Papyrus wetlands cover 13% of Uganda, but are in rapid decline, threatened by fragmentation, excessive harvesting of vegetation and drainage for crops and dairy farms. These practices threaten their specialized biodiversity, including several endemic birds, and degradation renders wetlands ineffective in sustaining ecosystem services such as water filtration. Birds are extremely sensitive to habitat loss and serve as useful proxies of trends affecting wider ecosystem dynamics.

Over the course of three years, this project aims to generate evidence for site-based conservation of wetland biodiversity, based on studies of birds endemic to papyrus wetlands. Importantly, the project will identify priority wetlands key to sustaining other taxa, particularly reptiles and amphibians.

Papayrus yellow warbler, Photo by Sarah Nachuha

Kiwa Heritage Wetland in Kasese District, western Uganda, Photos by Fredrick Mugira

The Site Selection to Protect Papyrus Endemic Biodiversity in Uganda project identifies the following direct objectives;

1. Generate evidence for strategic site-based conservation of papyrus wetland biodiversity in Uganda. Papyrus endemic birds will be used as a primary proxy, though wider taxonomic surveys will also be conducted.
2. Fill gaps in national and regional biodiversity information databases on the biodiversity of papyrus wetlands. This project will address gaps in knowledge, particularly for birds, and add to data records for reptiles and amphibians.
3. Make recommendations within a global and national process for prioritizing sites for conservation actions. The KBA process has gained global recognition for setting locally-based conservation. Sites designated as KBAs have strong justification as priority areas for conservation action as candidate areas for protection.
4. Advocate for the designation of identified KBAs as protected areas, contributing to Uganda’s national 30 by 30 (CBD) goals, which aim to increase protection for sites with the greatest biodiversity value. The robust science and rigorous process underpinning KBA designation ensures that critical biodiversity sites gain attention for protection.
5. Build capacity for evidence-based site conservation strategy development, implementation, monitoring, and policy advocacy to designate KBAs. Nine MSc students and four university lecturers will engage in post-graduate training and exchange programs.
6. Implement a communication plan to raise awareness of the importance of Uganda’s papyrus wetlands at local, national, and global levels.

Associate Professor Sarah Nachuha lectures in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kabale University, Kabale, Uganda and has 24 years of experience teaching at the University level. She holds a Second Class (Upper Division) Bachelor of Science (Biology/Chemistry) with Education Degree (DOSATE, Makerere University Kampala), a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science (Makerere University Kampala), a PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) of Oxford University, UK, and a First Class diploma in Public Administration and Management from the Uganda Management Institute.