Uganda need more action in response to environmental destruction
East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline
By: Gerald Barekye
Worth Noting:
- The recent international energy agency global roadmap to net zero by 2050 shows that the worlds demand for oil will need to decline from more than 90m barrels a day to less than 25m by 250.This will result into 75% plunge in net revenue for oil producing economies which are dominated by public sector that rely on energy exports for revenue.
- Such target can’t be reached with this increasing deforestation rates in Uganda for charcoal production that increases greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
- The minister of environment and national environmental management authority and other agencies have to swing into action and change the way the country is behaving towards climate changes.
Last year ,the cabinet through the minister of state for environment MS Beatrice Anywar banned the growing of all crops in wetlands across the country .However people have continue to practice farming in wetlands with growing rice and animal rearing which is putting the environment at risk and leading to the climate changes we are experiencing today .Notably many wetlands in Uganda have been encroached on for human activities and industrialization but there seems no response from authorities and this can best be explained by continued destruction of wetlands to grow rice and other activities .The lwera wetland on masaka highway has been reclaimed to grow rice ,same as imporogoma wetland in sub regions of Busoga and Bukedi.
Additionally, forests too have not been spared as Bugoma forest in Hoima and lutooboka forest reserve in kalangala district have been almost depleted.
Uganda’s wetland coverage has been reduced from 17.5 percent in the 1990 to the current 8.5 percent while the forest cover has been dropped from 24% to 12%.With such figure ,our country is in digger of climate change crisis that quickly needs to be resolved .
Currently the environment is being destroyed across the country and the concerned authorities are not taking action.
The government has continued to issue permits for investors to practice farming and establish factories in wetlands, forests and other ecosystem protected areas, could we say that the government is not aware of climate change crisis? Many people have been arrested and no charges opened against them as this is evidenced by the continued operation of business and farming activities in Eco sensitive areas.
It should be noted that section 32, (4) of National forestry and planting Act of 2003 and section 36 of national forestry and planning regulation (NFTPR) 2016 prohibits any dealing in reserved tree species without permission from the line ministry or relevant authority and now my worry is if these encroachers have been permitted to do so then where are we heading as country if the whole environment is destroyed and wildlife extricated and water reservoirs dry out?
The recent international energy agency global roadmap to net zero by 2050 shows that the worlds demand for oil will need to decline from more than 90m barrels a day to less than 25m by 250.This will result into 75% plunge in net revenue for oil producing economies which are dominated by public sector that rely on energy exports for revenue .Such target can’t be reached with this increasing deforestation rates in Uganda for charcoal production that increases greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The minister of environment and national environmental management authority and other agencies have to swing into action and change the way the country is behaving towards climate changes.
The government should put huge investment in clean energy with emphasis on solar energy that is free and sustainable to reduce ion increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the cities and many agencies should monitor and arrest all people that engage in environmental destruction activities, more funding should also be allocated to NEMA to strengthen enforcement on those practicing deforestation and farming in protected areas.
Final all stakeholders have to understand that the future is up to us ,so everyone has to come into action no matter the age ,position and size to join hands together for better planet earth for our current generation and future generation .
Gerald Barekye
Research Associate Afiego
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