Mabira lodge wins environmental award
Nov 04, 2007
AN eco-lodge set up in Mabira Forest by the Alam Group of Companies was among the five winners of the annual awards given out by Environmental Alert on Friday.
By Gerald Tenywa
AN eco-lodge set up in Mabira Forest by the Alam Group of Companies was among the five winners of the annual awards given out by Environmental Alert on Friday.
Mabira Rainforest Lodge came top in the category of ‘eco-business of the year award’ because it had invested in a business that depended on the long term survival of the reserve. It also employs local people residing near the forest, thus improving their standards of living.
The UNDP resident representative, Theophane Nikyema, handed each company a certificate and plaques designed in wood mounted on glass with inscriptions.
Zahid Alam said his company would continue using environmentally friendly working methods.
“We all have a part to play to protect the environment and we appreciate that Environment Alert has recognised such efforts.â€
The environmental advocate of the year award went to a 63-year-old resident of Mbale district, Peter Rwandarugaru, who fought against pollution from an abattoir in Mbale.
Rwandarugaru said although he got death threats, they did not deter him from striving to protect the environment. He sued the abattoir and court ruled that the abattoir should restore the environment.
Other winners were Nakyeza Secondary School in western Uganda that was behind the restoration of the environment through tree planting, Ntungamo Women Save the Environment, that promoted environmentally friendly enterprises like bee keeping and extraction of oil from lemon grass.
Harison Thembo, a reporter at WBS television took the media award for his career that stretches back for more than a decade of creating awareness as a health and environmental reporter. He also engaged in tree planting and rain water harvesting.
Nikyema said UNDP was concerned with improving the living standards of people and that the awards from Environmental Alert would inspire others to create a better environment.
Environmental Alert has for the last two decades been engaged in natural resources management and helping rural communities increase productivity of their land and food security.
It was one of the organisations that was against the proposed change of land use of protected areas such as Mabira Forest Reserve. The Mehta Group of companies wanted to convert part of the forest into a sugarcane plantation.
AN eco-lodge set up in Mabira Forest by the Alam Group of Companies was among the five winners of the annual awards given out by Environmental Alert on Friday.
Mabira Rainforest Lodge came top in the category of ‘eco-business of the year award’ because it had invested in a business that depended on the long term survival of the reserve. It also employs local people residing near the forest, thus improving their standards of living.
The UNDP resident representative, Theophane Nikyema, handed each company a certificate and plaques designed in wood mounted on glass with inscriptions.
Zahid Alam said his company would continue using environmentally friendly working methods.
“We all have a part to play to protect the environment and we appreciate that Environment Alert has recognised such efforts.â€
The environmental advocate of the year award went to a 63-year-old resident of Mbale district, Peter Rwandarugaru, who fought against pollution from an abattoir in Mbale.
Rwandarugaru said although he got death threats, they did not deter him from striving to protect the environment. He sued the abattoir and court ruled that the abattoir should restore the environment.
Other winners were Nakyeza Secondary School in western Uganda that was behind the restoration of the environment through tree planting, Ntungamo Women Save the Environment, that promoted environmentally friendly enterprises like bee keeping and extraction of oil from lemon grass.
Harison Thembo, a reporter at WBS television took the media award for his career that stretches back for more than a decade of creating awareness as a health and environmental reporter. He also engaged in tree planting and rain water harvesting.
Nikyema said UNDP was concerned with improving the living standards of people and that the awards from Environmental Alert would inspire others to create a better environment.
Environmental Alert has for the last two decades been engaged in natural resources management and helping rural communities increase productivity of their land and food security.
It was one of the organisations that was against the proposed change of land use of protected areas such as Mabira Forest Reserve. The Mehta Group of companies wanted to convert part of the forest into a sugarcane plantation.