Lira | Meaningful Empowerment for Change and Poverty Alleviation (MECPA), a non-profit organisation based in the Lango sub-region, has launched the Land Stakeholders Collaboration Action Project.
The four-year project aims to promote sustainable land management and secure women’s land rights.
The project, estimated to cost shs144 million, focusses on rural women in Abala and Orit parishes in Agweng sub-county, Lira district, while also addressing broader issues throughout the district.
Moses Ogwal, Executive Director of MECPA, stated at the project’s launch on July 31, 2024, that the project’s primary goal will be to secure women’s land rights, which are frequently hampered by deeply ingrained cultural norms and challenges.
Ogwal noted that the project will use Community-based Monitors (CBMs) to ensure equitable land allocation and opportunities for women to advocate for natural resource conservation.
Also read: MECPA’s community monitors, farmers make impacts on wetland regeneration in Agweng
“It is in our previllage that today we are launching a new project…. We need stakeholders to come together to continue supporting women’s efforts to reach the places that we are supposed to reach, and today we are able to bring a team from the Ministry of Water and Environment, Lira district local government, Agweng sub-county, and the community who has been meaningfully participating in community-based monitoring and reporting of wetlands-related crimes or activities.”
This project is expected to last four years (until 2029) and will aim to build the capacity of 15 LANDSCAP management committees at the sub-county level.
“…if our group of community based monitors come with new things that needs response, they are closer and they will also make sure that natural resources are properly managed,” Ogwal added.
He emphasised that the project will help to raise women’s voices in order to secure their land rights.
Also read: LEMU’s land rights intervention has slowed related crimes in Dokolo
“We have been experiencing a number of challenges including our cultural norms that still don’t give opportunities for women to freely utilise land and also we noted that women has been having alot of challenges in accessing and utilising land.”
Dickens Ogwal, Executive Director of Lango Civil Society Network, emphasised the importance of collective action in environmental conservation.
Ogwal criticised the lack of emphasis on environmental issues in comparison to other areas of concern, and urged funding organisations to prioritise projects such as LANDSCAP.
He emphasised the urgent need for environmental restoration in areas like Otuke and Alebtong, which have been severely impacted by climate change, resulting in decreased rainfall and agricultural productivity.
Moses Oloro, Lira District Forest Officer, stressed the importance of long-term natural resource management. With only 3% of the world’s water fresh and fit for human consumption, Oloro emphasised the importance of conserving water and protecting wetlands, which are critical for biodiversity and community support.
He adds that people are unaware of the economic value of water, stating that it is critical for people to understand this. “If you start living within the city and you calculating economic value of each jerrican of water you collect per day, then you multiply it times a week, then times a month, then times a year, you will see that there is alot of value in water.”
He also stated at the project’s launch that water resource management should be based on participatory approaches, emphasising that water is “very limited and vulnerable.”
Oloro spoke out strongly against wetland encroachment and the construction of structures in it, revealing how the district natural resources department’s staff face arrest if they do not perform their role in protecting these wetlands.
He cites Article 237(b) of the Constitution, which authorises Parliament and local governments to manage natural resources for the benefit of all Ugandans.
“When you look at issues of waste management and sanitation, that one is clearly stated on Article 39. So I want us to take these Laws, policies into our hands and implement what the government really needs.”
Oloro pledged the Lira district’s commitment to collaborating with MECPA on project implementation.
Paskole Kerodong, team leader of the Upper Nile Water Management Zone, welcomed the project, stating that it will allow local monitoring teams to more effectively address environmental issues and mitigate impacts on wetland systems.
He also urged licensed wetland operators to conduct their work in a sustainable and legal manner.
Peter Ocen, Agweng’s sub-county chief, praised the project’s timely arrival, claiming that Agweng’s wetlands had been exploited for agriculture.
Ocen noted that MECPA’s approach to wetland restoration is healthy, and beneficiaries of the wetlands are prioritised to ensure that they are protected and conserved for future generations.
Women, he said, are leading the effort to restore wetlands because they use the most water in the community.
“The wetlands in Agweng sub-county had almost extinct… the ways the communities were using it were unhealthy,” he said, adding that rice and other horticultural crops were cultivated in wetlands during dry season.
He attributed wetlands encroachment to population growth and agricultural land misuse.
“Right now, the communities are ensuring that they leave exploitation of wetland. MECPA built their capacity and they are now aware of the benefits of the wetlands that they have been exploiting.”
Ocen urged both the government and donors to prioritise wetland conservation efforts, as well as civil society to support government initiatives aimed at restoring natural resources.
According to the Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda’s wetland coverage has decreased from 13% to 8% of the country’s total land area.
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