Yoweri Museveni has been vocal about wetland conservation and is actively lobbying for international grants, including from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). The GCF is funding the implementation of the Building Resilient Communities, Wetlands and Associated Catchments in Uganda project, which has been vital in enhancing the resilience of Ugandan communities.
To facilitate these aspirations, Okurut concurs with Okidi that grants would support research and monitoring, empower local communities in wetland management, protect wetlands from threats such as pollution and over-exploitation, and fund infrastructure, conservation efforts, public awareness campaigns, and education programs. This is especially necessary in light of the government’s limited financial resources amidst competing national priorities.