BUZEKI URGES KAMPALA RESIDENTS TO PROTECT WETLANDS, PLANT TREES

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki has urged all city residents to take an active role in safeguarding Kampala’s fragile ecosystems, calling on communities to “plant a tree, protect a wetland boundary, and report encroachment,” and reminding the public that “these ecosystems belong to you.”

Buzeki, delivered the message during the 2025 Kampala City GIS Day Celebration held at Imperial Royale Hotel on Friday, where KCCA launched two major environmental tools, the Kampala City Wetland Management Strategy (KCWMS) and the Kampala Urban Forest Management Plan 2024/25–2029/30.

The event ran under the theme “Geo-Generalist Era: Where Spatial Meets Everything,” highlighting the increasing power of GIS technology in defining Kampala’s environmental priorities.

Buzeki said the two strategies mark a new chapter for Kampala’s climate and environmental management efforts. “GIS has given us clarity, evidence, and accountability,” she noted. “Every wetland boundary we defend and every tree corridor we expand has been mapped with precision. These strategies are not just documents, they are commitments.”

She warned that the scale of wetland loss demands urgent action.

Over the past three decades, Kampala’s wetlands have shrunk from 3,201 hectares to just 1,768 hectares, a 44.8 percent decline driven by unplanned settlements, industrial expansion, cultivation in wetland zones, and infrastructure projects that pushed into sensitive areas.

The result has been an increase in the number of buildings inside wetlands to over 56,600 by 2024, weakening the city’s natural defenses against floods and pollution.

“Our city can’t survive without these ecosystems,” Buzeki said. “When wetlands disappear, floods rise. When trees vanish, temperatures climb. And when boundaries are ignored, the entire city pays the price.”

She added that the launch of the KCWMS, costed at UGX 65 billion over five years, is a firm step toward reversing environmental decline.

The plan focuses on enforcement, restoration, sustainable urban planning, community involvement, continuous monitoring, and climate adaptation rooted in ecosystem-based solutions.

The updated Urban Forest Management Plan complements this work by setting new targets for expanding Kampala’s tree cover and integrating urban forestry across all development sectors.

Buzeki appealed to residents, that environmental protection is a shared responsibility. “Every tree planted is a gift to this city. Every encroacher reported is a step toward restoring our wetlands. And every boundary respected is a promise to future generations,” she said. “The wetlands are calling, the trees are waiting, and Kampala’s future is watching.”

Speaking at the same event, KCCA Director of Physical Planning Vincent B. Byendaimira, affirmed that spatial data will be central to enforcement and long-term planning.

“Kampala has GIS-defined wetland boundaries, restoration zones, and urban forest corridors that everyone can reference planners, developers, and communities alike,” he said. “This clarity ends guesswork. If a developer claims not to know where a wetland boundary lies, we now have precise, publicly verifiable maps.”

Byendaimira added that GIS tools will also strengthen enforcement and reduce land-use disputes. “We are entering an era where planning decisions are backed by hard evidence, data, imagery, and spatial analytics. This is the level of transparency Kampala has needed for years.”

The Director further warned that development must now align strictly with the newly mapped ecological zones. “Wetlands are not empty spaces waiting for construction, they are living systems performing critical services. And trees are not optional, they are urban infrastructure,” he said.