THE WATER FRONT Newsletter
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ISSUE 01 Sunday 21st March 2021 MINISTRY OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENT THE WATER FRONT Newsletter (L-R) Elsie G. Attafuah, UNDP Resident Representative, Prof. Alex Ariho, Director General, Excel Hort Consult and Hon. Mariam Nkalubo, Buganda Kingdom Minister for Lands and Environment at the opening ceremony Dr. Callist Tindimugaya, Rosa Malango, UN Resident Dr. Florence Grace Adongo, Commissioner, Water Resources, Coordinator and Designated Director DWRM, MWE Planning & Regulation, MWE Official for Security 4th Uganda Water & Environment Week Opens he 4th edition of the Uganda. Business School, Ms. Blick Uganda Water and The dialogue meeting attracted Carol Gloria, the National TEnvironment Week high-level speakers including Coordinator of Youth Go (UWEWK 2021) commenced Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, the Green Clubs, Prof. Alex today March 21 st , 2021 UNDP Resident Ariho, Director, Excel Hort with a dialogue on water and Representative, Mr. Ramathan Consult, Hon. Mariam environment security for socio- Ggoobi, a Lecturer at Nkalubo, the Minister economic transformation of Makerere University To page 2 4th Uganda Water and Environment Week Opens Dr. Callist recognising the members of Uganda Walker Association who walked from Kampala to Kasese to save River Nyamwamba and creating awareness on environment during the opening ceremony of UWEWK From page 1 pressure. avert climate change impacts “The forest cover has declined and create alternative livelihood of Lands and Environment in from 24% total land area in 1990 options that are economically the Buganda Kingdom. to 12.4% currently. This is viable. The Prime Minister of Uganda majorly attributed to biomass He mentioned the different was represented by Hon. Sam fuel cooking/combustion with measures Government has put Cheptoris, the Minister of other auxiliary drivers such as in place to ensure sustainable Water and Environment. In expansion of agricultural water and environment his opening remarks, the Prime land, sporadic urbanization, resources management and use Minister applauded the sector and income poverty, including the enactment of the for organizing the annual industrialization and inadequate environmental laws, the UWEWK. incentives for private plantation punishment of polluters and “The annual celebrations are a forests,” he said. instituting conditions that way of providing an interface Similarly, the national wetlands require all plastic manufacturers between sector actors and other coverage as a percentage of the to put up recycling plants. stakeholders for knowledge total land area declined from He stressed the sector’s exchange, dialoguing and 15.6% in 1994 to 8.9% currently relevancy to sustainable learnings on issues related to the and the estimated loss of development including sustainable development and wetlands Uganda loses is 846 maintaining healthy management of water and km2 of its wetlands annually. ecosystems for human survival environment resources,” he said. He called for the need to secure which are critical towards the The Prime Minister decried the the boundaries, protect and achievement of the NDPIII fact that in-spite of the sector’s restore water catchments goals and targets. relevancy to Uganda’s socio- including wetlands, river banks In his remarks read by Dr. economic development, the and forests and also gazette and Florence Adongo, the Director environment and natural strictly protect those that of the Directorate of Water resources were under increasing provide critical functions that Resources Management Page 2 (DWRM), the Minister of Water and Environment recognized that plastics dominate waste in the country both on land and in the water bodies. “More than 600 tons of plastic are disposed of each day. The country has a large number of inland fresh water bodies which are being suffocated by plastic litter. This is in addition to the pollution caused on land, in the drainage systems, in towns, damp sites and parks,” he decried. H.E. Rosa Malango, the UN Resident Coordinator and Designated Official for Security Participants during the opening ceremony of UWEWK appreciated the working equally improve the quality traditional to modern relationship between the of life of the citizens, the agriculture and from low to Government, Parliament, United catalyst for this is through higher productivity services. Nations, development partners, successful industrialization He said that there is need to civil society and private sector in and diversification of the collect data and communicate supporting the climate change economy which will trigger the research or study findings in the and natural resources agenda in movement of labor from low- language of decision makers, Uganda. paid agriculture