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Safeguarding Uganda’s Wetlands: Stakeholders Trained on Digital Earth Africa Platform
Wetlands have long been recognized as some of the most valuable yet fragile ecosystems in Africa. They regulated water cycles, supported biodiversity, sustained livelihoods, and helped mitigate the impacts of climate change. Yet, they continued to face mounting threats from urban expansion, agriculture, pollution, and climate variability. To ensure their conservation and sustainable use, accurate mapping and monitoring was essential.
From 11th to 12th September 2025, Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), Regenar Development Initiative (RDI), in collaboration with the National Environment Management Authority of Uganda (NEMA) convened a training workshop in Kampala, Uganda, on wetlands inventory mapping using the Digital Earth Africa (DEA) platform. The training brought together government officials, researchers, academics, and private sector actors engaged in environmental and natural resources management, equipping them with practical skills to map and monitor wetlands more effectively.
At the center of the initiative was the Digital Earth Africa platform, a powerful open-access cloud-based resource that provides free satellite data, analysis tools, and derived products tailored for Africa. Participants were introduced to its wetlands inventory mapping modules and engaged in hands-on exercises within the Sandbox. These sessions not only offered an overview of the platform’s capabilities but also allowed participants to generate real-world wetland inventories for selected wetlands ecosystems including the Nalubaaga wetland.
The purpose of the workshop went beyond technical training. It sought to inspire a culture of evidence-based decision-making by demonstrating how Earth observation technologies could transform the way wetlands were mapped, monitored, and protected. By developing use cases and exploring practical applications, participants left with both the knowledge and the confidence to integrate these tools into their work.
Through this collaboration, RDI, NEMA, and RCMRD built the capacity needed to safeguard wetlands for future generations. The workshop reflected a shared commitment to harnessing digital innovation in support of conservation and sustainable development. As wetlands continued to face unprecedented pressure, the initiative was both timely and vital, offering professionals the resources to better understand and protect these critical ecosystems.
