Dr. Jackson Ahabwe Mirebe
29 March 2007
opinion
Uganda's population was at least six million people at the time of independence (1962).
It has stretched to over 28 million people now; just after 45 years only. Yet the square miles of land have remained the same, apart from regrettably adding on other new miles of land where Lake Victoria and other Lakes have dried up.
This means there is not only threateningly high population pressure, but also stressful pressure on land. No wonder, recent parliamentary debates were stained with much land concerns; an issue the Deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga highlighted.
Who is professionally and technically responsible? The ecologists, academicians, NGOs and international community, individual activists, professionals, farmers and investors.
I am not mentioning the government and its leaders because their duty in the matter was accomplished when they enacted Article 237 (b) of the 1995 Ugandan Constitution that calls for environmental conservation.
Our duty is to make them perform where we feel we cannot do without them. I recently observed how mindfully the judges and lawyers defended the Temple of Justice. Where are the ecologists, the scientists, agriculturalists, and environmentalists, zoologists and all other nature professionals?
No wonder, lawyers call themselves the Learned Friends. But, environment affairs concern us all; in any case, we have a course called, Environmental Law and those who offered it in their studies are called lawyers; which makes me free to call these Learned Friends, 'Environmentalist.' Because issues of environment conservation have hit centre stage without any reaction from their society to defend our nature like they showed recently.
The rule of law and nature, which one should come first? Problems of rule of law can be solved in a week's time and a democratic path restored! How much time, resources, expertise or technology might we need to restore the lost nature?
Because it is not possible to talk of sustainable development when the sustainability of our environment is being compromised yet any development activity affects and is affected by environment. I have witnessed many development projects in Uganda but how many Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) have been carried out? We need development which does not compromise nature.
Our health in all ways depends on a good and rich environment. For example, it is known that 40% of all prescriptions dispensed by pharmacies in China, and US at large are substances originally extracted from plants and animals found in forests. Remember Reverend Father Anatoli of Masaka?
However, with the increasing agents of degradation, we might be turning our natural treasure into a desert. Environmental sustainability is a hidden but obvious factor for increased agricultural production and the sustainability of the environment promotes sustainable utilisation of the natural resources when environmentally friendly practices are upheld.
Obeying the law
The government of Uganda put in place the relevant laws so that actors are automatically authorised to carry out this work without any antagonism. Article 237 (b) of the 1995 Uganda's constitution calls for conservation of our environment. Other provisions like; The Forest and Tree Planting Act, The Land Act and other provisions call for conservation of biological diversity.
And, this is not to forget the environmental conventions where Uganda affirmed her commitment to preserving the environment.
Among these include; the conventions like the Development (Agenda 21) of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), 1992; the 1995 Kyoto Declaration and the preceding Leipzig Declaration; the Global Plan Of Action For The Conservation And Sustainable Utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture 1996; among others.
Last but not least, the immediate strategy is to train farmers and other natural resource users on best practices, especially on the mountain sides and other areas susceptible to degradation. I pray that the government of Uganda will increase its support for environment conservation concerns since they lead to poverty and yet slow poverty eradication strategies like the Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA), Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) as well as the popular on-going Wealth for all programme, otherwise, known as Boona baggagawale.
The writer is an environment conservation advocate
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