Lira, Uganda | District leaders across northern Uganda have sounded alarm over renewed wetland encroachment, warning that prolonged drought, erratic rainfall and increasing pressure on agricultural land are driving communities back into protected ecosystems despite years of restoration efforts.
Alebtong Deputy Resident District Commissioner Mathias Lutwama said approximately 80% of the district’s wetland system has been encroached upon, with farmers increasingly cultivating rice and maize in protected wetlands.
Lutwama attributed the destruction to poverty, land scarcity, and limited public awareness about the ecological importance of wetlands, saying the continued degradation was worsening climate-related challenges. He said the destruction of wetlands was contributing to prolonged drought and increasingly unpredictable rainfall, which is affecting livelihoods across the district.
To address the problem, Lutwama said the district had intensified public sensitisation campaigns and would begin a phased demarcation of all wetlands in the 2026/27 financial year through the Department of Natural Resources.
He explained that the exercise would clearly mark protected wetland boundaries before stricter enforcement is rolled out against persistent encroachers and urged residents to voluntarily vacate wetlands to protect the environment.
In neighbouring Lira District, Senior Environmental Officer Walter Ocen said wetland encroachment had significantly reduced compared to two years earlier following sustained community sensitisation, training programmes and enforcement operations against offenders.
He said cultivation had reduced markedly in Erute North County but remained widespread in Erute South County because of the extensive Acwa and Olweny river systems covering Agali, Bar, and Itek sub-counties.
Ocen said wetland degradation had disrupted rainfall patterns, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to predict planting seasons. He warned that rising temperatures could expose many households to famine if the trend continued.
While commending the Resident District Commissioner’s office for supporting enforcement efforts, Ocen accused some lower local council leaders of frustrating conservation efforts by participating in wetland degradation.
According to Ocen, Lira District has 914 wetlands, with Acwa, Olweny, Moroto, and Okole among the major wetland systems.
Meanwhile, a farmer from Amolatar District, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said shrinking arable land, declining soil fertility and the need to provide food and income for the family had forced many households to cultivate rice in wetlands.
The farmer explained that wetlands retains moisture throughout the year, making them more productive than upland gardens during prolonged dry spells. The farmer added that many residents would be willing to abandon wetland cultivation if the government and development partners provided irrigation schemes, improved farming inputs, agricultural extension services, and alternative livelihood opportunities.
In Dokolo District, Resident District Commissioner Barbra Akech said the district had previously restored 68% of degraded wetlands through community sensitisation, public meetings, and collaboration with local leaders.
She, however, noted that the ongoing drought had triggered fresh encroachment as farmers sought fertile land for cultivation.
Akech said the District Security Committee had resolved to intensify the reclamation of encroached wetlands while strengthening engagement with local leaders, although some had been reluctant to support enforcement during the ongoing LC I and LC II election period for fear of losing political support.
She added that the district would continue conducting sensitisation campaigns alongside enforcement operations to remove illegal cultivators from wetlands.
Akech emphasised that protecting wetlands is a collective responsibility and reminded residents that wetlands are protected ecosystems that should not be used for cultivation because of their critical role in sustaining water sources and the environment.
