By Peter Akugizibwe Araali
Women and children are the most affected group when weather conditions are not good because they’re the ones in charge of putting food on the table for the family.
This forced a one Susan Akwero to join the a team of fifteen people to walk a distance of 450 kilometres from Kampala to Liira city during the Water and Environment week 2022 to create awareness on negative impacts of Environmental degradation.
‘’ My dear women we have to plant trees for our next generation to come’’ Akwero stresses
Akwero admits that in most cases when nature is tempered with women and children suffer a lot adding it’s the primary duty of women is to look for firewood, water, food, among others. She says this even exposes them to high risks of even being raped.
She adds that when women and children are involved in tree plating, it is going to be easy to protect the environment because these are the people who keep at home looking after household properties.
DR Florence Grace Adongo, Director Water Resources Management at the ministry of water and Environment, emphases that its everybody role to protect the environment if we are to keep the world balance.
Adongo further points out that as a ministry, they engage in a number of activities during this week to create awareness for the restoration of nature by planting trees that are indigenous, fruit trees, among others.
She also stresses that there is need for communities to understand the use of these natural resources to scale down the rate of destruction. “Majority people do not know why they should a cut a tree. Many of our people do not know why they should conserve these natural resources’’ Adongo noted.
This year’s theme is ‘’Water and Environment for peace and Social -Economic Transformation of Uganda’’
Geoffrey Ayena, a member of the the Walkers Association of Uganda says this walk aims to remind Ugandans about the vitality of water in the economic development of any growing nation like Uganda. He added that if the natural resources are not protected, nothing can develop without sufficient water systems.
Ayena challenged leaders in Bukedea district and the sub-region in general to double their effort in environmental protection.
“During our walk, we experience a lot of environmental degradation along the areas of Tirinyi road especially wetland encroachments”
Ayena said
Meanwhile, Geoffrey Kamese the Executive Director, BIO-VISION AFRICA, says that during the week, a lot of emphasis is to be put on water and Environment, restoration of forests and wetlands among others to create awareness about natural resources.
Kamese also explains that they are going to keep supporting such activities as one of their cardinal roles to remind the communities on their role to play in relation to environmental conservation.
‘’We as Environmentalists our role is to keep informing the people the role they should play to protect the environment. Uganda is one of the countries where environment has been degraded at a higher rate. Therefore, supporting such activities is noble. Many countries are experiencing droughts today yet they were once like Uganda. So, if we don’t act, we are likely to face the same” he said.
Dansan Ocho one of the fifteen walkers applauded Bio-Vision Africa for supporting him to enable him show the rest of the youth in the country that this country belongs to the youth. He said there is need for them to get involved in such activities for the benefit of next generation.
‘’We are the Uganda of tomorrow so we need to safeguard our future’’ Ocho explained
Ocho further pledged to always participate in such activities to make sure that the environment conservation in Uganda is observed.
