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Case Study of Kagera Sub-Basin, Uganda

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Case Study of Kagera Sub-Basin, Uganda Natural Resources, 2012, 3, 95-106 95 http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/nr.2012.33014 Published Online September 2012 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/nr) Changing Trends of Natural Resources Degradation in Kagera Basin: Case Study of Kagera Sub-Basin, Uganda Casim Umba Tolo1*, Enock Amos Majule2, Joseph Perfect2 1Department of Biology, Mbarara University, Mbarara, Uganda; 2Institute of Resource Assessment (IRA), University of Dar Es Sa- laam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Email: *[email protected], *[email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Received April 2nd, 2012; revised May 25th, 2012; accepted June 4th, 2012 ABSTRACT In many respects, river basins are extremely convenient natural resources management units and hence calls for an inte- grated approach in case of transboundary nature. Environmental resources in Kagera basin are under great threat due to demographic factors leading to wide spread environmental degradation. Land degradation and biodiversity loss are cen- tral issues in the basin, but the extent and severity of the degradation pressures are not yet clearly illustrated and their implications largely unknown. To date, natural resource mapping in Kagera basin has been based on isolated case stud- ies for specific purposes and not much has been done in mapping resources and classification of resources degradation by remote sensing applications considering the whole basin. In this study, basin-wide mapping approach was adopted and hot spot areas associated with natural resources use in the basin identified and trends over time established. How- ever, this paper presents results from Kagera River sub-basin, Uganda. Mapping exercise was done by using landsat images and aerial photos of Kagera basin covering the years 1984-2002. Overall, bushland in Kagera sub-basin, Uganda increased by 78% and woodland cover showed mere 6% gain; but a 53% decrease in open woodland sub-type and 29% decrease in closed woodland. Significant shift occurred in cultivation with herbaceous crops (mainly banana) from year 1984-2002 moving from east to west of Kagera sub-basin, Uganda representing 167% increase. Area occupied by per- manent swamp decreased 31%. Over the same period, land cover change detection matrix indicates main land cover changes include conversion to bushland (59.34%) followed by conversion to grassland (7.29%) and cultivated land (7.16%), with only 24.19% of the land cover remaining unchanged. It is concluded that the observed changes are, a re- sult of human-induced factors and show unsustainable utilization of natural resources as most of the changes make the land susceptible to degradation. Keywords: Natural Resources; Degradation; Mapping; Kagera Basin; Uganda 1. Introduction Uganda, before entering Lake Victoria (alt. 1145 m) to the south of Sango Bay in Uganda. The Kagera River is The Kagera River Basin (KRB) is spread over Burundi, estimated to contribute 10% of the outflow from Lake Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda with a total area of 59,800 Victoria to the Nile, and is important for sustaining the km2. The River is the principal contributor of water to flow of the Nile [2]. Lake Victoria and is considered the remotest headwater The Kagera basin has a general elevation of 1200 - of the White Nile. Within the Kagera catchment lies 75% 1600 m but rises above 2500 m in the west, with peaks of the land area of Rwanda and 52% of Burundi [1]. The reaching 4500 m. Rainfall is less than 1000 mm over Kagera River (400 km long) is formed by two head- most of the eastern half of the basin but rises to over streams, which rise in the East Central African highlands 1800 mm in the west, where most of the runoff is gener- (alt. ca. 2500 m) near the divide with the Congo basin. ated. Although the west is partly forested, much of the The Ruvubu rises just north of Lake Tanganyika in Bu- basin has become intensively cultivated resulting in ero- rundi and the Nyabarongo rises in north-west Rwanda. sion and river sediment load from the high rainfall areas These two main headstreams converge at Rusumo Falls, [1]. The basin vegetation includes a complex of forest close to the Rwanda-Tanzania border, from where the and woodland, savannah shrub and grasslands and wet- Kagera flows north along the border and then abruptly lands, with the majority of the land used for agriculture east through the lowland floodplain in Tanzania and by farmers and herders. The diverse ecosystems and *Corresponding author. convergence of lowland (mainly western Guinea-Con- Copyright © 2012 SciRes. NR 96 Changing Trends of Natural Resources Degradation in Kagera Basin: Case Study of Kagera Sub-Basin, Uganda golian) and highland (eastern afro-montane) species, On the other hand, several studies have been done in provide an array of habitats