Climate Change Effects Needs to be addressed as a whole-Experts BY Patrick Uma.

 BY Patrick Uma.

Climate change activists in the Country are calling up on government and non states actors in environment to develop mechanisms that can address the effects of climate change.

According to Ms. Miriam Talwisa, the National Coordinator of Climate Action network Uganda said that effects of Climate change are cross cutting issues that affects all sectors in the Economy.

‘’Climate change effects are of cross-cutting issue thus the need all players to play their role when it comes to the fighting of its. On the side of government the burdens should only be left to Central government but also local leaders need to effectively participate in addressing the effects of climate change as a whole.’’ Said Talwisa.

Some of the Climate Change Activists  posing in photo

The coordinator made the remarks recently while meeting climate Actors, and Local leaders from Northern Uganda.

She also revealed that they are developing a Joint Citizen’s manifesto on Climate change which will act as a basis and a tool for demanding action accountability on climate change at all levels for the period of 2021-2026.

She added that the document will act as a basis for informing the much needed Political and legislative advocacy while engaging the new Political parties, donors, local leaders to focus on a greener, cleaner and a safer recovery from climate impacts and Covid-19

According to Mr. Arthur Owor, the Coordinator of ‘Our Trees, We need answers’ a Community based organization fighting for Climate Justice in Northern Uganda, said Climate Change effects are very broad adding that the Citizens Manifesto will help to bring voices from below to be heard.

Owor, also added that as ‘Our Trees, we need answers’’ they have noted that Citizens have been empowered through their initiatives of putting errand leaders on the spot for environmental justice and they will continue to advocate for a safer and better environment with the newly elected leaders

Uganda has experienced many drastic effects of climate change including, droughts, flooding, mudslides among other which have affected thousands of people across the country.

 

Uganda Free Zones Authority Staff Donate Blood

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO 

Uganda is among the countries with high rate of motor accident coupled with other medical emergencies such as women giving birth through cesarean procedures. The country also has high number of her citizens suffering from cancer alongside children suffering from chronical diseases such as sickle cell and other medical conditions requiring blood transfusion. 

 

But according to information from Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS), the country is now facing shortage of blood supply in all its centers across the country because of the outbreak of Covid-19 Epidemic which led to closure Learning Institutions where the Medical agency used to collect most of the blood through voluntary blood donations by the students across the country. UBTS notes that before the outbreak of the deadly fever, the country had good stock of blood supplies in most of the Country's regional blood banks and medical facilities to handle medical complications that required blood transfusion.

 

 "Currently as Nakasero Blood Bank, we are not doing well when it comes to blood collection despite the fact that the demand for blood in most health facilities in the country has gone up. There’s urgent need for the general public to respond to our calls to voluntarily blood donations. Availability of blood in medical facilities plays a key role in saving people's lives especially those who have involved in accidents, Children with sickle cell anemia among other health complications” Explained Esther Awori,the Nakasero Blood Bank Donor Recruiter.

Staff,s of Uganda Free Zones Authority Donating Blood  

The Officer made the appeal during a blood donations drive organized by Uganda Free Zones Authority. She observed that if both Government Agencies alongside the Private Sector participate effectively in mobilizing the general public towards voluntary blood donations, the country couldn't be experiencing blood supply shortage.

 She applauded the Authority for starting such Initiative where it mobilizes members of the public to effectively participate in blood donations. This has enabled the blood bank to collect quite a good number of blood units annually.

Doreen Kembabazi, the Authority’sspokesperson, explained that the Authority organizes a blood donation drive on annually basis at their offices where members of the public and Authority’s staff donate blood on voluntary basis.

 

 "As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, the Authority supports those in need of blood by making it possible for willing and able Ugandans to share their love by donating blood to save lives. It is a fact that blood cannot be manufactured anywhere else in the world except in human beings. Let us all respond to the call to donate blood and save lives “She told the media.

Member of the community Donating Blood 

James Atwine,bodaboda rider, who participated in the blood donation told this website that, he voluntarily donated blood because he has lost two relatives who were in need of blood but couldn’t find it at the Health facility after the two were involved in motor accident.

 

 “Every year I donate blood to save lives of my fellow Ugandans who may be in need of it” He said

 

Cancel Environment Social Impact Assessment certificate to hoima sugar ltd due to violation of certificate conditions

 BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

 Environmentalist are urging Government to cancel the ESIA Certificate it gave to Hoima sugar Limited  they urges that  Hoima Sugar Ltd has failed to live up to key conditions in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) certificate of approval that the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) issued to the company, the Save Bugoma Forest Campaign (SBFC) can reveal.

 GPS images in the hands of the SBFC show that as at January 7, 2021, Hoima Sugar Ltd had cultivated 405 hectares of Bugoma forest land. This is being done with impunity and in disregard of the ongoing court cases in both the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Part of the Bugoma Forest that has been cleared by the sugar company
 

.The above court cases are contesting the validity of the ESIA certificate that was issued to Hoima Sugar Ltd by NEMA and the land titles issued by Ministry of Lands to Hoima Sugar Ltd and Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom.

 Sadly, part of the 405 hectares of Bugoma forest land that has been destroyed by Hoima Sugar Ltd is that that was approved for ecotourism purposes, and not sugarcane growing.

 “Condition 4.7 of Hoima Sugar Ltd’s ESIA certificate of approval says that the company has to ‘Ensure that the [sugarcane] plantation … is restricted to the areas indicated in the ESIS [Environmental and Social Impact Statement] …’

 By cultivating land meant for ecotourism purposes, Hoima Sugar has flouted condition 4.7, which is a key certificate condition.

