Above-ground biomass and carbon stocks of different land cover types in Mt. Elgon, Eastern Uganda

This research applied selected allometric models to estimate the total above ground biomass (TAGB) and carbon stocks in the different land-use/ land cover (LULC) types in Mt. Elgon National Park, in Eastern Uganda. The LULC types identified for the study were – tropical high forest (THF) - normal, THF- degraded and grasslands. The vegetation in each land cover type was assessed at four levels i.e. the mature trees, poles, saplings and undergrowth. Tree diameter and height of each sampled tree were also measured. In each plot, one sapling was randomly selected, uprooted and sub-samples of the foliage, bole and root components were collected, and their fresh weight was determined in the field. Calculation of the Mean Squared Error (MSE), Prediction Sum of Squares (PRESS) statistic and Predicted R2 values of the selected equations was done to establish the most appropriate equation for biomass and carbon estimation. The TAGB was 652.15t/ha, 55.16t/ha and 41.7t/ha in the THF-Normal, THF-Degraded and Grasslands respectively. The carbon stocks in the THF-normal were 293.65tC ha-1, 25 tC ha-1 in the THF- degraded and 18.76 tC ha-1 in the grasslands. Over 90% of sequestered carbon was lost due to land cover change from THF-Normal to THF-Degraded. This calls for policy makers to urgently come up with interventions to address forest degradation.Joel Buyinza, Susan Balaba Tumwebaze, Justine Namaalwa, Patrick Byakagab

A synthesis of past, current and future research for protection and management of papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.) wetlands in Africa

Papyrus wetlands (dominated by the giant sedge Cyperus papyrus L.) occur throughout eastern, central and southern Africa and are important for biodiversity, for water quality and quantity regulation and for the livelihoods of millions of people. To draw attention to the importance of papyrus wetlands, a special session entitled ‘‘The ecology of livelihoods in papyrus wetlands’’ was organized at the 9th INTECOL Wetlands Conference in Orlando, Florida in June 2012. Papers from the session, combined with additional contributions, were collected in a special issue of Wetlands Ecology and Management. The current paper reviews ecological and hydrological characteristics of papyrus wetlands, summarizes their ecosystem services and sustainable use, provides an overview of papyrus research to date, and looks at policy development for papyrus wetlands. Based on this review, the paper provides a synthesis of research and policy priorities for papyrus wetlands and introduces the contributions in the special issue. Main conclusions are that (1) there is a need for better estimates of the area covered by papyrus wetlands. Limited evidence suggests that the loss of papyrus wetlands is rapid in some areas; (2) there is a need for a better understanding and modelling of the regulating services of papyrus wetlands to support trade-off analysis and improve economic valuation; (3) research on papyrus wetlands should include assessment of all ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, habitat, cultural) so that trade-offs can be determined as the basis for sustainable management strategies (‘wise use’); (4) more research on the governance, institutional and socio-economic aspects of papyrus wetlands is needed to assist African governments in dealing with the challenges of conserving wetlands in the face of growing food security needs and climate change. The papers in the special issue address a number of these issues

The Impact of Wastewater Discharge and Agriculture on Water Quality and Nutrient Retention of Namatala Wetland, Eastern Uganda

The Namatala Wetland in Uganda faces severe degradation from agricultural development and urbanization. Besides the Namatala River and tributary rural streams, the wetland receives surface water from Mbale town and wastewater from two sets of wastewater stabilization ponds. The objective of this study was to examine water quality, and sediment and nutrient retention in different land use zones. Five hydrogeomorphic units (HGMUs) were distinguished on the basis of soil, hydrology and land use. HGMUs 1 and 2 in the upstream part of the wetland are characterized by drainage channels and mixed agriculture. HGMU 3 is a wet floodplain with intensive rice farming. HGMU 4 and 5 are permanently wet units in the downstream part of the wetland with moderate rice farming and partly intact papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.) vegetation. Stream discharge was measured, and surface water samples collected, monthly from the river channel, the tributaries, and the five HGMUs from April 2015 to October 2016. Significant differences in total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) were observed among the streams and among the five HGMUs, with highest concentrations in urban streams and lowest in the main river channel and rural streams. Among the HGMUs, nutrients and TSS were highest within HGMU 3 and lowest in HGMU 1 and 5. Loads of nutrients and sediment into the wetland were greater from the main river channel compared with urban and rural streams. Regressions of net TN, TP, and TSS yields for each HGMU against river discharge showed a net loss of nutrients and sediments in HGMU 3 with the most intensive agriculture, and net retention in HGMUs 4 and 5 which mostly maintain their wetland character. This study shows that sediment and nutrient retention in the downstream part of the wetland compensate for increased export caused by agricultural and urban land use in the middle and upper zones of the wetland, thus maintaining net nutrient retention of Namatala Wetland. However, there is a trade-off between economic development and wetland protection and future management planning should incorporate more sustainable farming practices and improved wastewater treatment

