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ItemThe role of Spatial Planning in Managing Peri-Urban Spatial Land use Conflicts in Uganda; a case study of Goma Division in Mukono Municipality.(Makerere University, 2026)Land use conflicts present significant challenges to sustainable development particularly in rapidly urbanising peri-urban areas. Spatial planning is a critical tool in managing these land use conflicts by promoting orderly land use, balancing stakeholder interests and ensuring sustainable land management. This study assessed the role of spatial planning in managing spatially manifested land use conflicts in Goma Division, Mukono Municipality. A mixed-methods study design was adopted, integrating quantitative household surveys with qualitative interviews and spatial data analysis. Geographic Information System (GIS) tools were used to identify the spatial patterns of existing land use conflicts, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 26) was employed to analyse quantitative data and qualitative data was thematically analysed. A total of one hundred (100) land-users and forty-one (41) local and institutional actors were interviewed to capture their lived experiences regarding the nature, causes and existing spatial planning methods for the management of land use conflicts. Key findings revealed that 53% of respondents had experienced land use conflicts, primarily resulting from rapid urbanisation and population growth (82%), poor enforcement of land use regulations (56%) and gaps in spatial planning interventions (23%). Spatial analysis confirmed that conflicts were concentrated in areas undergoing unregulated development. Although detailed physical development plans exist for some wards such as Bukerere and Misindye, their implementation remains weak due to limited institutional capacity, inadequate enforcement, and limited stakeholder participation. The study’s analysis showed that institutional fragmentation between planning authorities, local councils, and landowners has weakened coordination, while insufficient community involvement has reduced compliance with zoning and planning standards. The disconnect between formal plans and actual land-use practices continues to fuel peri-urban land use conflicts. The findings also highlighted the potential of participatory spatial planning when coupled with locally informed decision-making to mitigate land use conflicts and promote sustainable land use. The study concluded that spatial planning in Goma Division has yet to realize its full potential as a proactive land use conflict management tool. To harness spatial planning as a land use conflict management tool, there is a need to enforce detailed plans, strengthen institutional capacity and promote participatory planning to balance competing land interests and minimise ensuing land use conflicts.
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ItemAssessing the performance of Community based management in the Operation and maintance of Boreholes. a case study of Moyo District.(Makerere University, 2024-08-20)The Performance Assessment of the Community Based Management is as a result of the conventional wisdom in policy circles that it is inappropriate to simply respond to people‟s need for easy access to safe water without considering consequences to sustainability and improved health. A simple “supply driven approach” is able to meet the needs of the rural masses in a speedy manner, but the users lack a sense of responsibility for the management of the water points (DeGabriele, 2002). In addition, the authors experience with hundreds of water user groups for over two years in Moyo in regards to the management of the water points. The challenge, therefore, is to assess the models‟ effect on sustainability in terms of operations and maintenance. A case study from Moyo District. The Performance Assessment used the existing data from the Water supply Database of Moyo District for point sources as a benchmark for updating the water sources inventory herein used for analysis. This database was redeveloped into a situational based database of the District. The Performance Assessment project entailed; making physical visits to all 1 point water sources, data collection, data validation, analysis and presentation through the use tables, graphs and figures. These updates mainly comprised of in-depth information such as georeferenced locations, year of construction, source of funding, ownership, current management and operational status of the point water sources.
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ItemAssesing the performance of community based management in the operation and maintenance of boreholes: a case study of Moyo district.(Makerere University, 2024-08-24)The core objective of this paper is to examine the performance of community based management in the operation and maintenance of boreholes in Moyo district. The above objective was achieved through the following comprehensive performance Assessment system encompassing two levels as follows: Level 1 – Functionality of the existing water points. Level 2 – Operation and Management of Water points focusing on the roles and responsibilities of the Water User Committees. This include mainly; monthly contribution fee, regular meetings, representations and women in key positions, the surrounding environment. The level of management as an indicator is used to communicate the assessment results. There are several unknowns, such as responsibility, commitment, good-will, how the intervention of water point affects relationships within a “community”, and the effect of key individuals on management.
