An assessment of the strategies for conservation of lake Bisina wetland by the surrounding communities in Kumi district

Abstract

Wetland degradation is a severe environmental problem in the world despite the values they provide. Wetlands provide various goods and services to people to sustain their wellbeing. However, this study investigated the strategies for conservation of lake Bisina wetland by the surrounding communities in Kumi district. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the benefits of Lake Bisina wetland to the local communities, assess the challenges faced during management of Lake Bisina wetland and to identify the strategies for conservation of Lake Bisina wetland. The study employed quantitative methods for data collection, simple random sampling was used to draw a sample of households. A household questionnaire was developed in Kobo tool to collect data. Descriptive statistics were used to present data analysed using SPSS and Microsoft excel. Results revealed that, food (27.2%), water (22.7%), grazing ground (15.8%), income (11.9%), wood (6.3%), crop farming (6%) and craft material (3.3%) were the major benefits of Lake Bisina wetland. Ignorance (37.1%), lack of knowledge (36.1%), lack of experts (12.2%), corruption (6.1%), lack of finance (4.7%), limited labour (1.9%) and political interference (1.9%) were identified as the major challenges facing the management of Lake Bisina wetland. Creation of wetland committees (36.5%), sensitizing the people (28.6%), enforcing security (17.7%), hiring expertise (11.5%), proper allocation of resources (4.7%), by-laws (0.5%) and involving the community (0.5%) were identified by the local people as the major strategies for conservation of Lake Bisina Wetland. The study recommended that the district environment committee should implement and enforce the laws and policies governing wetland resources, involving the community in wetland conservation and management programmes and scale up on going awareness by creating more effective compliance and more public education programs.