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THE VALUE OF THE FACT SHEET NABUGABO PLANNING FOR RESILIENCE IN EAST THROUGH POLICY, ADAPTATION, RESEARCH AND WETLAND SYSTEM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (PREPARED) PROJECT RAMSAR SITE FEBRUARY 2018

KEY FACTS The wetland complex was designated as a The increasing pressure and changing land around Ramsar Site in 2004. It covers an area of 22,000 hectares Lake Nabugabo prompted the Ministry comprising Lake Nabugabo (3,600 ha); 3 smaller satellite - of Water and Environment and Wetlands Lake Kayanja or Birinzi (110 ha), Lake Manywa (30 ha) and Lake Department to review the original Management Kayugi (10 ha); and a number of connected wetlands. As of 2014 Plan (2004-2009) and propose the expansion there were 5,500 households residing within the Ramsar site. of the Ramsar site. The expanded Ramsar site Located just a few kilometers from Lake Victoria, the second incorporates Katonga wetland complex (27,300 largest lake in the world, Lake Nabugabo Ramsar site ha), which stretches north-west from Lake is characterized by unique and significant biodiversity, such as: Victoria across Mpigi, Butambala, Kalungu and Gomba Districts, and large tracts of papyrus ● Very low ionic, soil nutrient and salinity, which provides an swamp north of Lake Nabugabo. The expanded enabling habitat for high densities of rare carnivorous plants ; Lake Nabugabo Ramsar Site (77,700 ha) holds ● Over 300 plant species, 14 of which are not found anywhere an additional 100 species of plants, 3 protected else within Uganda, and 2 flowering plants endemic to the forest reserves, and offers a wide range of site (Senecio nabugabensis and Xyri sednae); and services – flood alleviation and ground ● Home to 281 bird species, including 15% of the world’s water recharge- to over 42,000 households living population of the Blue Swallow, and 5 globally threatened within the ecosystem. species.

A carnivorous plant in Lake Nabugabo PHOTO: PREPARED/ TEDDY CHENYA ECONOMIC VALUE STATISTICS

In 2014 in response to a request from the Uganda Wetlands Department, the USAID funded Planning for Resilience in through Policy, Adaptation, Research, and Economic Development (PREPARED) Project completed an economic valuation of ecosystem services of the Lake Nabugabo wetland complex. The estimated value of ecosystem services provided by the original Nabugabo Ramsar Site is USD $4,558,000 a year, which is an average of USD $333 per ha of wetland habitat per year. An extended Ramsar site would increase and secure economic value of the wetland to more than USD $44,010,000 million (90% increase) or USD $566 per ha per year.

The assessment valued a total of 11 ecosystem services, which fell into three major categories --provisioning, regulating and supporting, and cultural services. In line with Ramsar principles, the study focused on values accruing from the wise use of wetland resources. It therefore excludes land and resource uses which are illegal or known to be unsustainable in biological and ecological terms, namely: commercial timber, charcoal and bush meat harvesting. The values of the services valued are summarized below. Original Total extended Ecosystem service Extension Area Average habitat value Ramsar Site Ramsar Site USD per year USD ha per year Provisioning services Capture $ 200,000 $ 10,250,000 $ 10,450,000 $ 383 Wood-based energy & timber $ 540,000 $ 2,780,000 $ 3,310,000 $ 253 Non-wood/non- wetland products $ 820,000 $ 5,200,000 $ 6,020,000 $ 78 Support to livestock production $ 170,000 $ 1,860,000 $ 2,040,000 $ 38 Regulating and supporting services Soil fertility & moisture - $ 80,000 $ 80,000 $ 443 Pollination, seed dispersal & pest control $ 410,000 $ 1,910,000 $ 2,320,000 $ 111 Water storage & recharge $ 760,000 $ 9,150,000 $ 9,910,000 $ 2,313 Regulation of water quality $ 540,000 $ 4,840,000 $ 5,380,000 $ 1,256 Flood attenuation $ 70,000 $ 630,000 $ 70,000 $ 164 Carbon storage & sequestration $ 250,000 $ 2,770,000 $ 3,010,000 $ 39 Cultural services Nature-based tourism $ 800,000 - $ 80,000 $ 221 Total $ 4,550,000 $ 39,460,000 $ 44,010,000 $ 566 JUSTIFICATION FOR CONSERVATION

The rapid economic assessment makes it clear that Nabugabo’s wetland species and habitats make a substantial contribution to local, national and even global economies. They currently provide a source of products for subsistence and income for a large proportion of the people that live in and beside the Ramsar Site. The wetland regulating services that enable, protect and enhance human settlement and agricultural production are estimated to be worth an additional USD $1.8 million a year for wetland households.