Towards decision support-based integrated management planning of papyrus wetlands: a case study from Uganda

Management and decision making for wetlands need an integrated approach, in which all ecosystem services are identified, their importance are assessed and objectives are formulated about their desired outputs. This approach has been applied successfully in European wetlands with sufficient scientific data. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the application of this approach in the context of a data-poor, multi-use African wetland. The Namatala wetland in Uganda, a wetland under intense pressure from wastewater discharge, conversion to agriculture and vegetation harvesting, was used as a case study. After characterisation of the wetland ecosystem and stakeholder analysis, three management options, subdivided into 13 sub-options, were identified for the wetland. These options were combined into six management solutions. A set of 15 indicators, subdivided into five categories (livelihood; human health; ecology; costs; risk of failure), were identified to assess the performance of these management solutions. Stakeholders' preferences were taken into consideration by means of weights attached to the indicators, and a best-compromise solution was derived which consisted of a combination of sustainable agriculture in the upper Namatala wetland, papyrus buffer strips along the Namatala river channel, sustainable land use (vegetation harvesting, fishing) in lower Namatala wetland, and papyrus buffer zones at the waste-water discharge points. Despite differences of opinion among stakeholder groups about the relative importance of the indicators, the same compromise solution resulted for all stakeholders. It was concluded that this systematic approach and the stakeholder dialogue about the management options were beneficial to the management process, although the approach would benefit from more and better data about the wetland system and from model-derived predictions

Analyse de la capacité institutionnelle pour la gestion des zones humides et la gestion intégrée des ressource en eau dans les zones humides de Gemenc, Ga-Mampa, Nabajjuzi et Namatala

WETwin is a research project supported by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Program. Its overall objective is to enhance the role of wetlands in basin-scale Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), with the aim of improving the community service functions while conserving good ecological status. This report presents the results of the analysis of the institutional capacity to implement IWRM and existing guidelines in selected case study sites of the WETwin project (Gemenc (Hungary), Ga-Mampa (South Africa), Nabajjuzi and Namatala (Uganda)). It includes: i) a presentation of the conceptual approach used to analyze institutional capacity in case studies, in particular, the main concepts and definitions of institutional capacity and its links to performance of the wetland management institutions; ii) a description of the methodology used for the analysis of four case studies; iii) the detailed assessment of the components of institutional capacity using the cross-case comparison method, as well as a discussion of the major findings of the application of the methodology in the case studies; and iv) a summary of all the lessons learnt during this exercise and recommendations for improvements of the institutional capacity in the case study areas and in wetland management in general

Rapport sur l'analyse de la vulnérabilité initiale pour chaque cas d'étude

WETwin is a research project supported by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Program. Its overall objective is to enhance the role of wetlands in basin-scale Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), with the aim of improving the community service functions while conserving good ecological status. This report presents the initial vulnerability assessment of case study wetlands to global changes conducted under the WETwin project. This includes: i) the development of three global changes scenarios in line with the IPCC SRES scenarios but complemented with recent trends and ideas derived from Millennium Assessment Scenarios; ii) the development of DPSIR (Driving force, Pressure, State, Impact, Response) chains for each case study to identify and explore the major environmental and livelihood problems (impacts) at the study sites; iii) the definition of site-specific storylines to focus on specific research questions and also support the development of regional scenarios; and iv) initial vulnerability assessment for the southern case studies. Results are provided for each of the seven case study sites of the WETwin project in Europe, Africa and South America

