Local perceptions on wetland land use and land cover dynamics: a comparison of Mabamba-bay Ramsar site and Mende wetland, Wakiso district, central Uganda

Abstract

Wetlands are among the most important ecosystems that support livelihoods globally. This study assessed the local perceptions on use values and land cover and land use dynamics in two wetlands under different management regimes in central Uganda. Structured interviews were employed at household level within the two ecosystems. Satellite images for 1982, 1996, 2010, and 2020 were downloaded and analyzed using remote sensing techniques. Local communities reported an increase in crop cultivation and built -up areas in the wetlands while open sand pits remained relatively stable. Water level rise (75%) and wetland boundary extension (76.8%) were reported in Mabamba-Bay wetland only. Between 1982 and 2020, farmlands increased by 6.4% and 36.7% in Mabamba-Bay and Mende wetland respectively. Built -up areas increased by 0.3% and 5.3% in Mabamba-Bay and Mende wetland respectively. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) results indicated statistically significant changes in areas under papyrus, woodlands, bushes and thickets, farmlands, and built-up areas in both wetlands except areas under open-water in Mabamba-Bay. The main direct use-values included sand mining (73.8%), crop cultivation (71.2%) and domestic water (60.3%). Water purification (66.6%) and climate regulation (63.1%) were key indirect use-values while wildlife habitat (79.4%) and biodiversity conservation (47.4%) were the key non-use values. The extent of change in the availability of provisioning, regulating, and supporting services varied between Mende and Mabamba-Bay wetland. Mende is more appreciated for provisioning services such as food supply while Mabamba-Bay for regulating e.g., water storage and supporting services like habitat protection. Socio-economic characteristics such as distance from the wetland, age, birthplace, and duration of residency influenced perceptions of wetland cover and use-value changes. There is need to incorporate local community knowledge and understanding and application of remote sensing tools to study wetland spatial-temporal change and use value dynamics in the search for sustainable management of wetlands.