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Tuesday, June 5, 2012
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY, 5tH JUNE 2012 SHOULD MAKE SENSE TO UGANDA'S NRM LEADERS
THE THEME
Green Economy: Does it include YOU?
The 2012 theme for World Environment Day is Green Economy: Does it include you? Evidently, there are two parts to this theme and the first tackles the subject of the Green Economy. This is where some people shut off their minds because they find the concept of the Green Economy a little too complex to understand.
On the contrary, the Green Economy is really something that is applicable all around you and it is easy to imagine how you fit in it. Visit the ‘What is the Green Economy?’ page to read a layman’s narrative of this concept.
The UN Environment Programme defines the Green Economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive.
Practically speaking, a Green Economy is one whose growth in income and employment is driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. These investments need to be catalyzed and supported by targeted public expenditure, policy reforms and regulation changes.
But what does all this mean for you? Well, this essentially what the second part of the theme is all about. If the Green Economy is about social equity and inclusiveness then technically it is all about you! The question therefore asks you to find out more about the Green Economy and assess whether, in your country, you are being included in it.
To learn more about the Green Economy bookmark the World Environment Day website, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and we shall be unraveling the concept of what the Green Economy really is and what it means to you ahead of World Environment Day.
IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE MINISTER IS RESIGNED OVER ABUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
It is a big shame to big people in the NRM and their associated who after exploiting the people of Uganda have gone a step further to expose their 'environmental illiteracy' by encroaching on the wet lands. Shame, shame upon all of them. With their education, many behave as if have never been to school.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
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ON THE EVE OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY, 5 JUNE 2012, MINISTER MUTAGAMBA IS RESIGNED!
Hon Maria Mutagamba
By EPHRAIM KASOZI
Posted Tuesday, June 5 2012 at 00:00
KAMPALA
Minister Maria Mutagamba said she had “lost direction” in her attempts to manage the environment.
Speaking on the eve of World Environment Day, Ms Mutagamba said the filling-in of wetlands with the complicity of Lands officials had affected plans to sustainably manage the city’s environment.
Ms Mutagamba said developers have reclaimed parts of Lubigi and Kinawataka wetlands, received land titles in contravention of the law and potentially affected the livelihoods of many city dwellers.
“I must confess that I have lost direction because as we struggle to protect the natural resources especially wetlands, other people are there to issue land titles without considering the effects of the activities,” Ms Mutagamba said.
She added: “We need to find the cause of the problem and hence the solution.”
She was speaking during a function to launch a countrywide wetland demarcation exercise but did not say what efforts her ministry would take to stop the issuance of titles to wetlands.
Speaking at the same function, State Minister for Lands Sarah Achieng Opendi admitted that it was out of order for titles to be issued against wetlands but blamed it on the lack of a computerised land management system.
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“The officials at the land registration are desk officers and rely on area land committees at sub-counties instead of visiting the places,” Ms Opendi said.
“We take the blame but I think the problem is bigger than we see on ground because land boards are working independently. If there are land titles issued in error, they will be cancelled. We are going to be a little more careful not to issue more new titles on wetlands,” she added.
The junior lands minister did not explain why the computerised land registry system, which was started several years ago, is not yet in operation.
Ms Mutagamba promised to set up a commission of inquiry into the destruction of the country’s environment.
“The team will start work by June 16 and will have 60 days within which to work and report back their findings and recommendations,” she said.
ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com
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NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (NEMA)
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2012
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Background
Green Economy: Does it include you?
World Environment Day (WED) is observed on June 5 every year and it was on this day in the year 1972 that the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was formed. It is also on the same day, that the General Assembly created the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which is now the United Nations’ principal agency for environmental action. First celebrated in 1973, World Environment Day, also popularly known as Environment Day, is a means to tackle environmental challenges that include climate change, desertification, global warming, disasters and conflicts, harmful substances, environmental governance, ecosystem
management, resource efficiency, etc.
WED is one of the practical channels through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances both individual and political attention and action.
