Over 80% of Uganda's population is dependent on agro-pastoralist for food and income generation, contributing to a growing concern over natural resource exploitation. Uganda is in an enviable position for having a relatively large percentage of arable land (about 30%), much of which has not been cultivated yet. However, rising land degradation is drawing environmental concern as well as speculation over a potential 3-10% loss in GNP. A prolonged period of war and conflict, animal grazing in the dry season, and the expansion of cultivation areas as a result of wetland conversion for agriculture, have led to a loss of biodiversity and a reduction in agricultural yields in the Serere District of Uganda, along the Lake Kyoga basin. On the other hand, the high rate of environmental degradation in the Soroti District- located in the dryland belt of Uganda – is the result of shrinking of the woodlands, bushlands, forest stock, and wetlands due to the excessive cutting of trees in order to satisfy the demand for fuel. This has contributed to a loss of the biomass, which is destabilizing the biodiversity in the region.
Uganda's comparative advantage in climate and soils position it to potentially become a significant producer of agricultural products, if sustainable land-use practices and alternative income-generating activities are implemented. As a result, Soroti Environment Concern (SEC)- a registered non-profit organization operating in the Teso sub region in Eastern Uganada- identified the need to improve the livelihood of the communities, by supporting their household income-generating activities, in order to achieve sustainable conservation and development of the rich natural resources along the Kyoga basin. In order to achieve these goals, the GEF Small Grants Programme, implemented by UNDP, supported this project with 40,000.
SEC employed the funds to conduct training workshops, procure and distribute seedlings, establish demonstration sites, construct energy-efficient cook stoves, purchase shear butter extraction equipment and facilitate usage training, install modern beehives and honey-extraction machines, and finally, create awareness through radio talks, film shows, and project calendars, brochures, and pamphlets.
The project's interventions yielded environmental enhancements in three categories: physical, biological and socio-economic. With respect to physical enhancements, planting of citrus trees increased the tree cover in the area, allowing for better absorption of greenhouse gases, an improvement of the microclimate, and an increase in biodiversity; training farmers on sustainable agricultural practices such as mulching, compost manure application, crop rotation and water harvesting improved soil conditions; the introduction of upland rice cultivation shifted the focus away from the inefficient rice cultivation in the wetlands; training farmers on water management techniques, such as pot water drip, enhanced the water-holding capacity of plants and decreased crop failures; and facilitating the planting of trees around wells helped halt any running water from contaminating the wells.
As for the biological enhancements, introducing energy-saving stoves reduced fuel wood consumption; educating and sensitizing the community on sustainable utilization of papyrus along the swamps and lakeshores reduced the waste in wetland vegetation; training women groups on conservation techniques raised awareness on the threats of overexploiting the Tamarindus indica and Vitellaria paradoxa species for charcoal burning, leading to a remarkable reduction in tree-cutting and bush-burning activities; and 40% of the commonly used tree species in the project area have had their environmental values enhanced through conservation, protection, expansion, or improved variety.
Regarding the socio-economic enhancements, providing alternative livelihood options like bee keeping, shear nut oil production, livestock rearing, and improved milk production processes diverted the economic attention away from charcoal burning and firewood sales; improving the efficiency of cook stoves reduced the amount of firewood required for cooking; rising local production of rice, orange varieties, shear butter oil, tamarind juice, and processed and packed honey increased exports by 50%; finally, strong sensitization and awareness reduced environmentally-degrading activities by 15% and increased environmentally-enhancing activities by 25%;.
In 2005, based on an evaluation that revealed the remarkable successes of the project, the GEF SGP approved a second grant for an additional USD 40,000 to build on the accomplishments of the first phase. By the end of the second phase, the most notable results of the project included the increase in milk production by 170 folds; the installation of 40 energy-efficient cooking stoves, which cut down 80% of the biomass previously utilized by the traditional cooking method; the generation of new income amounting to UGx 49,500/bag (equivalent to USD 21) by shear nut oil extraction; and the increase in annual rice production by 3 to 4 tonnes as a result of the shift towards upland rice cultivation.
The partnership between SEC and the GEF Small Grants Programme strived to build local capacity by empowering the communities in both Serere and Soroti Districts to take ownership of the project. This in turn achieved lasting advancements in land management practices and natural resource utilization, as well as created sustainable income-generating activities, alleviating poverty levels in both districts.
Contact:
Ana Maria Currea, Knowledge Management Specialist, GEF SGP | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.