Involve youth in fighting effects of climate change - experts

Jul 02, 2020

The former coordinator Climate Action Network Uganda, Anthony Walimbwa said there is need to involve youths in all climate change platforms, being the largest population in the country.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Over the years, Uganda continues to experience negative impacts of climate change ranging from unforeseen droughts, floods and landslides. This has over time led to the loss of lives and destruction of property, crops, and livestock in different parts of the country.

However, environmental experts attribute this to the destruction of forests which absorb bad gasses, thus leading to high temperatures.

"These prolonged droughts we are seeing are as a result of too much heat we are experiencing. Most of the natural forests have been cleared for timber and charcoal leaving the land bare," the coordinator of the Makerere University Centre for Climate Change Research and Innovations Dr Revocatus Twinomuhangi said.

He noted that the country is experiencing more hot days than cold days, with high intensity of rains, as a result of increased temperatures.

"Rainy days have reduced and we only get the high intensity of rains which are bad for agriculture. These rains always result in floods followed by too much heat," he added.

Twinomuhangi who was addressing a national youth dialogue on climate change pointed out that the extreme heat is the reason for the melting of ice on Mt. Rwenzori leading to massive flooding in Kasese.

The dialogue was organized by the National Youth Advocacy Platform (NYAP) supported by the Community Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI) and Critas, at Jevine Hotel in Rubaga division in Kampala.

alt=''
The Deputy Executive Director of Community Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI), Hellen Kasujja speaking during the dialogue. (Photo by Jeff Andrew Lule)


Twinomuhangi also pointed out that Uganda's agricultural land increases by 1% annually, a reason why forests continue to be cleared and land degraded for agriculture activity.

"Most Ugandan farmers do not use fertilizers. They only depend on the natural fertility of their land. Every time the soils lose fertility, they keep extending into the virgin lands. That is why we are losing more trees," he noted.

Involve youth

The former coordinator Climate Action Network Uganda, Anthony Walimbwa said there is need to involve youths in all climate change platforms, being the largest population in the country.

"The youth are most hit but also most adaptable. We need to have them on all our platforms up to the international level, to have their views and suggestions," he added.

alt=''
One of the participants speaking during the dialogue. (Photo by Jeff Andrew Lule)


The Deputy Executive Director CIDI, Hellen Kasujja said there is a need to subsidize prices on gas and cylinders to make it affordable for people than using charcoal and firewood.

"They should also provide resources for climate change innovations across all sectors, especially in agriculture, energy and water. Government also needs to increase funding to the Local Governments on environmental national resources conditional grants," she noted.

The representative youth with disabilities NYAP, Musa Mwambu said government needs to give special attention to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) as one the most affected group.

"Every time we have floods and landslides, it is the PwDs who are the most affected. Many have hearing and visual impairments, and always lose lives during such catastrophes," he noted.

Mumbere said the government needs to invest in improved emergency alerts in high-risk areas to help those with hearing impairments.  

Annet Nanono, a female youth representative NYAP, said young people need the right information of climate change to easily advocate for what they want.

alt=''
Diana Annet Nanono, an irrigation engineer and female youth representative, National Youth Advocacy Platform (NYAP) speaking at the dialogue. (Photo by Jeff Andrew Lule)


"With the right information, they can understand the problem and come up with innovations to address several challenges," he added.

The coordinator NYAP, James Mumbere said they want the youth to create partnerships that breed innovations necessary to turn around the impacts of climate change and also ably participate in the planning processes at all levels.

"This way, we shall have meaningful participation in all decision-making processes geared towards mitigating effects of climate change," Mumbere.

Alternative cheap sources of energy

Twinomuhangi explained that without addressing the issues of energy and helping people to improve their agricultural methods, Uganda is headed for the worst.

"Issues of climate change mainly rotate around energy and water sectors. Without cheap alternative energy sources like gas and electricity, people will have no option but to continue clearing forests for charcoal and firewood," he added.

He urged the government to reduce the power tariffs to make it more affordable for people to use it for cooking than destroying trees for firewood and charcoal.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});