Uganda’s environment standards decline

Sep 04, 2006

Uganda’s environment protection record that was seen as one of the best globally in the last decade, has been tarnished by the prevailing rampant destruction of the environment.

By Vision Reporter

Uganda’s environment protection record that was seen as one of the best globally in the last decade, has been tarnished by the prevailing rampant destruction of the environment.

Dr Yakobo Moyini, a private environment consultant, said the strong political will that had brought Uganda to the forefront of wise use of the environment has waned, leading to encroachment of the protected areas.

He was presenting a synopsis of the guidelines for environmental integration in the financial and insurance sectors to encourage voluntary environmental compliance at Sheraton Kampala Hotel recently. He said investors are deliberately allocated to take over protected areas. Moyini also said poor people were partly to blame for the massive destruction.
He said financial institutions and insurance firms could become surrogate regulators to encourage compliance to environmental laws.

Moyini, also a former head of the Uganda Wildlife Authority and a former lecturer at Makerere University, said in some cases, environmentalists who resist such excesses are referred to as “saboteurs.’’

“Uganda has laws, well articulated environment Act, but they are not enforced,’’ he said.

Moyoni said one of the ways of encouraging environmental compliance is by demanding environmental impact assessment studies and declining to lend enterprises that are likely to destroy the environment.

The State Minister of Environment, Jessica Eriyo launched the guidelines.

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