Nabugabo generates goods and services worth an average of USD $200 a year for every member of the local population: a value that is equivalent to almost a third of Uganda’s current GDP per capita.

Conservation of the expanded Ramsar site is crucial to protecting the biodiversity that lives within it. The wetland system has very rich biodiversity, comprised of rare and PHOTO: PREPARED/ TEDDY CHENYA threatened plants and animals, including internationally important bird populations, a Remnant indigenous forest on Lake Nabugabo’s fringes range of mammals, , reptiles and If appropriate measures and activities amphibians. However, increases in human are undertaken to expand and conserve population coupled with higher demand for the Lake Nabugabo Wetland Complex, wetland resources threaten the biodiversity. the Government of Uganda stands to Lack of protection of the site will accelerate safeguard more than USD 281 million of degradation leading to low water levels in the ecosystem service values over the next lakes and rivers; low water table; ; 25 years. decline of routinely flooded area; reduced fish, livestock and agricultural productivity, and The extended Ramsar Site will serve to secure habitat fragmentation. economically-important wetland resources for more than 190,000 people. Many of these goods and services are unavailable or unaffordable elsewhere for the wetland-adjacent human population, almost a quarter of which is categorized as living below the poverty line. Local communities, district government and the country of Uganda will only be able to reap the economic benefits provided by the Lake Nabugabo Ramsar site if measures are taken to

PHOTO: PREPARED/ TEDDY CHENYA conserve wetland resources and habitats.

A spiritual cultural site located at Lake Kayanja/Birinzi ACTIONS NEEDED TO ENHANCE CONSERVATION

1. Secure the expanded site boundaries and apply “wise use” concept in wetland conservation interventions.

2. Implement the 2017/18 - 2026/2027 Lake Nabugabo Wetland System Ramsar Site Management plan, whose goal is to ‘’to promote wise use of Lake Nabugabo wetland system resources for improved livelihoods of the stakeholders at local, national and international level’’.

3. Use the Lake Nabugabo Wetland Ramsar Site Conservation Investment Plan (CIP) to mobilize resources to facilitate the implementation of the management plan. Based on the management plan, the CIP identifies and elaborates four bankable investment packages, elaborated in Box 1, costing USD 13.24 million (UGX 47.68 billion)

LAKE NABUGABO WETLAND SYSTEM RAMSAR SITE CIP INVESTMENT PACKAGES 1. Strengthening environmental law enforcement and conservation. This investment package aims to safeguard key habitats, species and ecosystem services in the broader wetland landscape. It consists of five projects with a combined cost of UGX 9.39 billion or USD 2.61 million. 2. Enhancing conservation information, awareness and capacity. This investment package aims to encourage, enable and empower more equitable and effective environmental conservation. It consists of four projects with a combined cost of UGX 6.89 billion or USD 1.92 million. 3. Supporting sustainable local livelihoods and markets. This investment package aims to improve local socio economic wellbeing, development prospects and environmental status. It consists of four projects with a combined cost of UGX 24.50 billion or USD 6.80 million. 4. Building climate change adaptation and resilience. This investment package aims to reduce the vulnerability of people & to the impacts of climate change. It consists of five projects with a combined cost of UGX 6.90 billion or USD 1.91 million.

EAC

JUMUIYA YA AFRIKA MASHARIKI

CONTACTS The Wetland Management Department Ministry of Water and Environment P. O. Box 96292 , Uganda Tel: 0414-254706/251375 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mwe.go.ug

The rapid economic assessment of Nabugabo wetlands complex was conducted by LTS Africa through the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this fact sheet are the sole responsibility of its authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.