World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2 February every year to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet. The 2021 theme: Wetlands and Water, shines a spotlight on wetlands as a source of freshwater and encourages actions to restore them and stop their loss. Water and wetlands are connected in an inseparable co-existence that is vital to life, our well-being and the health of our planet.
According to the Global Water Partnership, 'We are facing a growing freshwater crisis that threatens people and our planet. We use more freshwater than nature can replenish, and we are destroying the ecosystem that water and all life depend on most – wetlands'.
Indeed, in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15, United Nations member states are urged to “protect, restore
and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably
manage forests, combat desertification, …reverse land degradation and
halt biodiversity loss”. Wetland management is therefore essential
because of the role it plays as a promoter of conservation and wise use
of all wetlands through diverse local approaches and international
cooperation to achieve sustainable development throughout the world. This role has long been recognized by the 1971 Ramsar Convention ratified by 170 member states.
The tension between development and the environment (develop first and address sustainability issues
later philosophy) remains rampant despite the global reiteration at the Rio+20 Summit that sustainable development goals require an integrated approach that simultaneously addresses economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability in a balanced way.
In Uganda, for instance, unknown developers have descended on Kinawataka wetland near Lake Victoria, and are clearing it to pave the way for industrial development. Kinawataka wetland runs along the boundary between Nakawa division (Kampala district) and Kira Town Council (Wakiso district) and it is drained by five rivers. Despite its importance, the wetland could be no more within days if urgent measures are not taken to stop the encroachment.
Furthermore, from mid 2019 into 2020, Lake Victoria experienced rising water
levels due the positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) that has resulted in significant flooding impacts on Lake shoreline communities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as well as downstream
communities near Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert. This event has exacerbated the pressure on wetlands - as water recedes, communities whose farmlands and property was submerged, have descended on the wetlands with vengeance, especially after the covid19 lock down that had further limited their livelihood sources.
This combination of human and nature-induced stresses on wetlands in East Africa needs a range of rapid response measures. These include appropriate alternative and timely options for large populations communities that rely heavily on wetlands; enforcement / upholding of existing laws and policies; and scaling up local innovations to strengthen resilience of adjacent communities and the pristine wetland ecosystems on which they depend (for water, farming, fishing and a range of indirect benefits among others).
