ABSTRACT.
Wetlands are critical natural resources that serve various purposes including environme... more ABSTRACT. Wetlands are critical natural resources that serve various purposes including environmental, hydrological and socioeconomic functions. However, this important resource is so fragile and has suffered deterioration due to human activities such as cultivation, grazing, water abstraction among others. Several current studies have studied wetland ecosystem changes using GIS and remote sensing and other scientific methods. These studies lack information on the impacts of the land use activities in the wetlands, on the physical environment and on human health. In this study, degradation of Lubigi wetland ecosystem was assessed basing on the land use activities within the wetland to find out the major land use activities, their impacts and to develop an adaptive management approach for Lubigi wetland. The Story Telling Approach (STA), questionnaire surveys, interviews and field observations were used to collect data. Random sampling technique was used in the selection of the case study (Lubigi wetland; Namungona and Bwaise) and the various respondents. The study found out that there are several human activities such as wetland cultivation, water abstraction, settlement and cattle grazing in Lubigi wetland which have resulted in the alteration of ecosystem functions and interactions, and also the ever reported cases of floods in Bwaise and Namungona. There have been reported changes in land cover, species richness, species evenness and the hydrology of Lubigi wetland. The present study recommends that since humans are the critical driving force behind wetland ecosystem degradation as their activities negatively affect the wetland by changing the type, number and interactions of vegetative and animal species on the wetland, the government through its environmental organisations like NEMA, should implement the constitutional buffer zone of 100m away from the highest water mark and also limiting land use activities like settlement and papyrus harvest in the wetland.
ABSTRACT.
Wetlands are critical natural resources that serve various purposes including environme... more ABSTRACT. Wetlands are critical natural resources that serve various purposes including environmental, hydrological and socioeconomic functions. However, this important resource is so fragile and has suffered deterioration due to human activities such as cultivation, grazing, water abstraction among others. Several current studies have studied wetland ecosystem changes using GIS and remote sensing and other scientific methods. These studies lack information on the impacts of the land use activities in the wetlands, on the physical environment and on human health. In this study, degradation of Lubigi wetland ecosystem was assessed basing on the land use activities within the wetland to find out the major land use activities, their impacts and to develop an adaptive management approach for Lubigi wetland. The Story Telling Approach (STA), questionnaire surveys, interviews and field observations were used to collect data. Random sampling technique was used in the selection of the case study (Lubigi wetland; Namungona and Bwaise) and the various respondents. The study found out that there are several human activities such as wetland cultivation, water abstraction, settlement and cattle grazing in Lubigi wetland which have resulted in the alteration of ecosystem functions and interactions, and also the ever reported cases of floods in Bwaise and Namungona. There have been reported changes in land cover, species richness, species evenness and the hydrology of Lubigi wetland. The present study recommends that since humans are the critical driving force behind wetland ecosystem degradation as their activities negatively affect the wetland by changing the type, number and interactions of vegetative and animal species on the wetland, the government through its environmental organisations like NEMA, should implement the constitutional buffer zone of 100m away from the highest water mark and also limiting land use activities like settlement and papyrus harvest in the wetland.
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Wetlands are critical natural resources that serve various purposes including environmental, hydrological and socioeconomic functions. However, this important resource is so fragile and has suffered deterioration due to human activities such as cultivation, grazing, water abstraction among others. Several current studies have studied wetland ecosystem changes using GIS and remote sensing and other scientific methods. These studies lack information on the impacts of the land use activities in the wetlands, on the physical environment and on human health. In this study, degradation of Lubigi wetland ecosystem was assessed basing on the land use activities within the wetland to find out the major land use activities, their impacts and to develop an adaptive management approach for Lubigi wetland. The Story Telling Approach (STA), questionnaire surveys, interviews and field observations were used to collect data. Random sampling technique was used in the selection of the case study (Lubigi wetland; Namungona and Bwaise) and the various respondents. The study found out that there are several human activities such as wetland cultivation, water abstraction, settlement and cattle grazing in Lubigi wetland which have resulted in the alteration of ecosystem functions and interactions, and also the ever reported cases of floods in Bwaise and Namungona. There have been reported changes in land cover, species richness, species evenness and the hydrology of Lubigi wetland. The present study recommends that since humans are the critical driving force behind wetland ecosystem degradation as their activities negatively affect the wetland by changing the type, number and interactions of vegetative and animal species on the wetland, the government through its environmental organisations like NEMA, should implement the constitutional buffer zone of 100m away from the highest water mark and also limiting land use activities like settlement and papyrus harvest in the wetland.
Wetlands are critical natural resources that serve various purposes including environmental, hydrological and socioeconomic functions. However, this important resource is so fragile and has suffered deterioration due to human activities such as cultivation, grazing, water abstraction among others. Several current studies have studied wetland ecosystem changes using GIS and remote sensing and other scientific methods. These studies lack information on the impacts of the land use activities in the wetlands, on the physical environment and on human health. In this study, degradation of Lubigi wetland ecosystem was assessed basing on the land use activities within the wetland to find out the major land use activities, their impacts and to develop an adaptive management approach for Lubigi wetland. The Story Telling Approach (STA), questionnaire surveys, interviews and field observations were used to collect data. Random sampling technique was used in the selection of the case study (Lubigi wetland; Namungona and Bwaise) and the various respondents. The study found out that there are several human activities such as wetland cultivation, water abstraction, settlement and cattle grazing in Lubigi wetland which have resulted in the alteration of ecosystem functions and interactions, and also the ever reported cases of floods in Bwaise and Namungona. There have been reported changes in land cover, species richness, species evenness and the hydrology of Lubigi wetland. The present study recommends that since humans are the critical driving force behind wetland ecosystem degradation as their activities negatively affect the wetland by changing the type, number and interactions of vegetative and animal species on the wetland, the government through its environmental organisations like NEMA, should implement the constitutional buffer zone of 100m away from the highest water mark and also limiting land use activities like settlement and papyrus harvest in the wetland.