The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) is in advanced plans to triple its staff numbers as part of its ongoing reforms aimed at handling the increased challenges in its mandate.
Dr Barirega Akankwasah, the executive director, told The Observer that government is currently restructuring most of the institutions involved in environmental management to give them the requisite capacity.
This was at the sidelines of the annual national Wildlife and Conservation Conference 2023 on February 9, 2023. Convened by the ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities in partnership with Organization of Women in Sciences for the Developing World (OWSD) Uganda National Chapter and UN World Wildlife Day Celebrations National Organizing Committee, among others, the conference took place at Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility auditorium, Makerere University.
With theme, 'Advances in wildlife and environment management in Uganda', the conference was one of the activities leading to a climax of the World Wildlife Day on March 3. It had three sub-theme areas: Data deficiencies limiting interventions and partnerships for wildlife and environment conservation in Uganda to guide research interventions; knowledge building for wildlife and environment management in Uganda, with technical paper presentations from academia, researchers and practitioners; and building synergies for wildlife and environment management in Uganda, contemporary policy and political challenges to tackle.
EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY
Akankwasah stressed that environment management is a responsibility for us all; not only government.
"Even if government had all the required money and equipment, it cannot police every inch of the country and every minute of the time. Hence cultural and religious institutions which command extensive loyalty must be involved. But every individual - you and me - should consider it a personal responsibility," he said.
"Whereas government has the responsibility to catalyze and spearhead, the ultimate responsibility of making a positive change lies with the actions of individual citizens."
He said Nema is already collaborating with cultural and faith institutions to handle issues of noise pollution and waste disposal at places of worship, for example. Akankwasah said at some point, many of our wildlife had almost become extinct largely due to civil wars.
"For example, by 1995, our elephant population had reduced from about 60,000 at independence to about only 2,000. But because of concerted restoration efforts of peace and stability and gazettement of protected areas and establishment of a robust ranger force of Uganda Wildlife Authority, and working with the UPDF and stakeholders like civil society organisations and communities, we have now seen a rebound in the wildlife populations, especially the charismatic species like elephants, buffalos, zebras, and hippos. The rebound has reached the extent of some species like Uganda cob and zebras surpassing their population of 1962."
He observed that some species still remain in decline, such as the predators like lions and leopards and some birds especially wetland birds like the crested crane and shoebill on account of their habitat encroachment by humans.
HUMAN POPULATION EXPLOSION
The predators are on the decline because of human-animal conflict. Because of human population explosion, there is intense competition for space between humans and other species which are losing their natural habitats.
Akankwasah blamed the human-wildlife conflict largely on humans. The animals are following their natural habitat and historical migratory routes without knowing that human population explosion and consumerism are interfering.
"So, the problem is not the wildlife; the problem is the over-proliferation of this one species called humans against the rest of the species. We need to control the proliferation of this one dominant species so that humans do not decimate the rest of the species. The danger in humans decimating the rest of species is that it will cause self-extermination... humans cannot exist when all other species are finished. So, they will ultimately also exterminate themselves. To protect humans from exterminating themselves, we must check the proliferation of human population and allow other species populations to flourish."
"We must integrate environment management with development, so that we move together... Environment can fight back; and when it fights back, development loses - such as industries, schools, hospitals bridges or roads being washed away by floods because they were placed in wetlands."
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INVESTMENT DECISIONS, NOT MIRACLES
The executive director noted that there is paucity of funding for environmental management at local and central government levels, and this ought to be addressed expeditiously.
"Budgets for environment are extremely low. Environment is looked at last, as a by-the-way, and until we change that behavior, we shall not make significant progress. We shall move one step forward, and then suddenly make five steps backwards."
"Environment should not be seen as a burden to development. It's an enabler. So, we need more staffing, more equipment and above all, more data... We cannot have miracles; we must build capacity to get results. Environment management is an investment that we must make. This cannot happen by wishes, but by deliberate efforts."
In pursuit of this responsibility, he argued, there must be an indigenous dynamic environment research agenda, moving away from being appendages of research agendas of our former colonisers. Otherwise, as of now, our researchers are just exploited as data collectors for specific goals of Western funders.
