Museveni in climate change fight

Nov 19, 2016

He told the meeting that Uganda was to focus on the promotion of renewable energy, climate smart agriculture, revival of forestry, restoring wetlands and proper waste disposal, as part of its strategy of fighting climate change.

President Yoweri Museveni. Photo/File

President Yoweri Museveni  has called on developed countries that made commitments through the Paris Agreement to help Uganda meet its obligation of fighting climate change, to honor them.

One of the commitments made was to help mobilize at least $100bn by 2020 and maintain this until 2025 for Uganda to adopt mitigation measures that can, for example, reduce the rising temperatures to below 1.5 degrees.

The president made the call while presenting a national paper on Uganda's position on climate change at the just concluded 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) in Marakesh, Morocco, where he was represented by the minister of state for water and environment, Sam Cheptoris.
 
He told the meeting that Uganda was to focus on the promotion of renewable energy, climate smart agriculture, revival of forestry, restoring wetlands and proper waste disposal, as part of its strategy of fighting climate change.

He added that Uganda was relying on mobilising its domestic resources and commitments made by developed nations under the Paris Agreement to provide the financial and technical support required to attain her priorities.

"We urge developed nations to scale up mobilisation of the targeted $100b by 2020 and maintain this momentum to 2025 and beyond…," he said.

 inister of ater and nvironment on  am heptoris Minister of Water and Environment Hon. Sam Cheptoris(L)

 


Why not getting the funds

Edith Kassaija, one of the negotiators on the Ugandan team, who is also deputy executive director of the National planning Authority, however, noted that for Uganda to get the needed funding, it has to overcome institutional hitches.

She said the money was already available for Uganda to access through the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility.

"All Uganda has to do is address issues such as corruption and put in place stringent measures of accountability because it is now easier to get the money which is at country level but we are failing to grab the opportunity," she said.

She also added that Uganda needs to operationalize the National Designated Authority (NDA), an institutional arrangement under the Green Climate Fund with the expertise and experience to manage such funds.
Support for such activities in individual developing countries is capped at USD 1 million per calendar year.
The Fund has a total of $16m available to immediately provide support countries in need and these may seek the release of further resources depending on the needs of countries.

Edith added that the ministry of water also needs to be accredited so that the two can acquaint themselves with guidelines on how to access the funds.

"I propose that a committee be set up in Uganda to develop bankable concept notes so that the country can access funding faster," she said.

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