Wetland Destruction Puts Kampala's Water Supply at Risk
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Social
Uganda's capital, Kampala, sits on the shores of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest freshwater body. The lake provides the city with water and fish, such as the gigantic Nile perch, tilapia and silver fish.
But Kampala is struggling to cope with pressures exerted by its rapidly expanding population: its wetlands are disappearing as environmental protection falls prey to broken and corrupt politics.
Kampala could face a future of severe flooding, shortages of drinking water and disappearing fish - as well as a plethora of health hazards - if wetland destruction is not urgently stopped.
Still a comparatively small city of 3m people, Kampala has a high annual population growth rate of 3.2% as people from impoverished rural areas flood the city seeking economic opportunities.
The state-administered Kampala Capital City Authority expects the city's population to reach 8m by 2030. As the city's population grows, the wetland-covered valleys are yielding to population and economic pressures.
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Media
Taxonomy
- Wetlands
- Drinking Water Managment