“From the problem tree, I’ve learnt that every problem has a root cause and we should focus on addressing the root cause,” Acen, a beneficiary of our CPAR Uganda “mentoring young adults into innovators against poverty” project expressed her understanding of the training content.

CLICK HERE to read “Analysis Tools – Poverty Problem Trees” for context of Acen’s testimony.

Acen’s learning is on my mind, as I process the reported catastrophe that over the last two decades, we, in Uganda, have lost nearly 40% of our wetlands; our gift of nature.

Reportedly, precipitated by human activity as Uganda implements a bastardized model of ‘neoliberal development’ which privileges individualism and primitive accumulation.

And without concern for the African philosophy of Ubuntu and the commons.

Wetlands are encroached upon in the name of ‘industrialisation’, ‘urban development’ and ‘agricultural expansion’; concepts implemented incompatible with the greater good.

A study conducted in Fort Portal concluded that among the causes for the status quo are:

• Poor governance
• Corruption
• Failure to enforce laws
• Political interference

CLICK HERE to read more insights in “50 percent of Fort Portal wetlands drown in destruction – study” in Montor.

I surmise that all these four causes listed likely stem from root causes related with attitude and perception of ‘development’ – both by duty holders and rights holders.

It is feasible that both duty bearers and rights holders in Uganda, case in point, have insufficient knowledge on rain formation and the critical role wetlands play in that regard.

I am convinced time is overdue for campaigners against degradation of wetlands to explain to people how rain formation takes place and how trees and wetlands are crucial for that process.

We need to cultivate mass appreciation of the need for wetlands and how we can ‘develop’ with wetlands co-existing with other ‘development’ interventions.  

An appreciation that ‘development’ which erases our wetlands is not the kind of development we want.