Reduction in the Water Level of Lake Victoria and Its Implications on Livelihoods in Rwanjaba Lakeshore Community,Uganda

This paper examines the livelihood challenges experienced in Rwanjaba Lakeshore Community during the period of low water level in Lake Victoria between 2004 and 2007 and identifies the livelihood coping strategies that were adopted to address them.A total of 55 households were randomly sampled and the data collection methods included household questionnaires and participant observations.The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science(SPSS) and the results presented with the help of descriptive statistics.The livelihood challenges experienced during the low lake water level included fish shortage(34.5%),household food scarcity(23.6%),sex for fish(18.2%),family breakdown(12.7%),increased theft(7.2%) and accidents due to the exposed rocks in the lake(3.6%).The livelihood coping strategies adopted to redress the challenges included causal labour(32.7%),maize roasting(23.6%),sand mining(18.2%),selling of snacks(12.7%),selling household property(9.1%) and resorting shop and market credits(3.6%).The paper proposes a number of recommendations for improving the livelihood of the community ranging from policy reforms to the diversification of activities.

Urban Agriculture:A Transitional Mechanism for Reducing Environmental Degradation and Fossil Fuel over Dependence

With the increasing population in the urban cities of the world,the demand for food from distant areas has been on the rise but at the expense of scarce natural resources like oil,water and forest,etc.However,producing food locally in urban centers provides a sustainable mechanism of reducing the carbon,food or ecological footprints of these cities in particular and environmental degradation in general.It creates a circular metabolic system in which the natural inputs are efficiently harnessed rather than the linear metabolic system in which resources flow in and wastes flow out.This article analyzes some urban agricultural local initiatives in urban centers of the worlds that promote a circular metabolic systems and proposes the procedure that can be adopted to promote urban agriculture.

Reduction of Tobacco Smoking Health Risk Through an Appropriate Media Based Communication Strategy in Uganda

The health impacts of tobacco consumption are well documented and have gained acceptance worldwide. Today, a substantial, preventable burden of tobacco attributable diseases exists in most countries, though in most of the cases, unknown. Smoking accounts for almost half of the deaths in middle age in some regions. In Uganda, translating findings into policy action is slow and involves several stakeholders. It will continue to require support from tobacco control campaign groups. This paper analyses secondary literature on tobacco smoking and later provides an appropriate medium based communication strategy that can be adopted to counteract the persuasive smoking evil adverts of tobacco companies as well as creating awareness among the population of the health impacts caused by smoking.

Stakeholder Perspectives on Use,Trade,and Conservation of Medicinal Plants in the Rasuwa District of Central Nepal

People's livelihood in several Himalayan regions largely depends on collection,use,and trade of medicinal plants.Traditional use is generally not a problem,but commercial gathering of selected species to meet increasing national and international demand can result in over-exploitation.Sustainable management of medicinal plants requires a clear understanding of the respective roles,responsibilities and viewpoints of the various stakeholders involved.Through personal interviews and group discussions,this study aimed at investigating the views of two stakeholder groups on use,trade and conservation of medicinal plants in the Rasuwa district of Nepal.Local people and district and national organizations agreed that medicinal plants are collected for a combination of commercial and personal uses.Perceptions on market availability differed significantly:100 % of the respondents from district and national organizations saw markets as easily available,against only 36 % for local people.This could explain why medicinal plants were perceived by local people to contribute less to income generation than to livelihood improvement.Different viewpoints were also expressed concerning the status of medicinal plants in the district:81 % of the respondents from district and national organizationsconsidered that medicinal plants were threatened,compared to only 28 % for local people.Despite this disparity,both stakeholder groups agreed upon potential threats to medicinal plants:over-harvesting;habitat loss due to land-use change and deforestation;and over-grazing by livestock.Several challenges were identified regarding sustainable management of medicinal plants,such as ambiguous policies;lack of resources,information and infrastructures;habitat degradation;and over-exploitation.Despite these challenges,respondents agreed that the medicinal plants sector offers huge opportunities in the Rasuwa district,given resource availability,community awareness and motivation,and the priority given to the sector by governments and other agencies.Proper collaboration,communication and coordination among stakeholders are needed to grab these opportunities.