Wasswa takes fight to polluters of water bodies 

Nelson Wasswa is onto something big. The 32-year-old is on a mission to combat the rise in plastic pollution on the shores of freshwater bodies such as Lake Victoria.

Through his Lawuna Project, an open-source project, Wasswa detects, identifies, captures and monitors macro  plastic pollution in real time using drones and smartphones as part of his efforts to preserve the fragile ecosystems that is freshwater sources.

“Freshwater is a precious resource, essential for sustaining life,” he emphasized. “Unfortunately, it is under immense pressure due to plastic pollution, which not only degrades the environment but also poses a serious threat to aquatic life and human health,” Wasswa, who is the executive director of Sodzo Foundation and an esteemed fellow of the Shuttleworth Foundation, notes.

Freshwater bodies such as Lake Victoria – the biggest in Africa – are critical to millions of East Africans. Not only is it a critical water point for people, animals and agricultural farms, source of food such as fish, it has medicinal elements, a source of acquatic sports like swimming, et cetera.

However, many people have polluted Lake Victoria over the years, threatening the lives of those who depend on it. In 2020, Nation Media Group ran a series of stories about the pollution on Lake Victoria. The stories revealed that lead and other metals were found in fish.

The stories also pointed out that some toxic substances from pesticides were also discovered on the lake. In 2021, Wasswa launched his Lawuna open-source application and decided to take the fight to the polluters. With Lawuna, anyone can download the application to their phone.

After that, a user, who is close to a freshwater body, can simply open the application on their phone and point it to a water body. This will reveal the amount of microplastics in the water body, and the information will be immediately sent to a server manned by Sodzo Foundation.

A passionate advocate for environmental conservation, water conservation, and a technologist, Wasswa emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to combat plastic pollution.

“We must foster partnerships and collaborations among governments, NGOs, businesses, and individuals to effectively address this crisis,” he urged.

“By joining forces, we can implement sustainable waste management practices, educate communities, and advocate for policies that promote the reduction and recycling of plastic waste. We are failing to manage our behavior(s) towards the use of single-use plastics.”

He added that “We are beginning to engage homes in communities where we operate to fully engage in the process of beating plastics by providing a section on our mobile application that allows them to connect to recycling companies such that through their activities that involve, collecting, sorting and storage of plastics they can be productive, generate a minimum level of income and support their families as they fight the scourge of plastic pollution.”

Wasswa explained that “Lawuna plays a pivotal role in monitoring and addressing macro plastic pollution on the shores of freshwater bodies,” he explained. “By leveraging open-source technology, it empowers individuals and communities to actively participate in the preservation of our natural resources.”

Wasswa says that due to the Lawuna project, they have developed a brief, uploaded on their website, that policymakers can look at in case they want to make informed decisions. Researchers can also look at this policy brief.

Wasswa says he has witnessed increased enforcement as a result of his intervention. He has worked on islands such as Zzinga, Kkome, Bukakata, just to mention a few.

The Sodzo foundation has been actively involved in raising awareness about plastic pollution including presenting at big forums like the United Nation`s Data Forum 2023 in Hangzhou, China, and spearheading cleanup campaigns along the shores of freshwater bodies.

“Our foundation is committed to engaging local communities, educating them about the detrimental effects of plastic pollution, and empowering them to take action,” he shared.

“We firmly believe that change begins at the grassroots levels, and together, we can make a significant impact, by making people in our communities understand the values of technology, be inclusive, agents of change and part of the impact in beating plastic pollution.”