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ItemThe feasibility of taxing urban vacant land as a way to increase on revenue for infrastructure development in urban areas(Makerere University, 2025)The research investigated the feasibility of introducing an urban vacant land tax in urban areas in Uganda specifically focusing on Kyanja Parish, Nakawa Division to raise revenue for local urban authorities and support infrastructure development. Utilising a mixed research design and GIS tools including high-resolution satellite imagery from Google Earth Pro, the study identified and digitized vacant plots within a 100-meter buffer around Kyanja Parish. The analysis revealed approximately 794.89 acres of vacant land across 491 independent urban voids with a distribution favouring the outskirts of the division. Small-scale agricultural voids were the most dominant comprising 442.72 acres (≈55.7%) while open shrub and medium-scale residential categories accounted for about 16.3% each. Residential uses collectively represented 25.0% of the total land, with educational and bare-ground uses uses being minimal. The market value of the vacant land was assessed using a value zone system with Kyanja Parish graded as a valuation zone at a flat rate of UGX 1.5 billion per acre as obtained from the valuers from the Office of the Chief Government Valuer. This valuation allowed for the calculation of total tax potential drawing comparisons to Tunisia’s unbuilt land tax which is set at 0.3% of market value. A study by Yuan, Connoll, & Bell (2009) explains how Tunisia implements this tax and the revenue obtained from it. Projections indicated that the urban vacant land tax could generate approximately UGX 2.2 billion from Kyanja Parish alone representing about 4% of total property rate collection for the financial year 2023/24 and 1.9% of total revenue collection. The findings suggest that while the vacant land tax may contribute modestly to overall property tax receipts, its implementation could promote efficient dland use reduce and reduce speculative holding. The research emphasizes the need for clear legislative frameworks, improved administrative capacities and regular updates of urban cadastres through remoted sensing.
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ItemInvestigating the Impacts of Future Climate and Land use/Land cover Change on River Discharge in the Manafwa River Basin(Makerere University, 2026-03)Land use/land cover (LULC) and climate are the most crucial drivers that shape the hydrological cycle, influencing infiltration, evapotranspiration, runoff generation, and groundwater recharge. While previous studies have provided valuable literature about the impacts of these drivers on river discharge, most assessments remain limited to historical and present conditions, leaving the future impacts of climate and LULC underexplored. Consequently, the lack of understanding of future river discharge behaviour hinders informed decision-making in water resource management and disaster preparedness. Guided by the main objective of investigating the impacts of future climate and land use/land cover on river discharge, this study applied the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which integrates historical analysis and future scenario assessment. Specifically, the study sought to determine LULC change in the Manafwa River Basin from 2000 to 2040 and to examine how projected climate and LULC conditions influence river discharge under different future scenarios. Historical LULC maps for 2000, 2010, and 2020 were generated using Random Forest classifier and projected to 2030 and 2040 using TerrSet’s Land Change Modeler based on historical LULC maps and drivers of change. Climate data was obtained from the NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 dataset and three Global Circulation Models (GCMs) were used to create an ensemble of three models, from which past and future climate were obtained. The SWAT model was then parameterized/calibrated and validated with observed stream flow data. Thereafter, scenario simulations were carried out using the separation method. Results indicate that LULC changes alone substantially modify basin hydrology, with mean discharge projected to increase by 4.49% (from 12.70 m³/s to 13.275 m³/s) between 2000 and 2040, alongside rising peak flows and reduced minimum flows due to vegetation loss and agricultural expansion. However, climate change scenarios greatly amplify hydrological extremes, with mean discharge projected to 14.01 m³/s (10.31%) by 2030 and 14.45 m³/s (13.78%) by 2040 under high emission pathways SSP2 and SSP5 respectively, peak flows were exceeding 20 m³/s, and minimum flows increasing to 6.507 m³/s. These findings indicate that, while climate change emerges as the dominant driver of future river discharge variability, LULC