Time For Local Solutions To Re-Establish Degraded Ecosystems in Uganda
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Kimbowa RichardTime For Local Solutions To Re-Establish Degraded Ecosystems in Uganda
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Kimbowa RichardWorld Environment Day 2021
Time for Local Solutions to Re-establish Degraded Ecosystems in
Uganda
World Environment Day 2021 will be commemorated on June 5, 2021 under the theme:
'Ecosystem Restoration’ with focus on resetting our relation with nature. It will also mark the
formal launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021 – 2030’ that runs from
2021 through 2030, which happens to be the deadline for the Sustainable Development
Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as critical for avoiding the worst impacts
of climate change.
Africa’s biodiversity is one of the key assets for the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals and can be sustainably and equitably used to reduce inequality and poverty
on the continent. The alignment of African Union Agenda 2063 goals, the Sustainable
Development Goals and Aichi Biodiversity Targets, linked to the conservation of biodiversity and
the contribution of nature to human well-being in Africa, facilitates the development of
interventions that can achieve multiple positive outcomes. Africa seeks to ensure that its
environment and ecosystems are healthy and protected to support climate-resilient economies
and communities’ livelihoods
In Africa, ecosystems most affected by degradation include wetlands and rivers, forest
ecosystems, marine and coastal ecosystems, savannah grasslands and rangelands, mountains
as well as African dry lands and deserts.
Freshwater ecosystems for example, are experiencing an immense threat from various human-
induced factors such as climate change, unsustainable tourism, agriculture, infrastructural
development and urbanization; mining and many other inappropriate or improperly planned
development activities, leading to loss of biodiversity and extensive damage to key ecosystems.
A number of African rivers are under threat from large dams for hydropower and irrigation,
pollution, erosion, human encroachment and invasive species.
Several lakes in Africa face unprecedented pressure from land-based pollution including
eutrophication by fertilizers, and unsustainable use impeding their natural replenishment
processes. The introduction of invasive species, such as the Nile Perch in Lake Victoria and the
water hyacinth invasion in several lakes constitutes a major threat to endemic species. River
ecosystems are also threatened by various activities including flow alteration (e.g. damming,
irrigation) and poor catchment management (UNEP / CBD, 2018)
In Uganda, deforestation and forest degradation mainly due to conversion to agriculture has led
to loss of large areas of forest cover and degradation of forest land in Uganda. Private forests
are some of the most affected areas, as owners have gained more benefits from converting
these areas to farmlands than retaining them as forests. Many forests in the central region,
Masindi and Hoima districts have been turned to farm lands due to their perceived fertile soils
and the lure of high returns from investments in agriculture, where forests have been converted
mainly to sugarcane plantations in the districts of Atiak and Amuru districts (NEMA, 2019).
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World Environment Day 2021
The above dire situation has been worsened by the presence of a huge refuge community
(totaling 1,223,003 as at February 2019), who depend on fuelwood derived from cutting
trees in forests or in the landscape, as a major source of energy for cooking (NEMA, 2019)
Why Scaling up Local Solutions should be part of Ecosystem Restoration (2021 – 2030)
Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development (UCSD) and Joint Energy and Environment
Projects (JEEP) as partners implementing the East African Civil Society for Sustainable Energy
and Climate Action (EASE CA) Project, as well as members of INFORSE East Africa and the
East African Sustainability Watch(EA SusWatch) Network to which they also belong, join the
rest of Uganda and the World to scale up information and knowledge sharing about local
solutions to counter climate change and energy poverty in East Africa that can tangibly
contribute to restoration of degraded ecosystems to fight the climate crisis, prevent
further the loss of biodiversity and to enhance food security, steady water supply and
sustained livelihoods at the community level to cushion Uganda’s fast growing
population.
This is based on an online 'Catalogue of Local Sustainable Energy and Climate Solutions’
(that can help bringing energy, water and others to people in Uganda and East Africa, in
climate friendly and as much as possible in affordable ways). Read more about this
Catalogue from here: http://localsolutions.inforse.org/
This bottom up intervention can best deliver results when relevant policies and laws work
harmoniously, are fully enforced with widespread engagement of communities and
stakeholders in planning and Implementation of related interventions
In sum, scaling-up community actions through existing and future National strategies and Plans
like the National Development Plan (NDPIII), the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
(NBSAP) and the Local Government Development Plans among others, is a sure way to
cumulatively contribute to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Time is running out!
For more information please contact:
1. Kimbowa Richard (Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development)
Email: [email protected] Tel: +256 772 457465
2. Prossie Nabiyonga (Joint Energy and Environment Projects)
Email: [email protected] Tel: +256 787 660503
3. The East African Civil Society for Sustainable Energy and Climate Action (EASE
CA) Project partnership: https://www.inforse.org/africa/EASE.htm
The East African Civil Society for Sustainable Energy and Climate Action (EASE CA) Project partnership between
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JEEP, UCSD, SusWatch Kenya and TaTEDO (also part of INFORSE East Africa), in partnership with INFORSE
secretariat and the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy is supported CISU (Denmark)