for multiple species of high the Kagera basin, but no single study has clearly linked global significance [2]. This includes remaining species demographic factors with natural resources degradation of mega-fauna in protected areas (and habitats) such as [3-6]. Moreover, most of studies in the Kagera basin the Akagera National Park, Lake Mburo and the Burigi have been based on country specific or project driven Game Reserve, as well as the unique tropical biodiversity interests based either on a particular area or just limited of the groundwater forests (Minziro, Munene and Rwas- to one and only one sub-catchment in a specific country. ina Forest Reserves). However, for sustainable management of transboundary The basin contains natural forests (such as Gishwati, natural resources in Kagera basin, the entire basin needs Nyungwe and remnants of previously widespread river- to be clearly studied by mapping different ecological ine forest) with endemic plant and animal species (in- units, identifying key or hot spot areas in terms of pat- cluding those used in medicine, for wild foods and agro- terns of resource use and degradation and then critically forestry, such as Ficus toningii, Markhamia luttea and assessing their status. Linking ecological status of natural Eritrina abbissinic). Extensive swampy forests and gras- resources and social factors for degradation will assist in slands, with dense tall grasses and papyrus, are important coming up with opportunities and challenges for sus- ecological components of the floodplain ecosystem of the tainable use of resources in the basin. Furthermore, gen- Kagera River, providing important water flow regulation erating information on trends and patterns of resource and buffering functions [2]. The Kagera basin includes degradation in the basin over time series through map- important environmental resources which are now under ping will enable researchers to link such patterns with threat due to encroachment by humans [1]. Land degra- other factors controlling resource degradation in the ba- dation and biodiversity loss are central issues in the basin sin. Such information at the moment is lacking and this and therefore to the Project. The extent and severity of project seeks to fill this gap. The objective of this study the pressures the environmental resources are under il- therefore was to map ecological status of natural re- lustrate clear inter-linkages among different terrestrial sources in the selected sites in the Kagera basin. The activities with trans-boundary implications for the en- study was guided by the following two research ques- vironment and ultimately for Lake Victoria. tions: 1) what is the ecological status of natural resources Besides, an estimated 14 million people, almost 40% in the selected sites in the Kagera basin? and 2) where of the 35 million within the Lake Victoria basin (LVB), are the hot spot areas associated with natural resource live in the Kagera basin. The population density within degradation in the Kagera basin? the Kagera basin is very dense averaging 227 persons/km2, 30% higher than the 174 persons/km2 in the rest of the 2. Materials and Methods LVB. The population in the countries is growing at a 2.1. Study Area rapid pace, 2.2% per year in Burundi and Rwanda, 3.1% per year in Tanzania and Uganda. In Burundi, 46% are This study was conducted in the entire basin of Kagera under 15 years of age. In Uganda and Tanzania, some (Figure 1). The Basin is located in the Great Lakes Re- 80% of the population is rural and the majority engaged gion of Africa, and it covers an area between the im- in small-scale agriculture. In Rwanda and Burundi over mense Lakes of Victoria, Tanganyika and Kivu. The 90% of the populations are engaged in subsistence farm- river basin lies between 0˚45' and 3˚35' south latitude and ing, with extremely small farms and fragmented plots 29˚15' and 30˚51' longitude east [4]. The Kagera water- (the mean area is 0.6 ha; only 2% of holdings exceed shed occupies two major topographical zones namely the 3 ha). Moreover, due to rural-urban migration, urban West Rift Scarp and the Lake Victoria Basin that derives growth is significant, averaging over 4% growth/year largely from regional features of the geological structure in the largest cities, Kigali (650,000 persons), Bukoba [6]. The West Rift zone Scarp encompasses the terrain on (180,000 persons) and Mbarara (69,360 persons). The the eastern side of the West Rift that was involved in the majority of the rural populations in the basin are very up-warping and associated volcanism during the devel- poor (few tools, poor housing, small land area, little dis- opment of the rift. It rises to elevations of 2600 metres in posable income); they are unable to invest in improved Burundi and 3000 metres in Rwanda both located on the resources management or education. The basin supports Congo-Nile Divide that forms the western boundary of one of the densest and poorest rural populations in the the Kagera Basin.
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