Uganda: Poverty Rates In Grassland Wetlands With Low Product Diversity

The number of different products that could be potentially obtained from a wetland is closely related to the type of vegetation cover and level of wetness. For example, wetlands in grasslands can supply a much broader array of products than shrublands (WID, 2006). For this reason, the following analysis comparing the diversity of wetland products to the level of poverty in the surrounding communities is focused on such grassland wetlands. They are the most common wetland type, representing more than half of all wetlands in Uganda. Most of these grassland wetlands are located north and south of Lake Kyoga. A smaller number are further south clustering in Rakai, Kiruhura, and Lyantonde Districts.

Analysis of the number of products obtained from grassland wetlands reveals that 25 percent of such wetlands supply up to 6 products; another quarter supply 6 to 9 products; the third quarter supply 10 or 11 products; and the last quarter supply 12 to 24 products (as calculated from the National Wetlands Information System).

This map displays all the sample points in grassland wetlands with the lowest product diversity (0–5 different products), with the purpose of identifying locations where boosting wetland product diversity is an option that could benefit a large number of poor.

The map also displays the poverty rate for each rural subcounty.

Sources: International boundaries (NIMA, 1997), district administrative boundaries (UBOS, 2006a), subcounty administrative boundaries (UBOS, 2002a), water bodies (NFA, 1996; NIMA, 1997; Brakenridge et al., 2006), product diversity in grassland wetlands (WID, 2006), and rural poverty rate (UBOS and ILRI, 2008).