Nature refers to the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the

landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human
creations. Eg wildlife, flora and fauna, the countryside

Jinja municipality is in Jinja District, Busoga sub-region, in the Eastern Region of Uganda. The
town is approximately 81 kilometres (50 mi), by road, east of Kampala, the capital and largest
city of Uganda. It sits along the northern shores of Lake Victoria, near the source of the White
Nile.

According to the 2014 national population census data, Jinja is the largest metropolitan area in
the Jinja District and the 14th-largest town in the country.[1] The coordinates of Jinja, Uganda
are 0°25'24.0"N, 33°12'24.0"E (Latitude:0.423333; Longitude:33.206667)

Jinja had the second largest economy in Uganda. In the past, factories chose Jinja as their base
because of the nearby electric power station at the Owen Falls Dam. Since the early 2000s, the
economy of Jinja has picked up steadily. The main economic activities take place in the central
business district

The economy

A new market for fresh produce was completed during the fourth quarter of 2014. The facility
can accommodate up to 4,500 vendors and cost US$13.7 million to construct, with a loan from
the African Development Bank from 2011 until 2014.

The biggest local employer is the Kakira Sugar Works (KSW), a member of the Madhvani
Group of companies. KSW is one of the largest sugar factories in East Africa, employing over
7,500. The factory burns bagasse byproducts from sugar manufacturing to generate 50
megawatts of electricity for internal use and sale to the national grid

The headquarters of Nile Breweries Limited are in Njeru, a suburb of Jinja, near the Source of
the Nile, from which the brewery has been drawing its water for the past fifty years. Building of
the brewery commenced in 1952 and was completed four years later.

MM Integrated Steel Uganda Limited is one of the leading manufacturers of steel in the region.
It has completed a $47 million (Shs122 billion) plant to produce 50,000 metric tonnes of steel
products a year and directly employs 1,800 people

The Bidco international oil refining company maintains a palm oil factory in the city. The palm
oil fruits come from Bidco's 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) plantation on Bugala Island in the
Ssese Islands Archipelago, Kalangala District, in Lake Victoria. The factory in the islands
crushes the fruit, and the crude palm oil is transported to Jinja for refining into edible oil and
other products.
Kiira Motor Corporation, also known as the Kiira EV Project, a locally based startup car
company, expects to set up the first car manufacturing facility in Uganda, based in Jinja. The
Kiira EV Project received 100 acres (40 ha) of land at the Jinja Industrial and Business Park.
Production is expected to start in 2018. The government of Uganda will provide funding to the
initial production and setting up of a factory for the project.

Education: The city also has several educational establishments including the following ;
Universities and colleges, Civil Service Colleges, International Institute of Health Sciences, Jinja
Vocational Institute, Uganda Senior Command and Staff College, Uganda Junior Staff College
etc

Defense: The Qaddafi Barracks, an institution of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF),
are in Jinja. They are the location of the Uganda Junior Staff College, one of the about dozen
military schools in Uganda. The town is also the site of the Uganda Senior Command and Staff
College, another UPDF institution, located in the Kimaka neighborhood about 2.8 miles (4.5 km)
north of Jinja's central business district.

Transport: Jinja is a major station on the Uganda Railway and is a port for Lake Victoria
ferries. Jinja Airport, a small civilian and military airport, is located at Kimaka, about 4
kilometres (2.5 mi) north of Jinja's central business district. A bridge, known as the New Jinja
cable Bridge, is planned across the Nile, connecting the town of Njeru to Jinja. Construction
started in 2013 and is expected to be completed in 2020

Local attractions: Jinja is commonly regarded as "the adventure capital of East Africa" due to
the very many activities in town that one could engage in, especially for tourists. Local
attractions include white-water rafting at Bujagali falls, the "Source of the Nile", lake victoria,
Bungee Jumping and the man made kirinya hill,. About 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Jinja is the
Bujagali Power Station. The hydroelectric facility is providing 250 megawatts of electric power.

Bird and animal species found in jinja municipality include: African darter ,Common
bulbul ,Pink-backed pelican ,Reed cormorant ,Ducks and geese, crocodiles, alligators,varieties of
fish etc

In land use planning, urban open space is open space areas for "parks", "green spaces", and other
open areas. The landscape of urban open spaces can range from playing fields to highly
maintained environments to relatively natural landscapes

Examples of open spaces in jinja include:

 Chairmans park
 Nile gardens
 Rippon park
Here’s why parks are important to our neighborhoods’—and why Jinja needs to actively improve
its own park network.

