Environment Promises

3 promises

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The achievement of long-term sustainable economic growth in the face of climate change is our primary concern. The climate of Uganda is a valuable natural resource and a major determinant of other natural resources like soils, water, forests and wildlife, as well as the human activities dependent on them. As such we shall:

Empower National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) with the resources required to fully enforce the NEMA Act.
Invest in methodologies, communication, interpretation and use of scientific techniques in decision-making and policy related to environmental management.
Adopt and upscale tested and successful technologies for improved environmental management.
Promote synergy between environmental related research institutions and communities.
Ensure compliance and enforcement of proper disposal of industrial waste.
Work out equitable bilateral carbon trade arrangements with the signatories of the Kyoto Protocol.
Encourage and provide incentives for use of clean energy such as biogas and solar.
Promote on-farm forestry in industrial plantations, on-farm trees and urban forestry to expand tree coverage particularly for the high value, multipurpose trees that have the potential to increase soil fertility, prevent soil erosion and be used as animal feeds or for human consumption.
Mobilise communities and promote self-help initiatives (through Bulungi Bwansi) that increase tree cover in public places.
Put in place strategies for empowering citizens to adapt to climate change that has already occurred and is difficult to reverse.

Instill the discipline of environment protection into the populace by introducing environment studies as a subject incorporated into both primary and secondary education level syllabi.
Amend the existing environment protection law and regulations to allow for appropriateness in line with global commitments towards climate change mitigations and measures.
More specifically, ratify the Paris Agreement on climatic change and review on environment laws to suit the internationally agreed approach and commitments on emissions, adaptation, finance, transparency and carbon emissions.
Allow for comprehensive review of existing environment policy in light of recent climate change challenges.
Oblige to all International environment treaties and popularize marked international sites.
Advance, popularize the National Tree planting Drive and plant trees on drive ways of all homes, schools and private premises.
Enforce standards governing land use, water quality and utilization of water, air quality, emissions, sanitation and solid waste management and encourage carbon trading as mitigation towards climate change.
Enforce the use of degradable materials in packaging.
Provide incentives for households and commercial enterprises to sort garbage before collection.
Strictly enforce laws and regulations relating to illegal dumping and littering.
Develop and promote community-based solid waste management systems for rural areas.
Establish through the Private Sector Investment, a drive for sorting, recycling and biomass gasification plants to extract recyclable material and convert the residue in electricity and fertilizers.
Establish special facilities for the disposal of medical, E-waste and other hazardous waste including tyres and batteries.

Increasing involvement of the population in tree planting through Greening Uganda Programme which is aimed at planting 100 million trees in the next five years. The following will specifically be done:
i. Step up the supply of free and/or subsidised tree seedlings.
ii. Support private initiatives in production of tree seedlings.
iii. Sensitise land owners to plant trees as a means to generate income and promote afforestation on bare hills.
iv. Support partnership between National Forest Authority (NFA) and the private sector.
Restoring degraded natural forests in forest reserves. Continue to implement a phased approach to sustainable forest management through improving low stocked and/or degraded natural forests using the landscape approach, strengthen the policing to protect forest reserves and forests against illegal activities
Re-surveying and demarcation of Central Forest Reserves (CFRs) boundaries. The total external boundary of 12,000km of the 506 CFRs under the management of NFA requires opening, re-surveying and regular maintenance. Continue opening forestry boundary, re-surveying and demarcation with permanent concrete pillars to effectively secure the integrity of the Central Forest Reserves.
Forest Plantation Development. Invest in plantation development at a rate of 2,500 ha per year while maintaining the existing and subsequent young forest crops.
Solid Waste Management. Scale up the municipal solid waste compositing facilities in all municipalities and towns.
Environmental Protection Police: Continue with the operationalisation of the Environmental Protection Police.
Reducing Emissions. Implementation of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). This is a climate change effort that highlights the contribution forests makes to reducing the effects of climate change through reducing emissions. It provides positive incentives to managing forests sustainably with an aim to reduce emissions. It is expected that a REDD+ strategy for the country will be ready by 2018.
NEMA Vs. Impact assessment fees. We will review the regulations and guidelines regarding EIAs to avoid long delays and the high fees charged.
Introducing tree planting exercise on all national holidays.
We will also also educate the people on how to use the wetlands sustainably.