Lira district restores 46.1% of its degraded wetlands

17 February 2026, 18:26

By Ambrose Okwanga

Lira district has restored 46.1% of its degraded wetlands. Of the total population engaged in wetlands degradation in Lira district, 60% have left the wetlands in search of alternative livelihoods, while the remaining 40% remain adamant, continuing to claim the wetlands as their traditional land.

Walter Ocen, the Environment Officer for Lira District, noted that communities are gradually changing their mindset regarding farming and settlement in wetlands, reflecting growing awareness of the importance of wetland conservation.

“Good percentage of people are now aware about the danger of wetland degradation as they are experiencing the effect of climate change”. Ocen added.

Ocen attributed their recovery to some of the good initiatives by the government and Civil Society that are directly dealing with local community along the wetlands areas, giving examples of sensitization, tree planting, apiculture among others.

He further stated that their goal is to restore 80% of their degraded wetlands by 2040, adding that this initiative is aimed at mitigating climate change.We are optimistic that by 2040, our community members will no longer be forced to leave the wetlands, as they will understand the dangers these ecosystems face and the risks posed to our environment.

As a result, they will become advocates for environmental protection.

He said that their work is becoming easier due to the establishment of a committee tasked with raising awareness, addressing issues related to wetlands, and submitting reports to district officials.

In Kole District, Tom Olet, the LC3 Chairperson for Alito Sub County, noted that farmers in his area, particularly in two parishes are voluntarily vacating wetlands following training and sensitization on the dangers of wetland degradation conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Additionally, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) equipped two representatives per village with the necessary knowledge and skills, and they are now cascading this information to the wider community.

“This approach is already generating positive impacts, as many community members are taking up tree planting initiatives and engaging in apiculture activities to improve their livelihoods and strengthen environmental conservation efforts” Olet said.

Olet also noted that some of the wetlands have been demarcated and trees planted along their boundaries, adding that the intervention has helped prevent encroachment by local communities and strengthened the protection of these sensitive ecosystems.

Currently, Lira district has 928 Wetlands, and wetlands in Uganda cover a total surface area of 3,762.6 square kilometres (KM2), which is 13.9%, with a notable increase of 0.9% from 13% in 2021 to 13.9% in 2023.