Residents of Agweng Sub-county in Lira District are witnessing the return of water to wetlands that had remained dry for nearly a decade after years of degradation caused by rice farming, sugarcane cultivation, and other agricultural activities.
The restored wetlands Opopong, Otol and Obim were once heavily encroached upon, leaving communities struggling with prolonged dry spells, disappearing water sources and declining agricultural productivity. Today, residents say the wetlands are gradually returning to their natural state, bringing renewed hope for both people and livestock.
Speaking to our reporter, Moses Ogwal, the Executive Director of Meaningful Empowerment for Change and Poverty Alleviation (MECPA), said the organization intervened in the restoration of the wetlands after several attempts by the Ministry of Water and Environment had failed.
“We adopted a community-centred approach by teaching residents how to use wetlands sustainably without destroying them. We introduced alternatives such as bottle irrigation, fish farming and other environmentally friendly livelihood options. Once the community understood the benefits, many voluntarily abandoned farming inside the wetlands,” Ogwal said.
He explained that although the government had invested billions of shillings in restoration of these wetland but the absence of community ownership undermined the efforts. MECPA later secured about Shs40 million to pilot a restoration project using a participatory approach.
According to Ogwal, the organisation first mobilised women, empowering them to become champions of wetland conservation before encouraging them to influence their husbands and other community members. This eventually led to the formation of local groups dedicated to protecting the wetlands and environment.
One of the community engagement on wetland degradation
Caroline Anying, a resident of Awielem Orit Parish in Agweng Sub-county, recalled that the wetlands had once been the community’s main source of livelihood.”We depended on the wetlands for growing vegetables during the dry season and rice, yams and other crops during the rainy season. The income helped us pay school fees and provide food for our families,” she said.
However, she noted that years of environmental degradation triggered severe climate changes, causing water levels to decline.”The shallow wells dried up, livestock lacked drinking water and life became very difficult for both people and animals,” Anying said.
She admitted that when MECPA first introduced the restoration programme in 2020, many residents opposed it for fear of losing their livelihoods but smaltaneously people started attending to their initiative.
“After the training, we realised our own activities had contributed to the disappearance of water and the prolonged dry seasons. We accepted the idea of bottle irrigation and left the wetlands to recover naturally. Today, water has returned, our wells have refilled and our animals have enough water again,” she said.
Anying added that the organisation also encouraged farmers to conserve trees on their farmland instead of cutting them down during cultivation, helping improve environmental conservation.
Anying explaing how wetland encroachment affected them
Another resident, Sam Ogwal, said wetland degradation had left the community battling poor harvests and unpredictable rainfall.
“MECPA encouraged us to stop farming in the wetlands and instead cultivate upland areas. Many people accepted the message and left the wetlands voluntarily. Today, the wetlands have recovered, rainfall has improved and our crops are producing better yields,” he said.
The restored opongpong wetland
Lira District Environment Officer Walter Ocen confirmed that Opopong, Otol and Obim wetlands had suffered extensive degradation before restoration efforts began.
He said the wetlands form part of the Aswa River catchment stretching from Ogur through Agweng before joining the main river system.
Ocen noted that the district partnered with non-governmental organisations such as MECPA to promote community-led wetland restoration as part of wider climate change mitigation efforts.
“Many people voluntarily left the wetlands after understanding the dangers of degradation. For those who refused, we enforced the law and some offenders have been prosecuted,” Ocen said.
He added that wetland degradation in the district as of now stand at 47.6 percent, indicating great improvement while describing the progress as a major milestone in environmental conservation.