The Uganda Atlas

Ramsar Convention

Name of Ramsar site

Year of Site Area Conservation designation No. (Ha.) importance

Lake George System 4/03/1988 394 15,000 Flora and Fauna Lake Nabugabo Wetland System 11/02/2004 1373 22,000 Bird and Acquatic Sango Bay-Musambwa Island-Kagera 16/09/2005 1641 6,053 Flora and Bird Lake Mburo-Nakivali Wetlands System 22/09/2005 1634 25,572 Flora and Fauna Lake Opeta Wetland System 17/09/2005 1636 68,913 Bird Mabamba Bay Wetlands System 18/09/2005 1638 2,424 Bird Nabajjuzi Wetlands System 20/09/2005 1639 54,229 Bird Lake Bisina Wetland System 15/09/2005 1633 91,150 Bird and Fauna Lake Nakuwa Wetland System 16/09/2005 1635 108 Bird Lutembe Bay Wetland System 18/09/2005 1637 20,163 Bird Murchison Falls Wetlands System 20/09/2005 1640 22,400 Flora and Fauna Rwenzori Mountains Proposed 22,400 Flora and Fauna Total area of Ramsar site 307,756

Guide to Ramsar sites: Mabamba Ramsar site, Mpigi District (2006)

Figure 10: Ramsar sites in Uganda

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Uganda has provided an enabling environment for the conservation of wetlands through formulation of appropriate policies, legislation and a ten-year strategic plan (2000-2010). However, the country still requires more efforts in fostering sustainable use of wetlands as well as monitoring and research to inform the implementation of the convention. To date the country has implemented several provisions of the Ramsar Convention which includes; • Establishment of Wetlands Department in the Ministry of Water and Environment and existence of wetlands management institutions at both national and district levels • Development of the National Wetlands Policy to support wetlands conservation • Incorporation of a section on wetlands in the National Environment Act, Cap 153, and development of Environment Management Regulations (2000) thereunder, to specifically address wetlands management • Incorporation of several clauses related to wetlands in several national legislations such as the Local Government Act (1997) and Land Act (1998) • Preparation of Seventeen (17) guidelines for wetland policy implementation • Awareness creation • Launching and implementation of a 10-year Wetlands Strategic Plan

The Government is encouraging national and local governments and non governmental institutions to design and adopt wise use of wetlands with full participation of the local communities. Challenges of Ramsar sites management in Uganda A number of challenges still remain to realise fully the ability to, and benefits of, implementing the Convention which include, among others: • Computing land use changes e.g oil exploration in Murchison Falls • Government of Uganda still has the challenge of clearly demonstrating the benefits of the Ramsar sites to the stakeholders especially the surrounding local communities. However, there are already visible benefits from these sites through increased tourism presumably resulting from the international publicity that attracts tourists to Uganda who make the sites as one of their destination.

Figure 11: Locations of the Ramsar sites in Uganda

T he Ramsar Convention , also known as the Conservation on Wetlands , is an international treaty on conservation and wise use of wetlands. Uganda, which joined the Convention in 1988, now has 11 Ramsar sites covering a surface area of 354,803 hectares. An additional site with a surface area of 22,400 hectares, named Rwenzori has been proposed for designation (Fig. 10). Globally, the Convention’s 153 Contracting Parties have designated 1626 Ramsar sites, covering 145,594,013 hectares. The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

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