Storm Water Collection: Unpaved ground absorbs water. Trees and grass are a far more
efficient—and less expensive—method of managing storm water than sewers and drainage
ditches made of concrete. With extreme weather patterns on the rise, an increase in green space
could save a lot of money.

Reduction of the Urban Heat Island Effect: The abundance of flat, dark surfaces made up of
asphalt and concrete in cities creates what is known as the urban heat island effect. This makes
urban neighbourhoods noticeably warmer than other nearby areas, and is a major factor in smog
creation.

Luckily, even a small increase in the number of trees in the neighborhood can reduce this effect.
It can be virtually eliminated from cities through a combination of increased park space and
green roofs. Strategic planting of trees and vegetation,this means letting the branches hang over
the sidewalk—can reduce summer temperatures by 1-5ºC.

Centre of Community: Parks provide space for neighbourhood residents to interact with each
other and meet new people. They’re also great spaces for events and for people to engage in
recreational activities. This allows people to develop a sense of community. A park is perfect for
a picnic, a concert, or a farmer’s market—whatever your community feels it needs.

Clean Air: Trees remove a wide variety of pollutants from the air. Air pollution can increase
risk of certain cancers and have adverse effects on children, the elderly and anyone with
underlying respiratory problems. It also reduces the distance you can see on a summer day and
increases the mortality rate in highly polluted cities.

Mental Health Boost: It seems obvious that a place where people are able to make connections,
meet new friends and participate in recreational activities is also good for the locals’ mental
health. After all, physical health and strong relationships are important to maintaining mental
well being. Yet the mental health benefits of parks go beyond the obvious. Direct exposure to
nature has its own benefits on mental health, reducing stress and increasing happiness. And these
effects take place almost immediately

A Place for Physical Activity: You’ve probably heard about the many problems caused by a
lack of physical activity. The sedentary lifestyle many live today is directly linked to obesity,
which can cause a number of health problems including certain forms of cancer and heart
disease. Parks make a neighbourhood more enjoyable to walk through and provide space for
popular sports, encouraging physical activities. They provide hiking trails and other amenities
designed to get people active.
 A Place for Kids to Be Outside: Being outside and playing in nature is crucial for the healthy
development of children. Learning to play in nature improves hand eye co-ordination. Regular
time in nature also improves the child’s ability to learn and reduces symptoms of ADHD,
training the brain to focus better. Children who spend a significant amount of time in nature also
experience better emotional stability and improved mental health. Parks also provide great
opportunities for parents to bond with children, and for children to make new friends in the
neighborhood.

Protect Natural Ecosystems: The need for more and better parks in our cities isn’t just about
us. Each park has its own ecosystem. They provide natural habitats for many different animals.
As cities grow, more and more of these animals find themselves without homes. Parks provide a
safe place for many of those displaced by urban sprawl.

Below is income generation from nature

Trade and commerce: nature provides a variety of goods and services which are required on
market thus boosting entrepreneurship through various mediums such as retail and wholesale,
this provides job creation to many individuals who are involved in both the formal and informal
business transactions.

Transport and Communication: Various means of transport are available depending on

affordability such as water, road and air, this helps in the connection and linking of various areas
and also the movement of goods and services thus rewarding those in the transport sector with
incomes as well as contributing to economic development.

Tourism attraction: Nature consists of many species which do attract both local and foreign
tourists, these bring in foreign exchange earnings as well asseek accommodation and food in
various hotels thus adding on country’s monetary incomes.

Manufacturing and Industry: Nature provides raw materials needed in the manufacture of various
goods and services and also acts as dumping ground or industrial wastes thus employing many to
perform various duties and tasks in these factories.

In conclusion therefore, "it is impossible to change the laws of nature" thus we just need to
protect and preserve them
 MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
INSTITUTE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY TRAINING AND RESEARCH
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
URBAN ECOLOGY

NAME. REG.NO SIGNATURE

DICKSON KAMUKAMA 2014/BPCD/050/PS … ………………….
NSUBUGA WILLIAMS 2014/BPCD/214/PS …. ….. ………………..
TUHAIRWE T COLLINS 2013/BPCD/081/ ….. ...………………..
HANGI UMARU 2014/BPCD/225/PS …………………………
NDAWULA RODGERS 2013/BPCD/263/PS …………………………
RWIGYEMA SADDAM 2014/BPCD/185/PS …………….........
ATURINDA GODWIN 2014/BPCD/O91/PS …………………………..
ARUHO WINSTON 2013/BPCD/313/PS ………………………….