While speaking to the representatives from government MDAs, the Executive Director of NEMA Barirega Akankwasah, PhD emphasized on the need to incorporate development and environment into policies at planning, budgeting and execution stages.

Amidst high population growth in Uganda, approx. 11,305.1km2 of wetlands ~ 4.7% is considered degraded as of 2021. However, more restoration efforts have been put to date.

The total size of Uganda’s wetland is approx. 33,762.06km2 ~13.9% and 22,457.4km2 ~ 9.3% is intact. However, 8,613 wetlands has been gazetted as of 2023, and demarcation of wetlands are on-going. In collaboration with stakeholders such as the Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda National Roads Authority, and Kampala Capital City Authority, we initiated phase one of the restoration efforts aimed at recovering 1,526 hectares of the degraded Lubigi wetland system.

Forest cover loss has been reversed from 9% to 13.3% of Uganda’s land size between 2009 and 2024. Uganda’s air quality, average PM10, exceeds 15 μg/m3 recommended by WHO with the year 2023 having the highest average PM2.5 concentrations compared to the year 2022.

The representatives of the MDAs expressed gratitude to NEMA upon this milestone and pledged for a concerted efforts to fight against environmental degradation; pollution, Biodiversity harm, over use of pesticides, single use plastics and poor disposal of waste among others.

The NSoER, 2024 was launched on 25th June 2025 during the World Environment Day Celebration in Kabale.
It’s the mandate of NEMA to produce the report after every two years.