This international research and education program will focus on the study of wetland regions adjacent to Lake Victoria in Uganda, Africa. The wetlands in this region and throughout Africa are subjected to increased stress from deforestation, agricultural intrusion, population increase, and increasing sediment and nutrient loads. The goal of this project is to engage U.S. undergraduates and faculty in international teams to investigate the hydrologic, hydraulic, and environmental efficiency of wetlands. The research will be divided into four separate but interrelated studies. Individual research teams made up of undergraduate students from the United States and Uganda and supervised by faculty from Lafayette College and Makerere University will 1) measure water quality, hydrologic, and sediment parameters within selected wetlands, 2) conduct a rapid monitoring of the wetland - lake interface, 3) assess historical remotely sensed images to establish land use and wetland area as a function of time, and 4) construct a controlled wetland to be used to examine agricultural techniques, treatment reliability, and hydrologic strategies. Research teams will take advantage of local expertise while in Uganda by collaborating with scientists from Lake Victoria Environmental Management Program and the Fisheries Research Institute.

The broader impacts of the project include developing a better understanding of the function of the wetland as a mechanism in the removal of contaminants produced by increasing populations. Wetlands in the proposed study region receive substantial volumes of runoff due to increasing population and deforestation, are used as tertiary treatment for sewerage, and are being encroached upon to develop agricultural land. Stresses such as these will continue to be placed on the wetlands throughout the world. The research conducted in this study will provide scientific information that can be used to develop a better understanding of wetlands and how they are impacted by stresses directly related to world population growth. This educational broader impact of the project will provide hands-on research experience for U.S. undergraduates in an international context.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2004-05-01
Budget End
2007-04-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$95,360
Indirect Cost
Name
Lafayette College
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Easton
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
18042