3.0 GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Although wetlands conservation and management is a shared responsibility for all Ugandans, Government has a leading role to play. The various functions and related problems of wetlands enumerated above are critical for their sustainable use and the general socio-economic development of the nation.

It is also an international responsibility of government to conserve wetlands and sustainably utilize them under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitats, of which Uganda is a signatory and Contracting Party.

To carry out these shared responsibilities with respect to the country's wetlands, Government has outlined broad aims which are also supported by a number of specific goals. Further, guiding principles will be presented to govern the manner in which the National Policy for the conservation and management of wetland resources will be implemented.

The National Policy on the Conservation and Management of the Wetland Resources complements the goals and objectives of the National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) process and sectorial policies including those of fisheries, forestry, wildlife, water, land tenure and soils, among others, as well as the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitats.