Wetland Management
Mr. Okurut David
Commissioner
Welcome to the Wetland Management Department. Our role is to conserve, restore and sustainably manage Uganda’s wetlands to support biodiversity, water regulation and climate resilience. We work with communities, stakeholders and development partners to promote responsible utilisation while safeguarding ecological integrity. Through policy guidance, monitoring and advocacy, we contribute to environmental protection and sustainable livelihoods.
Function
- Implement, monitor and enforce compliance with policy, laws and guidelines
- Initiate, formulate and review wetland policies and legislations for the management and conservation of wetlands
- Develop and disseminate wetland resource wise-use guidelines
- Undertake research, assessment and inventory of wetlands in the country to inform decision making
- Develop and implement wetland management plans to promote wise use
- Restore degraded wetlands and protect intact wetlands
- Demarcate wetland boundaries
- Coordinate implementation of the Ramsar Convention on wetlands in the country
- Coordinate the implementation of wetland management interventions
- Build capacity of stakeholders in wetland management
Mandate
About
The Wetlands Management Department (WMD), under Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment, is committed to preserving wetland ecosystems due to their crucial role in sustaining livelihoods and contributing to national development goals. Despite a decline in wetland coverage from 15% in 1994 to 10.9% in 2008, significant efforts have been made to reverse degradation.
Since 2011, over 443 km of wetland boundaries have been demarcated and 689 ha restored in 16 districts, with plans to expand these activities further. Additionally, five framework management plans have been developed for trans-boundary wetlands, promoting cooperative governance.
At the District Local Government level, over 589 km of wetlands have been demarcated and 3,814 ha restored, alongside the implementation of 69 community-based wetland management plans and 62 District Wetland Action Plans integrated into district development frameworks. Complementary efforts by the National Forestry Authority focus on forest conservation and tree planting to protect water catchments and mitigate environmental disasters.
These initiatives collectively aim to restore, protect, and sustainably manage Uganda’s wetlands for current and future generations.
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