Title Community Environmental Awareness and Freshwater Protection in Uganda: A Community-Based Perspective from the African Great Lakes Region
Author(s) Katumba Ivan
Affiliation Empire Agencies Limited
Country Uganda
Contribution type case study; community-based evidence).
Thematic area • War and Land-Use Systems• War and Health
Conference framework connection • Analytical Track AT-01 — provisional title to be defined• Analytical Track AT-02 — provisional title to be defined• Analytical Track AT-03 — provisional title to be defined• Analytical Track AT-04 — provisional title to be defined• Analytical Track AT-05 — provisional title to be defined• Analytical Track AT-06 — provisional title to be defined• Analytical Track AT-07 — provisional title to be defined
Abstract Uganda’s freshwater and land systems are fundamental to community livelihoods, food production, public health, and local economic activity. However, growing environmental pressures, including pollution, inappropriate waste disposal, land degradation, loss of vegetation, and increasing pressure on freshwater resources, are making communities that depend directly on natural resources increasingly vulnerable. Across the wider African Great Lakes region, these pressures occur alongside population mobility, livelihood insecurity, infrastructure limitations, and regional instability, creating additional challenges for environmental protection and community resilience.
This contribution examines the role of community environmental awareness in strengthening local resilience to environmental degradation and freshwater-related risks. Drawing on experience from community environmental awareness activities, it considers how community engagement can improve understanding of pollution prevention, responsible waste management, natural-resource protection, and the links between environmental degradation and public health. Particular attention is given to the potential of community-level awareness to encourage preventive environmental practices and strengthen local participation in the protection of land and freshwater systems.
The contribution argues that environmental resilience should not be understood solely in terms of formal monitoring systems and technical interventions. Local communities are also an important source of environmental knowledge and can contribute to identifying environmental risks, communicating local concerns, promoting responsible practices, and supporting environmental protection initiatives. Community awareness can therefore provide an important link between environmental risk identification, public participation, and long-term freshwater resilience.
The contribution further considers how community-based environmental awareness can strengthen resilience across the wider Great Lakes region, where environmental degradation, population mobility, livelihood pressures, and uneven access to environmental services can intensify pressure on natural resources. By connecting environmental education, community participation, pollution prevention, and public-health protection, the paper highlights a decentralized approach to strengthening environmental resilience and protecting vulnerable freshwater-dependent communities.
Key points 1. Community environmental awareness can strengthen local capacity to identify and respond to pollution, land degradation, and freshwater-related risks.
2. Environmental education and community participation can complement formal environmental monitoring and support preventive environmental practices.
3. Environmental and socio-economic pressures across the African Great Lakes region increase the importance of community-based approaches to freshwater protection and public-health resilience.
Keywords Community Environmental Awareness; Community Resilience; Freshwater Vulnerability; Environmental Degradation; Pollution Prevention; Public Health; Uganda; African Great Lakes Region
Main discussion question How can community-based environmental awareness and participation be strengthened to improve freshwater resilience and reduce environmental and public-health risks in vulnerable communities across the African Great Lakes region?
OJS publication link https://pollution-diseases-ojs.org/index.php/pd/article/view/59
Note. Analytical TracksIn addition to the main thematic areas, the conference programme will include several cross-cutting analytical tracks. These tracks will be defined during the preparation of the programme, based on the submitted abstracts and the emerging links between presentations.At the preliminary stage, abstracts may be assigned to provisional analytical tracks marked as AT-01 to AT-07. Final track titles will be announced after the Scientific Committee has reviewed the submitted materials.