Last year (2011), the international WED celebrations were held in India, under the theme:
Forests: Nature at Your Service. The theme underscores the variety of life-sustaining services that forests provide and called on us all to take action to protect these resources and move towards a green economy.
Uganda’s national WED celebrations were held at Bulucheke Sub county, Bududa district under the local theme “Plant a tree: Save life”.
Theme for WED 2012 Celebrations
The 2012 theme for World Environment Day is Green Economy: Does it include you? The
UNEP defines the Green Economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological
scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as
one which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive.
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In a Green Economy, growth in income and employment is driven by public and private
investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. These investments need to be catalyzed and supported by targeted public expenditure, policy reforms and regulation changes.
The Green Economy is about social equity and inclusiveness then technically it is all about you!
You are therefore asked to find out more about the Green Economy and assess whether, in your country, district, community, you are being included in it.
World Environment Day this year will help to raise awareness on the serious impacts of carrying on with business as usual. Through engaging governments, NGOs, private sector and individuals in action and your spreading the word on the importance of a Green Economy, this collective effort will preserve nature, while achieving growth, and encourage sustainable development.
Local theme
This year 2012, Uganda will commemorate WED under local theme “Green Economy: our
actions count”
Uganda is endowed with a rich natural resource base and generally a favorable climate. The majority of Ugandans depend directly on the natural resources for their livelihood. Despite the country's high natural resource potential, it is undergoing rapid environmental degradation as documented since the production of the first State of National Environment Report, 1994.
Uganda should use this opportunity to direct efforts to recovering degraded environment (Forests, Wetlands, Rangelands, etc). We should re-emphasize tree planting to create a renewable and dependable energy base as well as maintain our forests, improve the fertility of our soils and ensure that all the industrial, agricultural and other activities that support our economy are undertaken in a sustainable way so as to green the economy. To achieve this all of
us need to take part.
WED Objective
The main objective of WED is to enhance public awareness, knowledge and action towards the importance of conserving and managing the environment. The day’s agenda is to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable development; promote an understanding that makes communities change their attitudes towards environment and form partnership to ensure all people enjoy a safe and health environment.
Venue
The National venue for WED will be Masaka district. The district has not hosted WED before, is agricultural based, has relatively high environmental degradation rate, eco-tourism potential, high urbanization and population.
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Proposed Activities
(i) Programs on the broadcast media: radio/TV programs, spot messages and talk shows
(covering regions and major local languages) shall be run to highlight WED 2012.
(ii) Production and televising documentaries on a chosen environmental management
issue (in line with the day’s theme). This can be aired on UBC and WBS (due to their
wide coverage) during and before the week of 5th June and later distributed to our various development partners to assist in our mission to enhance access to environment information by local communities.
(iii) Poster campaign-production of posters, fact sheets and NEMA Environment day stickers.
(iv) Tree planting- trees play a great part in environment management (green house gas absorption and climate modification as well as biodiversity/forests conservation).
(v) Children’s drama competition (green concerts)
(vi) Involvement of key stakeholder groups; to create a sense of ownership of the WED
messages, NEMA needs to sensitize and encourage key stakeholders to drive the message
through schools, Non-government Organizations-NGOs, Community Based Organizations-
CBOs, Civil Society Organizations-CSOs, Faith Based Organizations, and Private Sector
etc.
(vii) Clean-up campaigns and much more
Proposed District level mobilization and activities
(i) Public awareness campaigns through radio talk shows, messages, etc;
(ii) Restoration activities (Tree planting along streets/roads, community land, degraded hilly
areas, riverbanks, schools, health centers, homes, etc);
(iii) Drama, dance and songs in line with the theme;
(iv) Exhibitions,
(v) Clean up exercises
(vi) Speeches
National venue activities
The following are suggested (not limited) activities
(i) Restoration (tree planting on streets and community land)
(ii) Clean-up campaigns in partnership with schools, NGOs and Local communities.
(iii) Exhibition on the day itself of best available technologies and information for sustainable
environment management in line with the day’s theme.
(iv) Drama, dance and songs in line with the day’s theme.
(v) Recognizing the best environment managers in different sectors.
(vi) Speeches.
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