Located over 100 kilometers away from Gulu city where majority of Agro-input shops are located, small holder farmers in Lakang Sub County are forced to rely on any local seeds which sometimes fail to germinate.
Antonio Querido, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Country Representative in Uganda appealed to concerted efforts involving farmers, traders, regulators, and the government to ensure that consumers access safe food.
The meeting, which brought together a range of stakeholders, including MDAs, manufacturers, and conservationists, started calmly. However, tensions rose during the reactions and input phase, as participants discussed Uganda’s stance at the upcoming conference.
Dr. Robin Nandy, UNICEF Representative to Uganda, commended the impressive creativity and innovation displayed by children through their captivating designs and presentations, highlighting the boundless potential within every child. He emphasized that by providing children with the tools and opportunities to explore and develop their talents, and by offering them a platform to share their ideas, we are empowering them to become not only the leaders and innovators of tomorrow but also of today.
Omar Elumawi, the Africa Climate Movement Building Space convener, who also signed one of the petitions, urged the United Nations Forums on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to kick out fossil fuel lobbyists, adding that their presence is bad for climate negotiations.
Guterres urged developed economies to commit to new financing for the Loss and Damage Fund, noting that its initial capitalization of USD 700 million is insufficient in light of the escalating climate crisis. “The creation of the Loss and Damage Fund is a victory for developing countries, for multilateralism, and justice. But its initial capitalization of $700 million doesn’t come close to righting the wrong inflicted on the vulnerable,” Guterres said.
Patrick Owori, Executive Director of the Human Rights and Environmental Concerns Activists (HURECA), which is part of CSBAG, noted that local governments lack structured climate financing strategies, especially in safeguarding protected areas in Busoga and Bukedi. He pointed out that the sub-regions are known for rice farming in wetlands, and without deliberate financial support for alternative livelihoods, it is difficult to convince encroachers to leave these areas.
Xavier Ejoyi, the Country Director for ActionAid Uganda, criticized the government for funneling substantial amounts of public money into environmentally harmful practices through subsidies, tax breaks, and free land allocations.
For years, the West, including financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have been accused of making policies that further impoverish nations, exacerbate inequality, and keep the borrowing nations heavily indebted.
"If any or all the risks materialize, there may be additional pressures on public finances, which might prompt additional borrowing and a consequent rise in public debt, or budget cuts and reallocations," says Kasaija
With various climate-related issues increasingly evident, Mundulu believes it's imperative to advance the climate change narrative. However, she stresses the importance of adapting global processes to suit local contexts. She asserts that events like COP28 meetings hold significance for communities, underscoring the need to integrate global discussions into local frameworks effectively.
Gaster Kiyingi, the Executive Director of Tree Talk Plus, expressed concern over the prolonged delay in finalizing and implementing the forest policy, stressing its significance in mitigating biodiversity loss and fostering economic development.
For the past eight years, Stanbic Bank Uganda has hosted secondary school debate competitions known as the Stanbic National School Championship. The competition aims to identify and promote talent, stimulate innovation, and recognize the best innovative idea with significant business sense and societal impact.
Wasted food is a social, humanitarian, and environmental concern. And if food goes to the landfill and rots, it produces methane—a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide.
According to the document titled, ‘Protecting maternal, newborn and child health from the impacts of climate change’, very few country's climate change response plans mention maternal or child health, describing this as “a glaring omission and emblematic of the inadequate attention to the needs of women, newborns, and children in the climate change discourse”.
The plantation has witnessed a series of fire outbreaks in the past years, which has affected its production. The company is reported to have lost Shillings 3 billion, according to Police annual crime report of 2020 following 2019 regular fire incidences. The December 2021, fire is projected to have caused the factory a loss of 3,000 of the 7,900 acre sugar plantations.
Sarah Akello, an environmental defender from Tapac Sub County, noted that their advocacy against destructive mining activities, particularly by Tororo Cement Factory Limited, has exposed them to threats.
