| dc.description.abstract | The study explored the effect of community empowerment on wet land policy implementation in
Uganda, with specific reference to Mukono Municipality wetlands. The objectives of the study were: To establish the effect of awareness, financing alternatives and infrastructure development on wetland policy implementation in Mukono Municipality. A case study design was used. A total of 72 respondents, including 52 local and opinion leaders and 20 key informants participated in the study. Primary data was obtained using a structured questionnaire, structured interview guides and an observation guide. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential quantitative as well as qualitative methods.
The findings revealed that while authorities in Mukono implemented the wetland policy to some extent, the results were low due community empowerment. The community who are the key implementers of the wet land policy, had low awareness about the policy, there was limited alternatives financed and insufficient infrastructure to prevent wetland degradation. The community was not aware of the contents of the policy and the penalties for degrading wet lands.
The communities who depended on wet lands for agriculture and building materials had not been given alternatives to motivate them to stop depending on wet lands. While some infrastructure such as posters existed, they were not very effectively used to prevent degradation. This was due to the fact that monitoring by municipality was weak and people who stay around wet lands had not been relocated neither did they have affordable alternatives.
The study recommends that Mukono Municipality should implement A bottom -Up approach in success full implementation of the policy, because the very community members who operate in the wetlands expressed full knowledge of the dangers their activities cause to the environment, and if empowered and financed to educate and monitor wetland policy implementation the results likely to be generated will offer a lasting and problem fixing solutions to the degradation of wetlands. The issue of poverty eradication and corruption ought to be addressed with significant input, because most of the respondents revealed the willingness to stop operating in the wetlands, in case financed to start other income generating projects on merit. | en_US |
