Sensitization on SEA and ESIA
July 9, 2018Wetlands and Forests are important resources for regulating climatic conditions, erosion prevention, moderation of extreme flows, sediment traps, soil formation, and maintenance of water tables. Surprisingly, these resources (wetland and forests) are on the decline in many parts of Uganda.
Through our project on protection of wetlands and forests along East African crude pipeline (EACOP) route we have helped communities become more aware of the role of wetlands and forests play and how they can protect them amidst development of oil and gas projects in their regions.
We started an online petition and more than 4000 people signed it. We engaged local government environment officers to explain how this swamp destruction was allowed and what they are doing to stop it. We also tasked ministry of water and environment to explain why Chinese investors were allowed to reclaim this important swamp and provide to us terms of issuance of permit.
Our story received national coverage!
This advocacy was well documented on Televisions like NBS and NTV which are leading Televisions in Uganda, we also used print media like new papers to push further our advocacy, and also Facebook and Twitter were and are still being used for this agenda.
The major achievement is that, the president while visiting the neighboring district, noted that he has heard this Lwera swamp destruction to Chinese investors and ordered that the relevant ministries should stop this irresponsible management of environment and that these investors should not expand beyond this and after the season they should vacate the area.
Environmental activists under Citizen Concern Africa (CICOA) have asked President Museveni to intervene and stop the ongoing destruction of Lwera wetland on Kampala-Masaka highway in Kalungu District.
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