We must count the cost!
Dec 14, 2006
SIR — A few years ago, Ken Lukyamuzi and colleagues did Uganda a disservice by opposing the building of dams at Bujagali and Karuma, on environmental grounds. Donors blocked the construction of the dams and we are suffering the consequences.
SIR — A few years ago, Ken Lukyamuzi and colleagues did Uganda a disservice by opposing the building of dams at Bujagali and Karuma, on environmental grounds. Donors blocked the construction of the dams and we are suffering the consequences.
President Yoweri Museveni swore never to be bullied by donors on matters of national interest and I agree with him with certain limitations.
Those limitations are that we should not reject good advice from people who in the past have given bad advice. We also should not let national pride and soveriegnity drown the truth. The truth is that as a priority we need more electricity for development and consumption.
This however can be differentiated from Metha and Bidco's investments which involve massive and destructive deforestation. Global warming and desertification are very real dangers.
They are not imagined or a luxury for rich countries. A BBC documentary has shown the destruction that has been wrought on the Island of Haiti by deforestation.
There is desertification and soil erosion on a massive scale. The destruction of that nation is remarkable.
They are actually losing huge chunks of soil and the land mass is rapidly reducing. With all due respect we appeal to the President not to be motivated by anger at the donors in his decision making and consider the possible irreversible destruction he can bring to this very beautiful country.
Without implying any wrong doing on the part of government it is even more critical when we consider the dubious nature of some of the investors we have seen. Uganda can painfully recover from the massive losses it incurred from the Apparels Tri-star scandal along with the other fraudulent investors.
But if we destroy our nation and turn it into a desert by disregarding the legislative protections in place to protect this beautiful land then we are doomed to greater poverty, starvation and hunger than the one we are trying to alleviate.
How many jobs and other economic benefits can possibly come out of Bidco and Mehta's investments to warrant this destruction? They are simply too small to justify it, if it can be justified at all.
The Minister of the Environment whose portfolio should be to protect our natural habitats is instead talking of launching ‘probes’ to investigate ‘opponents’ of Government programmes.
She claims that palm trees will serve the same environmental purpose as the forest.
I respectfully say that she has very limited knowledge of the Environment she is tasked to protect.
I am not opposed to development but we should pause to count the cost. I plead with the President to listen!
Name withheld
President Yoweri Museveni swore never to be bullied by donors on matters of national interest and I agree with him with certain limitations.
Those limitations are that we should not reject good advice from people who in the past have given bad advice. We also should not let national pride and soveriegnity drown the truth. The truth is that as a priority we need more electricity for development and consumption.
This however can be differentiated from Metha and Bidco's investments which involve massive and destructive deforestation. Global warming and desertification are very real dangers.
They are not imagined or a luxury for rich countries. A BBC documentary has shown the destruction that has been wrought on the Island of Haiti by deforestation.
There is desertification and soil erosion on a massive scale. The destruction of that nation is remarkable.
They are actually losing huge chunks of soil and the land mass is rapidly reducing. With all due respect we appeal to the President not to be motivated by anger at the donors in his decision making and consider the possible irreversible destruction he can bring to this very beautiful country.
Without implying any wrong doing on the part of government it is even more critical when we consider the dubious nature of some of the investors we have seen. Uganda can painfully recover from the massive losses it incurred from the Apparels Tri-star scandal along with the other fraudulent investors.
But if we destroy our nation and turn it into a desert by disregarding the legislative protections in place to protect this beautiful land then we are doomed to greater poverty, starvation and hunger than the one we are trying to alleviate.
How many jobs and other economic benefits can possibly come out of Bidco and Mehta's investments to warrant this destruction? They are simply too small to justify it, if it can be justified at all.
The Minister of the Environment whose portfolio should be to protect our natural habitats is instead talking of launching ‘probes’ to investigate ‘opponents’ of Government programmes.
She claims that palm trees will serve the same environmental purpose as the forest.
I respectfully say that she has very limited knowledge of the Environment she is tasked to protect.
I am not opposed to development but we should pause to count the cost. I plead with the President to listen!
Name withheld