For the last three decades, Uganda has lost considerable natural vegetation cover in the refugee settlements and buffer zones due to the high demand for wood fuel and timber. It is worthy to note that the supplies of wood fuel are more likely to dwindle in the near future. This study explored the determinants of harvested wood-fuel choices and their energy potential. It also examined the implemented energy conservation measures and constraints faced by the refugees both in Palorinya and Imvepi refugee settlements in Northern Uganda. The data were collected by conducting household interviews and collection of wood species samples for energy potential laboratory analysis. Findings indicate that the major sources of wood fuel were firewood, charcoal, briquettes, and biomass fuels. The major refugee choices that determined wood-fuel collection included the family size of the house hold, culture, method of cooking, type of food cooked, high poverty levels, and availability of family labour ( P ≤ 0.05 ). The sampled wood tree species had the highest energy potential were Celtis durandii (5,837 kcal/kg), Parkinsonia aculeata (5,771 kcal/kg), Delonix regia (5,153 kcal/kg), and Bligihia unijugata (5,034 kcal/kg). Access to wood fuel by the households was mainly constrained by limited household income levels, long distances trekked, and inadequate awareness about wood fuel sources and availability. To conserve wood fuel, the refugees deploy several measures including the use of mobile solar gadgets for cooking and lighting, taking up agroforestry, use of briquettes, adoption of energy-saving cooking stoves, and establishment of new woodlots. Therefore, to reverse this trend, the Ugandan government and development partners should prioritise energy investments by supporting cheaper energy alternatives such as mobile solar gadgets and energy-saving cooking technologies, and establishment of woodlots.
In developing countries, little information is available about solid-waste characteristics, determinants for adoption and performance-evaluation of municipal-waste management systems in Municipals. This study aimed: to characterize the municipal solid-wastes, collection, dumping and evaluate the efficiency and reliability of Municipal solid-waste management system. A total of 200 households were randomly sampled and interviewed. Data was analysed using Binary-Logistic Regression model to determine factors influencing collection and dumping of solid wastes. Results showed that biodegradable/organic wastes comprise a major fraction of solid-wastes produced. Factors that influenced solid-waste collection and dumping included: household-age, unavailability of solid-waste containers, inadequate collection/dumping space and weak legal-enforcement against poor-dumping. The waste system is constrained by inadequate transport facilities, inadequate space for temporal dumping; and lack of legal enforcement in matters of solid-waste poor handling. These have made the systems ineffective and unreliable. This study recommends involvement of all stakeholders in innovative approaches to uphold sustainable municipal sanity.
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) degrades and obstructs the integrity of freshwater ecosystems. However, little attention has been paid to monitoring water hyacinth’s spatial extent, its determinants, and its effects on water quality in Lake Victoria, Uganda. The specific objectives of this paper are to (i) assess the spatial extent and distribution of water hyacinth; (ii) examine the determinants of water hyacinth distribution, and (iii) assess its impact on water quality. High-resolution satellite images (2016–2019) were obtained and used to monitor the spatial extent of the water hyacinth, a household survey was conducted to examine the determinants of the water hyacinth’s extent and patterns while water samples were drawn and analysed for physicochemical properties. Results show that the coverage and distribution of water hyacinth varied over space and time. Water hyacinth coverage primarily increased with a decrease in water surface area. The perceived factors that triggered the water hyacinth spread included the morphology of the Bay, effluent discharge, strong winds, speed of water current, water-level changes, ferry navigation, and construction activities at the shore. Water parameters significantly impacted by hyacinth were pH, TP, BOD, COD, DO, turbidity, and transparency. This study recommends the strict development and implementation of integrated weed control measures, catchment management plans, and point and nonpoint pollution source control.
This study aimed at establishing the potential of fruit trees in carbon sequestration. The specific objectives were to establish the carbon stocks in fruit trees compare the potential of carbon stocks in citrus and mango trees and examine the relationship between the management practices and carbon stocks in fruit trees. At the farm level, plots were identified and transects established and individual fruit trees from sampled individual farms along the transect were selected. At the tree level, measurements of tree height and diameter at breast height were made. They were converted to biomass using allometric equations. Analysis of Variance was used to compare the differences in carbon stocks between the fruit trees and between the different management practices. Findings revealed higher biomass and carbon stocks in mango trees as compared to citrus (74.57 ± 14.95 and 13.52 ± 1.25 t/ha respectively). Significant differences are also reported in carbon stocks under different management practices (p < 0.05). Irrespective of the species type, above-ground carbon under different management practices followed the order (from highest to lowest): Inorganic fertilizer < Intercrop < Monocrop < organic fertilizer and irrigation < intercrop and inorganic fertilizer. The results also point out that mango fruits have a high potential to sequestrate carbon emissions hence mitigating global warming.
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