Assessing the implications of land use practices on river banks and buffer zone conservations in Sezibwa watershed in central Uganda

Abstract

The study investigated land use practices and their implications on riverbanks and buffer zone ecosystem health within Sezibwa catchment in central Uganda. The overall aim of the study was to establish the impacts of land use practices on riverbanks and buffer zone conservations which can be used for policy formulation along River Sezibwa catchment. The methodology involved the use of cross sectional survey design with a mixed approaches including, both qualitative and quantitative methods. Cross sectional design was considered appropriate because of time constraints and its advantage of taking some phenomena at a time and analyse the section carefully to derive generalities to the total population. The study also involved the use of Remote Sensing and GIS as a tool where Sentinel images for year 2020 and Landsat image for year 2010 were downloaded and processed to produce LULCC maps for the study area. The study comprised of a sample population of 80 respondents from Sezibwa catchment.

The study findings revealed that spatial and temporal distribution of land use practices in the catchment has been changing over time. Land use practices such as settlement, subsistence and commercial farming have increased leading to a reduction in the wetland, vegetation and open water covers. These LULCC have directly and indirectly impacted on riverbanks and buffer zone on Sezibwa catchment. The change in land use and cover has resulted into increased river bank erosion, siltation of the water channel, water pollution, increased turbidity, and poor quality. Most water in the streams is muddy-brown water. The study recommends that there is need for enforcement of the laws and policies already put in place such as the water policy, Local Government Act which prohibits activities within 50m off the riverbanks, increase of public awareness on LULCC and impacts on conservation of the riverbanks and buffer zones.