Uganda's plan on climate change out, Sweden promises support  

PIC: Minister Kitutu said there is a lot of political will to conserve the environment. (Credit: Mary Kansiime)

 CLIMATE CHANGE

KAMPALA- The Chinese saying that a journey of one thousand miles begins with one step was repeated on Tuesday at Hotel Protea in Kampala. This is where the Minister of State for the Environment, Dr. Goretti Kitutu, said the plan to address climate change was out and this would cover priority sectors. 

The sectors include renewable energy, including generation of hydro-electric power and solar energy as well as geo-thermal. Also, conservation efforts in agriculture could help to improve livelihoods as well as contribute to efforts that minimiSe the release of gases that contribute to climate change. Others are conservation of forests and wetlands, water resources, improved health and human settlement in urban areas. 

"The plan is out and has been approved," said Kitutu during the opening of the meeting on climate change at Hotel Protea in Kampala. 

She was speaking at a conference on climate change organised by the ministry of water and environment at Hotel Protea on Tuesday. The meeting on climate change was convened by the Climate Change Department in the water ministry with support of the Embassy of Sweden in Uganda.

Climate Change is caused by emissions such as carbon dioxide from production processes, which trap heat escaping to the atmosphere thereby causing global warming. 

Kitutu, who served as a technical officer at the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) for 14 years before she crossed over into politics, also pointed out that there is a lot of political will to conserve the environment. 

This, together with the guidance of technical expertise, will help to promote conservation of the environment and also support the population to live in the changing climate, according to Kitutu. 

The Swedish Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Per Lindgarde, promised support to the environment and the energy sector. He also said the Swedish government would engage the private sector that is particularly interested in the energy sector in Sweden to invest in Uganda. 

This is part of the global efforts by different countries of the world to address the changing climate and to ensure that global temperature does not rise above 1.5 degrees Centigrade. 

According to Chebet Maikut, the head of the Climate Change Department, Uganda has already signed and ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. He also pointed out that though Uganda has not contributed to gases that are responsible for the changing climate, it has made commitments to reduce the greenhouse emissions.

He also pointed out that Uganda is currently in the process of improving its legal framework on climate change. A bill has been made after national consultations with different stakeholders and soon it will be debated by Cabinet and Parliament, according to Chebet.