ENVIRONMENT | CLIMATE | FLOODS 

KABERAMAIDO - Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have urged government to raise its commitments towards climate change which is the biggest threat affecting people.

During the World Earth Day celebrations that took place at Kaberamaido district town council, the executive director of Sustainable Path Africa and East Africa Regional Coordinator for African Climate Reality Project David Sempala, said government must rise up and make practical policy transformations, and help conserve and protect the environment.

Civil society actors led by Africa Climate Reality Project, Oxfam, Sustainable Path Africa, and CIDI Uganda among other partners spearheaded a three-day mass environment awareness campaign in Kaberamaido to help communities fully understand the role played by their actions in damaging the environment.

Several activities were conducted including tree planting, cleanup of Kaberamaido central market, climate literacy and launch of Climate Club at Teete Primary school.

“Uganda was the first country in Africa to develop and endorse its Nationally Determined Contribution partnership plan (NDC-PP) in June 2018. 

It made key commitments in this regard, including reducing national greenhouse emission by 22% by year 2030, reducing climate vulnerability of climate sensitive sectors, and building climate resilience key sectors and managing disaster risks. 

“However to achieve the set Paris agreement commitments, we must step up and intensify actions that include among others protecting the country’s forests and fragile eco-systems like wetlands, lakes and rivers, pass strong legislation on industrial pollutions and investing in awareness initiatives to create an ecologically literate society," Sempala said.

Jackson Muhindo, the Resilience & Climate Change Coordinator at Oxfam Uganda said that climate change is exacerbating inequality and hurting poor people in communities.

The CSOs called upon government to increase public finance towards environmental interventions.

According to the environmental issue report presented to stakeholders on climate change impacts and vulnerability in Teso sub region covering mainly Kaberamaido and Karaki districts, climate change is affecting a wide range of sectors including agriculture, water, health and human settlements.

The major impact has been registered on loss of forest cover and deadly flooding. 

In the last twelve years, heavy floods have displaced 2,291 households in Teso and Bugisu sub regions. In Kumi and Serere Districts, 11,809 households were flooded and waterlogged in the sub counties of Bugondo, Pingire, Kadungulu, Kapeta.

In October 2020, flooding incidents caused by rising water levels in Lake Kyoga, Bisina were reported in Kaberamaido and Karaki, Kumi and Katakwi, leaving 12,332 households affected.