Foreword
Setting the Agenda on Soil Governance in Africa and Uganda
in the 21st Century
Soil is not only an essential resource for life but also at the heart of the main
challenges faced by the planet including the production of food and energy and
the delivery of essential environmental services.
As one of the land resources, soil is central to human well-being as it supports
grazing, cultivation, energy provision, and settlement. Despite having significant
relevance for food production, water, forests, and protection of biodiversity among
others, soil is typically considered as a given resource rather than a separate resource
in need of stewardship. Much thought is given to the different sectors, such as water,
forests, and biodiversity, in total neglect of soil. This neglect has seen an increase in
degradation of soils, which has caused negative repercussions to the prioritized
sectors. Nevertheless, little has been done to change this situation.
It is imperative to note that soil has a fundamental role in mitigating the effects of
climate change, in maintenance of water springs, and in sustaining biodiversity.
Communities and households continue to take land use decisions without due
consideration of the delicate balance between productivity, ecosystem health, changing land uses, human welfare, poor inherent soil qualities, population pressure,
insecure land tenure, and climate change among others. As a result, soil degradation
and declining productivity is rampant.
The breakdown in land tenure and management systems has caused land degradation, which is evidenced by loss of vegetation, soil erosion, and soil fertility loss in
most of the districts in Uganda. In spite of land tenure being a tool for soil
conservation (since it involves sets of rules and regulations used to control and
manage natural resources, biodiversity, and the general environment), landholding
rights have been used to the detriment of the environment.
This is because the often human-focused rights and activities of landholders
greatly affect the health and resilience of the soil. As a result, unsustainable land
ix
Setting the Agenda on Soil Governance in Africa and Uganda
in the 21st Century
Soil is not only an essential resource for life but also at the heart of the main
challenges faced by the planet including the production of food and energy and
the delivery of essential environmental services.
As one of the land resources, soil is central to human well-being as it supports
grazing, cultivation, energy provision, and settlement. Despite having significant
relevance for food production, water, forests, and protection of biodiversity among
others, soil is typically considered as a given resource rather than a separate resource
in need of stewardship. Much thought is given to the different sectors, such as water,
forests, and biodiversity, in total neglect of soil. This neglect has seen an increase in
degradation of soils, which has caused negative repercussions to the prioritized
sectors. Nevertheless, little has been done to change this situation.
It is imperative to note that soil has a fundamental role in mitigating the effects of
climate change, in maintenance of water springs, and in sustaining biodiversity.
Communities and households continue to take land use decisions without due
consideration of the delicate balance between productivity, ecosystem health, changing land uses, human welfare, poor inherent soil qualities, population pressure,
insecure land tenure, and climate change among others. As a result, soil degradation
and declining productivity is rampant.
The breakdown in land tenure and management systems has caused land degradation, which is evidenced by loss of vegetation, soil erosion, and soil fertility loss in
most of the districts in Uganda. In spite of land tenure being a tool for soil
conservation (since it involves sets of rules and regulations used to control and
manage natural resources, biodiversity, and the general environment), landholding
rights have been used to the detriment of the environment.
This is because the often human-focused rights and activities of landholders
greatly affect the health and resilience of the soil. As a result, unsustainable land
ix