CHURCH OF UGANDA ADVOCATES FOR URGENT CLIMATE ACTION
5th September 2023 – As African governments and non-government stakeholders gather in Nairobi for the African Climate Week (ACW23), Church of Uganda today, together with our development partners joined the rest of Africa in advocating for urgent Climate action for a common goal of addressing climate change crisis.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, The Most Rev Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu led the Church of Uganda team and partners within ACT Alliance and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to clean Kiwunya Zone in Nakulabye in Kampala, Uganda to commemorate the Africa Climate Week under the theme “Achieving zero waste economy”.
Archbishop Kaziimba who was the Chief Cleaner, noted that Uganda is facing widespread environmental degradation most especially desertification, deforestation and forest degradation, encroachment on wetlands and riverbanks, soil erosion and declining soil fertility.
He said that poor waste management and disposal of non-biodegradable products such as the polythene bag “locally known as Kaveera” has been a great contributor to environmental degradation in Uganda. All these impact on our climate and threaten natural resources and livelihoods.
“Uganda is still challenged with the battle against waste disposal and management, particularly on plastics and polythene bags. This is largely because the implementation of the National Environment ACT 2019, which informs the performance of the National Climate Change ACT 2021, is rather slow.” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
He added, “Consequently, we still witness unmanaged garbage collection, littering of all kinds of waste material all over our homes, streets, Churches, Schools, roads, markets and all public spaces. These human actions have led to increase in air pollution, pollution of water bodies, floods and an increase in temperatures.”
According to Archbishop Kaziimba, this has affected human health and people’s livelihoods. He said, “If the slow implementation of the laws and policies to govern waste disposal and management continues, Uganda’s quest for mitigating the impacts of Climate Change will remain futile.”
He appreciated the government of Uganda for ensuring that the Country has legal and regulatory frameworks including the Climate Change Act 2021. The government has established ministries, statutory bodies and agencies that are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
He called upon Local council leaders to support communities to develop community Bi-laws that will support the government structures in observing waste disposal and management and called on Church of Uganda leaders to embrace the Kaveera free Church compounds and tree planting campaigns.
Archbishop Kaziimba charged the government to enforce the National Environmental Act 2019 and National Climate Change Act 2021, to put in place measures to maintain a clean country that glorifies God and to prioritize funding Climate change adaptation and mitigation programs, innovations and projects that contribute to zero waste free economy.
Church of Uganda has developed a policy on Environmental Management and Climate change that guides the entire Church in Environmental Conservation and Climate Change mitigation initiatives. In 2020, Church of Uganda launched a kaveera free and tree planting campaigns.
Dioceses have implemented different interventions to conserve our environment including; tree planting on Church land, kaveera Free Church compounds and integration of environment conservation messages in Church sermons and Church communiques. These have contributed to the efforts of addressing climate change crisis.
ACT Alliance was represented by Mr. Vincent Mayega, the Programs Manager for Rural Action Community Based Organization (RACOBAO) who pledged the Alliance’s commitment to advocate for a zero waste economy.
Other partners present included; Uganda National Oil Company, Ministry of Water and Environment and Kampala Capital City Authority.
At the launch of the Africa Climate Week in Nairobi today, Church of Uganda was represented by the Provincial Secretary, Rev Canon William Ongeng.
