Uganda may need to focus the minds of wetland users to modern farming if the issues of wetland degradations are to be curbed, a Senior Government Official has observed. Borrowing lessons from the current Presidential Initiative to restore wetlands with support from the Government of Uganda (GoU), Green Climate Fund (GCF) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Pallisa district, Mr Kyeyune Ssenyonjo noted that building community resilience through provision of livelihoods may help to avert pressures on wetlands.
 

“When you promise communities alternative livelihoods to rice growing, they tend to buy in, and subsequently leave wetlands. We have seen it work here in Limoto. Although some community members still take long to pick up the message, at least I am confident that the only way we can get people out of wetlands is to focus their minds to modern farming,” he observes. Kyeyune is confident that one day wetland users including those in Pallisa will be in the liberated zone where incomes have improved and wetland ecosystems fully recovered.   
 

My name is Owuuya Dickson, a resident of Limoto Trading Centre village. I am one of the community members who voluntarily left Limoto wetland in Puti-Puti Sub County, Pallisa district. I used to cultivate rice in the wetland. Each season, I had about two acres my harvest could range between 300-400 kgs earning me approximately Uganda Shillings one million.
 

It was really very little compared to the time and energy invested, but because that was the only source of income I had, there was no other option but to continue struggling on. So when the government came saying all wetland users should leave and a better alternative livelihood will be provided. I was excited, for I knew my life was never going to remain the same again. conti.. next pg.
 

Indeed, they told us to select the enterprises we thought could improve our lives. At first I selected fish farming but after the first harvest I realized the benefit was little because of the large number of members in the group. The project provided five ponds and each pond benefiting 25 group members, while one pond was meant for a model farmer. As a result, I felt I needed another enterprise that could quickly earn me more money.

"Currently, I have an acre of tomatoes from which I am expecting earn up to five million shillings per season,"

I opted to join the activity on horticulture. And using skills from community members who are benefiting from the irrigation scheme, I started growing tomatoes on my own plot of land neighbouring papayo wetland.  Currently, I have an acre of tomatoes from which I am expecting earn up to five million shillings per season.

Twenty community members in Ngora district have offered government land totalling to 24 acres to establish irrigation schemes at Agu wetland. Two schemes will be established at Agu and Orit villages to serve as alternative livelihoods for communities voluntarily leaving Agu wetland.