Uganda gets shs6.9b for Rio conventions

A new four year-initiative in the environment sector worth $1.9m (Sh6.9b) is to be implemented to improve capacity on reporting on three global Conventions on environment. This will also contribute to sustainable development through better enforcement of policies on the environment.

The three conventions namely the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (UNCBD) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) were agreed upon at the 1992 Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro or simply Rio in Brazil.

In Uganda, the three global conventions are implemented by three different bodies namely the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Climate Change Department in the Ministry of Water and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture. NEMA oversees the implementation of UNCBD also widely referred to as the Convention on Biodiversity; the Climate Change Department is the focal point for the implementation of UNFCCC and the Ministry implements UNCCD.

The initiative will cover Kampala Capital City Authority and five districts namely Wakiso, Mukono, Buikwe, Kayunga and Jinja.

Daniel Omodo, Programme Analyst. Energy and Environment at UNDP Uganda said the initiative will help build capacity of the officials implanting the three conventions. It will also contribute to sharing of information across ministries.

 He was speaking on Friday at a meeting organised to launch the project at Ridah Hotel, Mukono.

At the same meeting, Fred Onyai, an official of NEMA said the three Conventions were being implemented in silos without exchange of information between the ministries overseeing the implementing agencies. He pointed out that in some cases, the Government submits reports from the three different institutions with different figures on deforestation.

He also pointed out the project will strengthen the capacity for implementation of the Rio Conventions as well as enforcement of environment policies. "The enforcement will be based on evidence and data," he said, adding that the project aims at effective monitoring and implementation of Rio conventions in Uganda.