6.0 STANDARDS FOR LAND-USE IN URBAN AREAS STANDARDS FOR LAND-USE IN URBAN AREAS

Uganda now has an estimated population of 19.26 million people out of which 2.31 and 16.95 million live in urban and rural areas, respectively. This population is growing at an annual average rate of 2.5% (National), 5.0% and 2.31% urban and rural, respectively (Habitat II, 1996). The high urbanisation rate is characterised by the fast rate at Which new urban centres are mushrooming beyond the national capacity to plan and guide development. This has led to a gradual urbanisation of some rural areas and agricultural
farm lands, without the provision of infrastructure and services reminiscent of urban disorder and attendant environment problems.

While urbanisation progresses, it is increasingly using up good agricultural land. As a result there is serious competition between land-use for agriculture and land-use for urbanisation. In order to ensure rational use of land it is necessary to put in place comprehensive zoning of land-uses to realise a National Physical Development Plan. The country is lacking such a comprehensive land-use plan. It is only after such zoning has been done that it will be possible to protect prime agricultural land and other natural resources such as soil, water, forests, among other resources.

The high rate of urban population growth in Uganda is attributed to the following factors in order of importance:

 Rural - Urban Migration.
 Natural Population Increase.
 Extension of Urban Boundaries.
 Urban farming.