to relatively utilize the available tools to She reiterated the UN’s better paid industrial maximize the benefits of the commitment to a healthy world employment. Water and Environment sector that will support health, peace He shared the case study of investments to economic and prosperity for generations Vietnam and highlighted that growth and the overall welfare to come. She quoted Nelson investment in water and of Ugandans. Mandela, “We can change environment will enhance Ramathan Ggoobi, a Lecturer the world and make it a better Uganda’s growth. “Economics at Makerere University Business place. It is in your hands to study shows that enhanced School highlighted that Gross make a difference.” She ended environmental and water Domestic Product (GDP) her speech with a call to work stewardship boosts growth. should not be the only indicator together to preserve the planet Integrated Water and of development but rather for the next generation and Environmental sustainable development should ensure that no one is left behind. Investment Plan provides a be measured by what stock of Prof. Kenneth Strzepek, a Senior framework and set of tools for resources we leave behind. It Consultant, at IEc, Research sustainable growth,” he said. should be equivalent to what we Scientist MIT and Professor Prof. Kenneth highlighted that inherited. Emeritus, University of for sustainable development to Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, the Colorado made the keynote be realized, development has to UNDP Resident Representative address under the theme, ‘Water be inclusive and environmental highlighted that the dialogue and Environment security for sustainability must be a was timely especially when the socio-economic transformation requirement not an option. He country is rolling out NDPIII of Uganda’. also mentioned that there is and the SDG agenda. She said He highlighted that though need to address problems of that development is hinged on the key goal of NDP III is to Climate Change mitigation and water and environment. This increase the average Ugandan adaptation and shift from also applies to other sectors households’ incomes and Page 3 including agriculture and water, for other sectors to mainstream tourism, environment and water. water and environment resources Dr. Florence noted that use and management in their Government has created an value chains apart from the enabling environment for Corporate Social Responsibility the sustainable water and related activities. She highlighted environment resources through that there is need to encourage the Ministry of Water and smart learning and planning that Environment and various brings all actors together so that agencies that monitor, regulate they can see the impact of each and promote the usage of water sector on the other. and environment resources She called employing incentive She highlighted that a number mechanism to sustainable water of stakeholders are unaware of and environment use and the importance and relevancy Ramathan Ggoobi management by different of the sector to the socio- stakeholders and optimization of economic development of management. innovations. Uganda. “People take water and Mr. Ggoobi called for the Hon. Mariam Nkalubo, environment for granted,” prioritization of the sector the Minister of Lands and she said. She highlighted in national planning and Environment in the Buganda that Ministry of Water budgeting and an internal Kingdom said that the Buganda and Environment has both re-organization of the sector culture depends, cherishes the technical capacities on alongside institutional and policy and wants to conserve the transboundary water resources frameworks.Ms. Elsie called environment. Key participants after the opening ceremony of UWEWK Page 4 PRE-EVENT ACTIVITIES As part of the national com- a number of pre-event activities Below are the highlights of the memoration of the Uganda were planned and conducted at activities. Water and Environment Week, both national and regional level. The launch of the annual 40 million trees planting campaign he Ministry of Water and Environment in collaboration with TUganda Breweries Limited organised the 2021 edition of the Running Out of Trees (ROOTs), an annual event which involves a series of activities aimed at restoring Uganda’s diminishing tree cover. In a span of one year, 40 million trees will be planted. During the launch of the 40 million trees planting campaign, the Speaker of Parliament of Uganda Hon. Rebecca Kadaga implored everyone to walk the talk when it comes to preserving and protecting the environment. She called on leaders to lead by example and ensure that environmental degradation stops. Hon. Kadaga also launched the ROOTs mobile app to raise awareness and mobilize funds needed to procure, plant and maintain the 40 million trees across the country. Hon.