 Moreover, Condition 4.5 of the certificate says that before developing an ecotourism centre, cultural site, workers’ camps and others, Hoima Sugar is required to conduct separate ESIA studies for each of those projects.

In as far as we are aware, no ESIA study has been submitted to NEMA and no certificate of approval has been issued for the ecotourism project. Why then has land that was earmarked for ecotourism purposes been cleared?” Mr. Dickens Kamugisha, the Chairperson of the SBFC said in media Statement  the group issued recently.

 He adds, “The truth, which we are calling Ugandans to remain alive to, is that a sugarcane company with no track record in ecotourism and one that dared to touch a key national resource is unlikely to keep it safe. This is why Hoima Sugar’s illegal activities in Bugoma forest must be stopped immediately.”

 

HISTORY OF VIOLATION OF LAWS

 

This isn’t the first time that due processes are being flouted in Hoima Sugar’s Kyangwali Mixed Land Use project, the project for which the company received an ESIA certificate of approval from NEMA on August 14, 2020.

 

Prior to issuance of the certificate, both Hoima Sugar and NEMA violated key environmental laws that would have safeguarded Bugoma forest from destruction.

 “Among the laws are the 1998 Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA] Regulations. For instance, under regulation 10, Hoima Sugar was required to comply with the NEMA-approved Terms of Reference for its ESIA study. The company failed to do this.

Under regulation 12, developers are required to seek the views of the people who are likely to be affected by a project during the study. This requirement also wasn’t complied with by Hoima Sugar,” Mr. Bashir Twesigye, a lawyer who is also a member of the SBFC, says.

 He adds, “On its part, NEMA is, under regulations 19 and 20, required to invite for written comments on an ESIA study from the general public and affected communities respectively. The invitation is supposed to be made through newspapers with national or local circulation among others.

 Under regulation 21, NEMA is mandated to organise public hearings for controversial projects and those with transboundary impacts.

 NEMA neither invited for comments from the general public and affected communities through the media and neither did the authority organise public hearings on the controversial project of growing sugarcane in Bugoma forest.”

 

COURT CASES

 

The above among other violations caused the SBFC to sue NEMA through court cases seeking for cancellation of the ESIA certificate of approval issued to Hoima Sugar.

 A court case for cancellation of the freehold and leasehold land titles that were issued by Ministry of Lands to Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom and Hoima Sugar respectively in 2016 is also before the Court of Appeal to protect the forest.

 “Hoima Sugar’s impunity of destroying even the land that was meant for ecotourism could preempt these cases that are aimed at stopping destruction of the forest.

 The SBFC is therefore unequivocally calling on the company to stop destroying the forest.

 NEMA should also review Hoima Sugar’s activities with the view of cancelling the certificate that the authority issued to the company due to none-compliance to the certificate’s conditions.

 Under condition 8, NEMA clearly stated that it would cancel/suspend/withdraw the company’s certificate if conditions under section 4 aren’t complied with. We expect NEMA to comply with its own certificate conditions,” Ms. Ruth Kiwanuka of the SBFC says.

 The SBFC is also calling on courts to expeditiously hear the cases for cancellation of the ESIA certificate of approval to Hoima Sugar and those for cancellation of the land titles to Bunyoro Kingdom and Hoima Sugar Ltd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gulu Visual Artists Uses Arts to Combat Environmental degradation

 BY PATRICK UMA. 

 Two visual artists in Gulu are using non degradable waste material to produce mix media painting; and in turn help to combat environmental pollution According to Peter Sai, a Gulu-based visual Artist, he uses non-degradable waste materials like plastics, metals scrap's used polythene bags to come up with a composition of various arts.

 ‘’Through using this non-degradable waste material, we are saving the environment from being degraded thus making it a better place to live in.’’Sai Told the Environment News Uganda in Gulu City during an Exclusive Interview.

 Sai added that he had to drop out of his business administration course at Gulu University 5 years ago and pursue his passion for painting and visual arts because it his in-build passion.

 

 ‘’everyday people see me collecting plastics bottles and Buvera,s in the City and also on the streets and some might think I am crazy, but I am only saving the environment.’’ He added.

Peter Sai, a Gulu based visual artist holds his paintings at the recent art display in Gulu City.[ PHOTO BY PATRICK UMA.

 Sai was among the couple of visual artists who displayed their art works for the public from the Innovation village center in Gulu City. Thomas Vava, another Gulu based visual artist said that he developed the idea of using plastic and used Buvera,s for his art work during the lock down.

 ‘’As Arts we experienced shortage of materials used in painting such as paint due to lockdown which was declared by government as a way of mitigating the spread of the deadly Covid-19 disease that is why we resorted to come up with the innovation of using non-degradable materials around us such as the used Buveras and metal scrap's that were in plenty to do our Art work"Vaca explained 

Visual Artist Thomas Vava in front of his Art gallery in Gulu City.[PHOTO BY PATRICK UMA]

Thomas owns Vava Arts studio where he has designed portraits of famous people like Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Madela, and Dr. Mathew Lukwiya among others The visual artists plan to establish one of the biggest art galleries in the post-conflict Northern Uganda. 

Why Non-degradable plastic materials should be properly disposed off. According to scientists poor disposal of plastic has negative Impacts to the people's lives and that of reptile such as fish. On Humans the poorly disposed off of the Non degradable can lead to Diseases like Cancer among other diseases then on the side of Reptiles such as fish the Accumulation of Non degradable wastes can lead excessive accumulation of carbon dioxide in the water bodies which in turn interferes with a key brain receptor in fishes' brains, affecting their ability to hear, smell, turn and evade predators