Environmental degradation fight goes to West Nile schools
Mar 08, 2024
Paskole Kerodong, the team leader of the upper Nile water management zone, said water and the environment are at the centre of natural resources that define the livelihood of the community.
Judges inspecting students during the debate closely folowing the proceedings. (Photos by Robert Adiga)
Robert Adiga
Journalist @New Vision
_____________________ Students from Kuluva School of Nursing ready for the debate at Muni University
In a bid to ensure environmental sustainability, the Water and Environment Ministry has taken the fight against water and environment degradation to West Nile region schools.
The ministry has, therefore, partnered with Muni University to organise inter-university and primary school debating competitions. It is hoped that through these debates water and environment conservation messages can be passed down to pupils and students.
The debate at Muni University on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, attracted participants from several universities including Gulu, Lira, Bugema, MUBS, IUIU, and UCU alongside selected primary and secondary schools as well as other tertiary institutions like Guluva and Arua School of Nursing that debated on water and environment-related topics.
The debating competition was part of the precursor activities for the seventh Uganda Water and Environment Week (UWEWK2024) (March 18-23, 2024), which will involve the commemoration of three annual sector international days: International Forest Day (March 21), World Water Day (March 22) and World Meteorological Day (March 23) organised by the line ministry.
This event seeks to contribute towards the attainment of sustainable socioeconomic transformation and achieving the Ugandan National Development Plan and Vision 2040 by providing an interface between sector actors and other stakeholders for knowledge exchange, advocacy, influencing, dialoguing, and learning for the improvement of Uganda’s water and environmental resources.
The overall theme of Uganda Water and Environment Week 2024 is Rethinking Collective Action and Innovative Solutions to Water, Environment and Climate Change Crisis in Uganda”.
While flagging off the debating competition, the ministry assistant commissioner in charge of human resources management Godfrey Ezati said the debate is part of the awareness-creation the ministry intends to cascade about the proper usage of water and environment.
Muni University guild president Victor Ogenrwoth said through the debate, they learned to cherish cultural unity and collaboration with other institutions and instill a sense of responsibility in the young generation to transform the lives of the communities through proper usage of water and the environment.
Paskole Kerodong, the team leader of the upper Nile water management zone, said water and the environment are at the centre of natural resources that define the livelihood of the community.
Muni University Dean of Studentsents Stella Amandru challenged the youth to get inspired to be part of the solution for global warming as well as be ambassadors for change through the use of creativity and innovations.
Sally Adania, the headteacher of Niva Primary School in Arua City, acknowledged that water and environment are key in attaining a healthy body as she encouraged schools to embrace and impact the culture of environmental conservation among learners at an early stage.
Among other pre-activities carried out in West Nile include, tree planting at Muni University, a Field visit to a recently commissioned scheme under World Vision in Bididi zone exhibitions, training in income-generating activities at OPM gardens in Arua, presentations and dialogue and city, Clean up exercise Odramacaku and home improvement campaign among others.
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