Africa’s second deepest lake Bunyonyi in Rubanda and Kabale districts, southwestern Uganda and Kaku-Kiyanja wetland in Lwengo district have been approved by the National ramsar committee to be ringfenced as Ramsar sites.
A Ramsar is an site selected to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention that was established in 1971 during an intergovernmental environmental treaty by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The two sites were endoced by the committee due to their unique features that are sort to be of national importance and thus need protection from depletion.
Now considered Ramsar sites, lake Bunyonyi and Kaku-Kiyanja wetland will seize to be a public spaces but rather protected sites where access is permitted under caution and natural use is prohibited. This will eventually see the sites grow to serve generations rather than being left for anyone to use exposing theme to possible misuse and depletion.
According to a biodiversity assessment, many important plant and animal species, including the swamp antelope and zenopus frogs and unique plants, some of which are not found anywhere else in Uganda were found present in these areas.
Canon Eng. Ivan Mbabazi Batuma, the Kigezi Tourism cluster president, says recognizing Lake Bunyonyi as a Ramsar site will bring more tourists aboard.
“We are hopeful that the Lake’s profile will grow and as stakeholders we hope to receive more tourists aboard which is quite exciting for the industry in this region,” said Batuma.
With the reinfencement of these sites, analysts say the future is bright for these conserved spaces.
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