Kampala — FOLLOWING the rampant environmental degradation in Rakai district, teachers have started the school environment programme to create awareness regarding environmental issues in schools.

The activities, according to the Kakuto Community Development Project (KACODEP) coordinator, Mathias Mulumba, shall involve the school administrators and students.

"This programme is geared towards creating awareness about the environment is schools. Students will be sensitised on the need to conserve and maintain the environment," Mulumba told primary and secondary school teachers at Sanje Community Polytechnic School at Kakuto County in Rakai recently

Alex Kakeeto, the teachers' project chairperson, said: "We came up with the idea following the growing degradation of our environment. The drying up of lake Victoria that has brought other issues was of concern to us."

He said environmental sites with models of excellence shall be set up in al schools in the district to test and practise the environmental protection programmes studied.

"We shall teach and engage students to dig dust pits, make dust bins, fence schools with live fences, establish environmental committees and clubs to carry out the sensitisation using music dance and drama," he said.

He said the project that shall also see the installation of energy-saving stoves in schools will also include tree planting.

The Assistant Commissioner for Water in the directorate of water management, Dr. Nicholas Azza, said trees were instrumental in the formation of rain. "It is good to start tree nurseries in schools. The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) has a fund to support such environmentally-related projects under the schools component," he said.

Azza said the funding can be accessed under the Nile Transboundary Environmental Action Programme. Roy Nabagajja, the Nile Discourse Forum administrator, said a manual had been formulated to guide the schools on how to go about with the programmes in schools.