The Impact of Urban Development on Wetland Degradation in Uganda : A Case Study of Nsooba Wetland, Kampala City

The natural environment is central to a country's economic growth and development. Wetlands perform valuable ecosystem services such as flood protection, food chain support, water quality enhancement and carbon sequestration. In Uganda, the existence of urban wetlands is being threatened by human activities. Scarcity of urban land has resulted into increased construction, farming activities and settlement in wetland areas thus rendering them susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change. This study attempts to model the impact of urban development on wetland degradation in Uganda with focus on Nsooba, a Kampala City wetland. It takes on a binary logistic regression analysis to ascertain the extent of the impact of urban settlement, urban construction, urban farming and urban business enterprise activities on wetland degradation. The study is guided by the Ramsar Convention philosophy of 'wise use', which entails maintenance of the ecological character of wetlands within the confines of sustainable development.