Invest to Green and renewable as the alternative to oil and gas development.
Green and renewable energy
By: Kato Paul
Worth Noting:
- These activities of the risk interfering with communities’ social, economic and environment livelihood as most of the activities are on the shores of Lake Albert where communities derive their livelihoods from. Also about 150 oil wells are located within the Murchison nation park which is one of the biggest and oldest parks in Uganda which is one of the visited parks.
- The government of Uganda needs to put much of their funding into green economy which is a clear path to inclusive and sustainable development. These include agriculture which is a back bone of Uganda and contributes about 70% of the Uganda’s working population, 23.7% of GDP and 37% of exports earning, the majority of the people are still practicing substance farming.
Due to limited effort by government to invest in the green and renewable energy sector with all their potentials to propel the country to attaining inclusive and sustainable development have contributed climate change across the country because of the loss of biodiversity and water scarcity resulting from increased deforestation by the investors, rich business men and an touchable carrying out timber logging ,charcoal burning, farming and others.
It is noted that the government is currently investing huge sums of money into oil and gas sector which has the potential to worsen the already worsening climate change effects. The country is already experiencing from climatic changes such as prolonged drought, water scarcity and floods and other due to increased deforestation across the country.
The Albertine rift valley where the oil and gas activities are taking place, is a highly Eco sensitive area with 7 out of 15 of Uganda’s national parks, 8 protected forest reserves and several of African birds and reptile species which attract the biggest number of tourists in the country.
These activities of the risk interfering with communities’ social, economic and environment livelihood as most of the activities are on the shores of Lake Albert where communities derive their livelihoods from. Also about 150 oil wells are located within the Murchison nation park which is one of the biggest and oldest parks in Uganda which is one of the visited parks.
The government of Uganda needs to put much of their funding into green economy which is a clear path to inclusive and sustainable development. These include agriculture which is a back bone of Uganda and contributes about 70% of the Uganda’s working population, 23.7% of GDP and 37% of exports earning ,the majority of the people are still practicing substance farming. The government needs to support agriculture sector which have less risks to environment and people livelihoods than oil and gas with a lot of environmental risks.
They also need to invest in Tourism sector which contributes to 7.7% of the Uganda’s GDP and employs 667600 people than oil which 160000 people both indirect and direct job. It also supports conservation efforts, the Forestry sector which help to absorb 102 million metric tonnes from the three projects of EACOP, Tilenga and Kingfisher. It also mitigates the climatic changes that are taking place in some parts of the country especially in Adjuman and Isingiro and others. And renewable energy which will re duce the pressure that is imposed on the forests for charcoal and firewood’s. It is noted that about 85% of the Ugandans are still depending on the forests for biomass due to unavailability or unaffordable prices of other alternatives like gas and electricity. Therefore, I call on the government of Uganda to invest in green sector, but also as a financial institution channel all its investments in the country to clean, inclusive and sustainable development.
Kato Paul-Research Associate at Africa Institute for Energy Governce
Katop.adyeeri@gmail.com
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