The study examined the association of wetland utilization on community livelihoods around Kyetinda and Mabamba wetlands in Uganda. A cross-sectional mixed-methods approach was applied, incorporating regression, correlation, ANOVA, and chi-square tests to assess the relationship between wetland utilization and community livelihoods. Quantitative data were obtained from 209 respondents in Kyetinda and 161 in Mabamba, and analysed at the 5% significance level using SPSS. Findings revealed a weak but positive and statistically significant relationship between wetland utilization and community livelihoods in Kyetinda Wetland (r = 0.171, p = 0.013; β = 0.171, and p-value = 0.13). The regression model (R2 = 0.029) indicated that wetland utilization explains 2.9% of livelihood variation, with an F-value of 6.264 (p = 0.013), confirming model significance. The chi-square test (χ2 = 99.316, p = 0.000) reinforced this relationship, suggesting that wetland-based activities contribute modestly but significantly to household welfare. Conversely, results from Mabamba Wetland showed a weak negative and statistically insignificant relationship (r = ？0.047, r2 = 0.002, β = ？0.047 and p-value = 0.555), implying that wetland utilization does not substantially have a perceived association with livelihoods in this area despite a significant chi-square association (χ2 = 74.000, p = 0.000). Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was done to check the complex relationship between variables (wetland utilization on community livelihood). Overall, wetland utilization significantly enhances community livelihoods in Kyetinda but not in Mabamba. These differences highlight the perceived association of localised socio-economic dynamics, levels of dependency, and management practices on how wetlands contribute to household welfare. The findings suggest that sustainable and context-specific utilization strategies are essential to maximize livelihood benefits while maintaining ecological balance.
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