Assessment of local communities' participation in the restoration and sustainable management of Rwoho wetland, Ntungamo district

Abstract

Wetlands cover 4%–9% of global land surface and in Uganda they cover about 11% of the total land area. They are one of the most vital ecological and economic resources, providing a wide range of tangible and non-tangible benefits to various communities. However, there is a dearth of scientific knowledge on local community’s perception of wetland restoration and how such perception influences their participation in wetland restoration and sustainable use. This problem is compounded by the fact that most ecosystem studies have been skewed to monetary interpretation of wetland values and social perspectives that influence wetland restoration and sustainable use have been neglected. This gap in knowledge is exacerbated by inadequate local community engagement in wetland restoration due to limited information. In view of the above, this study was undertaken to contribute to a better understanding of local community perception and participation in restoration and sustainable use of Rwoho wetland. Specifically, the study characterized local community wetland user group members and the benefits obtained from the wetland, assessed the local communities’ perceptions and participation in restoration of the wetland and examined the challenges and opportunities for enhancing local communities’ participation in wetland restoration. The study involved local communities living around Rwoho wetland in Ntungamo District. Descriptive and interpretive research design involving mixed methods approach was applied. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 241 wetland users, 16 key informants and local community members who participated in four focus group discussions. Ecosystem products and services derived from Rwoho wetland and the reasons for extracting them were cross tabulated. Data were subjected to Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test to determine the association between products and services obtained from the wetland and the respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics. Furthermore, data were analyzed using Binary Logistic Regression (BLR) to test the factors that determine respondents’ perception of wetland restoration interventions and the likelihood to improve wetland’s capacity to provide ecosystem services to the community. The study revealed that there were various wetland user groups and the majority were cultivators. Water and firewood were the most common products harvested by users mainly for home use. On a scale of 0-100%, most respondents indicated that Rwoho wetland supports 26-50% of their livelihood needs. Majority of the respondents indicated that Rwoho wetland had been degraded. There was significant association between the location of the respondents’ villages and the current state of the wetland. The majority (86%) supported restoration of the wetlands to sustain the ecosystem services. The challenges documented included limited sensitization of the local communities and lack of motivation to participate in wetland restoration. The study recommends that Natural Resources Department at the Sub-County and District levels and other restoration initiatives should work collaboratively to sensitize local communities to appreciate wetland values and mobilize them to engage in restoration activities. If this is implemented, pressure from anthropogenic activities exerted on wetlands will be reduced and the wetland restored.