''All Ugandans must protect the environment''

By Juliet Lukwago           

KAMPALA - The Archbishop of Kampala, Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga has asked Ugandans to protect the environment, warning that failure to do so will put the locals’ existence in danger.

“If we abuse the environment, we are spoiling the fate of our future generations,” said the church leader on Saturday.

He was addressing a round-table discussion on environment that was organised by Caritas Uganda at Hotel Africana.

Lwanga, who is also the president of the agency, said it is everyone’s duty to protect the environment.

“Some people have now realized that the civilization we have built for centuries may not survive if some drastic steps are not undertaken to protect the environment from degradation.”

The Archbishop warned that fresh air, clean water, natural gas, petroleum and the earth’s topsoil will get used up if “we continue to exploit them at the present rate in the name of development”.

“As we deplete precious natural resources and degrade the environment, we are also destroying its ability to rejuvenate itself.”

Among those who attended the discussion was the shadow minister of environment, Betty Atim Anywar aka Maama Mabira.

Several legislators also attended.
 

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Archbishop Lwanga (L) and Msgr Francis Ndamira, the director of Caritas Uganda. PHOTO/Juliet Lukwago

‘Is it true?’

In his address, Lwanga singled out the significance of Ugandans protecting their surroundings by emphasizing that the world at large is rapidly becoming industrialized.

God, he said, wants man to deal justly with his neighbourhood. “We must therefore act justly in dealing with the environment. Remember that the future of the human race continues to revolve around the survival of the physical environment.

The cleric went on to commend the government for establishing the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to co-ordinate enforcement, but underlined that much still needs to be done.

“It is said that some government officials are behind the destruction of the environment. Is this allegation true? I don’t know, but if it is true, we ask government to spearhead the preservation of the environment," said Lwanga.

On her part, Anywar commended Caritas Uganda and the Kampala Archbishop for championing the campaign to preserve the environment.

She said the Church is a very big and influential institution and that spearheading the campaign would yield results.

Msgr Francis Ndamira, the national director of Caritas, pointed out that the round-table discussion is one of the opportunities through which solutions to environmental degradation can be found.

Lwanga said that the meeting seeks to highlight key lessons, opportunities and challenges for reengagement by various factors involved in this sector, including communities affected by the environment crisis.