@article{Nelson:262828,
      recid = {262828},
      author = {Nelson, Turyahabwe and David, Mwesigye Tumusime  and Fred,  Yikii and Willy, Kakuru and Vincent, Barugahare },
      title = {Awareness, perceptions and implementation of policy and  legal provisions on wetlands in Uganda},
      journal = {African Journal of Rural Development (AFJRD)},
      address = {2017-06-30},
      number = {1978-2017-1910},
      year = {2017},
      abstract = {Wetland degradation is currently a major global  environmental challenge. In Uganda, the situation is  similar despite the country’s relatively long history of  wetland policy and legislation. This study was carried out  after over two decades since the onset of an ambitious  national wetlands programme to examine local awareness and  perceptions wetlands policy and legislation. It was  conducted on the basis that understanding of the opinions  and attitudes of farmers and other wetland users regarding  wetland policies and regulations helps managers and policy  makers in making informed decisions for sustainable wetland  management. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 222  randomly selected households resident within a 5 km radius  of the sampled wetlands were augmented by three Focus Group  Discussions and 40 key informant interviews. More than half  of the respondents (64%) were aware of the national  wetlands management and conservation policy, with 32%  expressly suggesting that the provisions in the National  Environment Act are sufficient to support sustainable use  of wetlands while only 6% expressed knowledge of informal  or traditional rules and regulations for use of wetlands.  Regression results revealed that education and income  status significantly influenced respondents awareness of  the wetland policy and provisions in other formal policies  and laws. Residents of both Lake Victoria Crescent and  South western farm lands were significantly (p<0.05) more  likely to be aware of provisions in other formal policies  and laws, owing to sensitisation by conservation projects  based in these localities and having operational  Community-based Wetland Management Plan. Majority (77%) of  respondents expressed that the policies and legal  provisions on wetlands were not adequately enforced and  nearly 90% of the respondents perceived a need for locally  tailored by-laws and ordinances and an improvement in  communication of information about wetland policy.  Irrespective of improvement in awareness of the wetland  policy and legislation in Uganda, enforcement is likely to  remain poor due to limited livelihood options for local  people as they use wetlands for food security and  livelihood improvement. Local communities also claim  ignorance of wetland policy, regulations and laws that they  do not agree with, given the sensitivity of use and  management of wetland resources. Successful conservation of  wetlands will thus depend on implementation of acknowledged  policy and legal provisions coupled with the crafting and  creation of awareness of locally tailored policies, by-  laws and ordinances on wetlands.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/262828},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.262828},
}