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Explora: Environment
and Resource Climate suitability of AWD practice

AWD irrigation. However, there is a growing drive to practices, including the adoption of AWD practice, impact
expand rice farming to attain the national rice production the rice yields and broader paddy rice ecological system.
goal and enhance food security in Uganda. Research has Nevertheless, ENM using MaxEnt provides a robust
indicated that >90% of Uganda’s rice yield is predominantly framework for assessing the suitability of AWD practice
from smallholder rice production from various regions for Eastern Uganda during rainy and dry seasons. MaxEnt
– Eastern, Northern, and Western, from rain-fed and utilizes available data for modeling the connection between
irrigation, although the rice productivity, especially from environmental variables and the habitats’ suitability for
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the Eastern (3.6 t/ha) and Northern regions (1.7 t/ha), specific agricultural practices. 44,45 This approach is helpful
remains low compared to the yield potential of 5 t/ha. 35 in regions with limited data on the distribution of AWD
Integration of AWD practice in paddy rice farming practice, which has been applied in this study using the
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systems in Uganda requires an understanding of climate MaxEnt machine learning model. By integrating climatic
suitability, for which our study has presented a pilot data with soil characteristics and water availability,
analysis of AWD practice in Uganda using ENM technique researchers can generate predictive maps that identify
in QGIS and MaxEnt machine learning model. The study potential locations suitable for AWD. 38,45 Such maps can
findings indicate that over 70% of the region favors paddy guide policymakers and irrigation practitioners in making
rice cultivation and AWD practice. AWD practice presents informed decisions regarding expanding paddy rice
huge potential for achieving better water management farming in Uganda.
and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mainly methane Conversely, the application of MaxEnt in QGIS allows
(45 – 90%), without affecting rice yields. 7,12,36-38 AWD spatial analysis and visualization of the results, offering
irrigation allows periodic drying of paddy rice fields, an explicit knowledge of the geographical distribution of
significantly reducing methane emissions compared locations that is possibly appropriate for AWD practice.
to the traditional CF method. This is vital for Uganda, This finding is essential for irrigation and strategic
where agricultural practices contribute significantly to planning, enhancing resource allocation for developing
national greenhouse gas emissions. Implementing the and expanding paddy rice farming to contribute to food
AWD technique aligns with Uganda’s climate policy security. Further studies have indicated that integrating
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commitments and enhances the sustainability of its rice local agronomic knowledge with ENM enhances the
production systems, which improves resilience to climate effective implementation of AWD practice to meet region-
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change. The ecological implications of AWD irrigation specific climatic and environmental conditions. 47
go beyond greenhouse gas emissions reductions, water
savings, and yield improvements. Other studies have Our study findings indicate that using the MaxEnt
shown that AWD practice improves water quality by model and QGIS has the potential to identify suitable
reducing nitrogen seepage loading from paddy fields. locations for AWD irrigation in Uganda, in the case of
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This is pertinent in some locations where paddy cultivation the Eastern region, where up to 70% is suitable. This
contributes significantly to non-point source pollution significant percentage includes major paddy rice-growing
districts such as Pallisa, Namutumba, Bugiri, Butaleja,
of the downstream water bodies. Therefore, modeling
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these interactions in paddy fields using MaxEnt provides Iganga, Busia, Namayingo, Luuka, Kamuli and Mayuge
valuable insights into the habitat suitability for paddy (Figure 1). These locations have a moderate annual rainfall
rice cultivation under various climatic scenarios, thus range between 750 mm and 1500 mm (suitable for paddy
rice) but experience seasonal dry periods (July-August,
enlightening policymakers on agricultural practices that December-February), making AWD efficient. In addition,
align with environmental sustainability. 24
most locations identified for paddy rice and AWD practice
Similarly, the biodiversity of the paddy ecosystem is have a high percentage of sandy clay loam soils favoring
greatly influenced by different irrigation water management AWD practice with precipitation <20 mm/day and all
practices. Research studies have revealed that irrigation dekads were suitable during the dry and rainy seasons for
ponds, reservoirs, and paddy fields enhance benthic all percolation rates. However, the practice was unsuitable
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macroinvertebrates’ biodiversity, which helps maintain for percolation rates from 1 to 5 mm/day during the rainy
ecological balance. 42,43 The different water management seasons with precipitation >20 mm/day since the increase
strategies can affect biodiversity, which creates varying in rainfall decreases percolation rates. During rainy
habitat conditions that either encourage or hinder the seasons, the soil becomes fully saturated with increasing
movement of aquatic organisms, including integrated rainfall, which reduces percolation rates and renders AWD
paddy-rice-fish farming. Therefore, the application of practice unsuitable. In addition, evapotranspiration levels
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ENM using MaxEnt can predict how changes in irrigation are low, and from Equations VI and V with fixed percolation

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2025) 12 doi: 10.36922/EER025040005