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Uganda: Why We Must Worry About a Big Population
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New Vision (Kampala)
OPINION
10 July 2008
Posted to the web 11 July 2008
Isaiah Mbuga
Kampala
The rate at which Ugandans are reproducing may have far-reaching negative implications if things to continue this way. We are headed for a man-made catastrophe, in which we are likely to fight for space, food or even fresh air.
Population projections show that in 10 years time, Uganda's population would have doubled. But before we even get there, there are indications that things are already getting out of hand.
Strain on natural resources
Most of our population depends solely on natural resources and land for survival.
An estimated 97% of the population uses firewood or charcoal to prepare food. An increase in the population will not only over burden the soil, but will also wear away our forests and land cover, which has reduced from 20% in 2002 to 1.2% in 2006.
Trees that produce oxygen, which we need for survival, are being unsustainably cut down to make timber, firewood and charcoal to fuel the needs of the growing population.
Trees are also instrumental in making rainfall and humidity, hence regulating the temperature. If they are cut down, adverse effects like floods, drought in Karamoja and Nakasongola increase.
Human activity produces waste and Kampala city alone produces 3,000 tonnes of garbage a year.
Most of it ends up in an already full land fill in Kiteezi. The sewerage produced in Kampala cannot be treated, stretching the only available treatment plant beyond its capacity.
Burden on social amenities
Food prices have gone up and will continue to go up. As a result, the cost of raising many children is becoming difficult.
Accommodation rates are increasing based on the house tax; the bigger the house, the more the tax. This, coupled with the land lord tax, will be passed on to the tenant, making it difficult for those with bigger families to afford living in big houses.
The cost of medication is going up as access to quality health care is becoming elusive. But the growth in the health sector is not in proportion to the population growth.
This is made worse when medical workers leave the country for greener pastures abroad.
As it becomes harder to get worthwhile employment, those that have and are working in the private sector are likely to delay producing children as employers are not giving them more than two months paid leave to attend to the children.
Others get sacked when they become pregnant and it does not take long to fill their positions for even half their pay as many young people are desperate for work.
This even makes it harder to propose a minimum wage as more people are willing to work for less once offered the chance.
It is, therefore, apparent that we think twice about reproduction. We need to find a way of interesting young women in their careers rather than in reproducing.
Research shows that by 20, three in every five girls between 17 and 20 will have had a child.
Planning for infrastructure
We need to rethink housing construction so that houses being built utilise less ground space and can accommodate more people.
The way we bury our dead will have to change. Presently, we use 24 sq feet to bury one person, permanently. Each year, we lose at least 500,000 loved ones and that will translate into 12 million square feet every year covered by monumental graves.
Pollution from used cars is not likely to decline. Traffic jams make the problem worse as there is more emission during the rush hour.
The Uganda Revenue Authority can assist by reducing the amount charged on new cars that are fuel-efficient and environment-friendly.
If there's a 50% reduction like in the developed nations, we shall have a slight increase in the private ownership of new cars which emit less fumes than those that we import after they have been decommissioned.
Addressing maternal mortality
In the current era when women are dying during child birth, the silence on the appropriate number of children needs to be addressed.
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Couples need to understand the complications that are likely to occur during pregnancy which can lead to death.
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