Wetland Monograph for the Semliki Delta (Democratic Republic of Congo - Uganda) wetland landscape NELSAP Technical Reports: Basin Development Series 2020 - 08 OCTOBER 2020 PROJECT INFORMATION Project name: Development of Wetland Management Plans for three wetland landscapes Project location: 1. Sio-Siteko wetland landscape (Kenya - Uganda) 2. Sango-Bay Minziro wetland landscape (Tanzania - Uganda) 3. Semliki Delta wetland landscape (Democratic U)Republic of Congo - Uganda) Client: Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program – Coordination Unit (NELSAP – CU) Transaction Number: 81224882 Processing Number: 14.9029.1-001.00 Financial Support: Funded by Federal Ministry of Environment / International Climate Initiative (ICI) (BMUB-ICI) of the Federal Republic of Germany (under its NBI Wetland Project) commissioned by Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) Project Period: January 2018 – March 2021 Deliverable: Final Wetland Monograph Date: January 13th 2020 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................................................................i II. FOREWORD ........................................................................................................................................vii III. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .....................................................................................................................ix IV. ACRONYMS ...........................................................................................................................................x EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. 1 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................3 1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE WETLAND LANDSCAPE ...........................................................................3 1.1.1 Geographical location ..................................................................................................................3 1.1.2 Ecological potential ......................................................................................................................4 1.1.3 Social economic potential ...........................................................................................................4 1.2 DIGESTION OF PREVIOUS PLANS AND PROGRAMS .............................................................5 1.3 MONOGRAPH PURPOSE AND DEVELOPMENT APPROACH ...............................................9 1.4 OUTLINE OF THE MONOGRAPH .................................................................................................9 2 PHYSICAL CONTEXT .........................................................................................................................11 2.1 LOCATION AND DELINEATION OF THE WETLAND LANDSCAPE ....................................11 2.2 TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND SOIL .........................................................................................11 2.2.1 Topography and geomorphology..............................................................................................11 2.2.2 Geology and soils ........................................................................................................................ 12 2.3 HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES ................................................................................. 15 2.3.1 Meteorology................................................................................................................................. 15 2.3.2 Surface water ............................................................................................................................... 15 2.3.3 Ground water ..............................................................................................................................20 2.3.4 Water quality ............................................................................................................................... 21 2.3.5 Hydrological functions of the wetland system ......................................................................26 2.4 CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ............................................................................................26 2.4.1 Current climate ...........................................................................................................................27 2.4.2 Current trends.............................................................................................................................27 2.4.3 Climate change ...........................................................................................................................28 2.4.4 Effects of climate change...........................................................................................................29 2.4.5 Climate vulnerability ................................................................................................................. 31 2.4.6 Carbon storage in Semliki Delta peatlands ........................................................................... 31 3 2.5 LAND USE AND LAND COVER ....................................................................................................32 3 BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES ...........................................................................37 3.1 BIODIVERSITY .................................................................................................................................37 3.1.1 Bio-geographical significance of Semliki Delta area ............................................................ 37 3.1.2 Biodiversity assessments of Semliki Delta ............................................................................. 37 3.1.3 Plants ............................................................................................................................................38 3.1.4 Birds..............................................................................................................................................39 3.1.5 Mammals .....................................................................................................................................39 3.1.6 Amphibians and reptiles ...........................................................................................................40 3.1.7 Fish ............................................................................................................................................... 41 3.1.8 Insects ..........................................................................................................................................42 3.1.9 Vermin and invasive species ....................................................................................................43 3.2 ECOSYSTEM SERVICES .................................................................................................................43 4 POLICIES AND INSTITUTIONS .....................................................................................................48 4.1 MAIN ACTORS AND INTERACTIONS IN THE WETLAND LANDSCAPE ..........................48 4.1.1 Global level ..................................................................................................................................49 4.1.2 Regional level ..............................................................................................................................49 4.1.3 National Level .............................................................................................................................50 4.1.4 Local level ....................................................................................................................................50 4.2 POLICIES AND LEGISLATIONS ...................................................................................................50 4.2.1 Global ........................................................................................................................................... 51 4.2.2 Regional ....................................................................................................................................... 51 4.2.3 National ........................................................................................................................................ 51 4.2.4 Local .............................................................................................................................................52 4.3 PROTECTED AREAS .......................................................................................................................52 4.4 NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................53 5 SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND LIVELIHOOD ANALYSIS ................................................................55 5.1 LIVELIHOOD AND ECONOMIC SYSTEM ..................................................................................55 5.2 LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND AGRO-PASTORAL SYSTEM ............................................. 55 5.3 CROP PRODUCTION AND FORESTRY ......................................................................................56 5.4 FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE ..............................................................................................56 5.5 ENERGY SOURCES AND TRANSPORT ......................................................................................58