Forest governance reforms in Eastern Africa: A comparative analysis of institutional, livelihood and forest sustainability outcomes

Sustaining Commons: Sustaining Our Future, 13th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons, Hyderabad, IndiaAs forests continue to decline globally and more so in the East African region, decentralization reforms that aim to improve rural livelihoods and conserve forests by transferring management powers to local communities and governments have occurred in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Unlike Tanzania, where decentralization reforms have been implemented for over a decade, the reforms in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda are still in their infancy. As a result, there is still little empirical understanding of its impacts on livelihoods, governance and forest conditions. Limited studies carried out in the region indicate that decentralization of the forest sector in the region has taken many different forms; from partial devolution of management responsibility to more profound devolution of ownership to communities. Similarly, the outcomes from these reform efforts also vary within and between countries. Livelihood outcomes are limited in areas where CFM, JFM and PFM are practiced and positive where CBFM is practiced. The outcomes of forest conditions under CFM, JFM and PFM are also mixed within and across the countries. Some forests have shown some improvements while others are continuing to be degraded. More forests under CBFM are showing improvement than the forests under JFM, PFM or CFM. Improvement in forest condition and livelihoods under CBFM may be due to improved enforcement of forest rules by the local communities because of strong security of tenure and better benefits that accrue to the communities that have CBFM arrangements. Keywords: , deforestation, livelihoods, forest healt

Identification des options et solutions de gestion pour les cas d'étude de WETwin

WETwin is a research project supported by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Program. Its overall objective is to enhance the role of wetlands in basin-scale Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), with the aim of improving the community service functions while conserving good ecological status. This report addresses formulation of management responses to the drivers, pressures and impacts on wetlands identified in case study sites. Within the WETwin conceptual framework a range of options are identified from which management solutions can be built up. In principle, each option can be carried out alone, but in practice, combinations of several responses are likely to be combined into comprehensive management solutions. Further this document identifies performance indicators used for the evaluation of the management solutions and describes a set of models and expert assessment tools used for this purpose. An overview of generic responses available for wetland management and rehabilitation is presented. Management responses are separated into groups of similar measures targeting specific wetland components. Such a grouping gives a clearer overview of possible measures, and facilitates transfer of these generic groups to other wetlands. A brief overview of the process of identifying, elaborating and combining management options into implementable packages of management solutions is then provided. Site-specific management options and solutions are presented for seven case studies: Ga-Mampa, Inner Niger Delta, Nabajjuzi, Namatala, Abras de Mantequilla, Lobau and Gemenc wetlands

Evaluation des solutions de gestion pour les cas d'étude de WETwin

WETwin is a research project supported by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Program. Its overall objective is to enhance the role of wetlands in basin-scale Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), with the aim of improving the community service functions while conserving good ecological status. Decisions about wetland management are made in a complex and dynamic context involving a range of stakeholders with different and sometime competing objectives. The aim of the WETwin project is to provide a rigorous framework for evaluating the effects of alternative development strategies to identify best compromise management solutions that are ecologically sustainable, socially acceptable, and economically sound, taking into account values of different stakeholders. This report describes application of the WETwin decision framework to identify and assess management solutions for each case study. Chapter 1 outlines the theoretical framework used in the analysis and discusses general conclusions and lessons learnt; the remaining chapters describes application of the DSF to each case study site

Rapport sur les indicateurs de performance, la boîte à outils d'aide à la décision et les résultats des simulations de base

WETwin is a research project supported by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Program. Its overall objective is to enhance the role of wetlands in basin-scale Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), with the aim of improving the community service functions while conserving good ecological status. This report presents the evaluation criteria used in 6 case study sites of WETwin to assess wetland management responses proposed by stakeholders and experts to address identified management problems. It also gives an overview of available assessment tools used for this purpose (quantitative modelling, qualitative tool or expert judgement). Evaluation criteria are classified according to the four dimensions of sustainable wetland management (hydrology, environment/ecology, livelihood and policy)