By Julius Odeke Onyango

13^th June 2011:

Tree planting in Bulucheke Sub-County

BUDUDA – The minister of Water and Environment M/s Maria Mutagamaba has said the government of Uganda will soon enforce existing laws to ensure that people grow more trees as a means of conserving environment and boosting the economy.

In a speech read for her by the Director of Environment Mr Gashom Onyango at Bulucheke Sub-County on Monday to commemorate World Environment Day, the minister said, “…Uganda has laws that government agencies are mandated to enforce but the agencies have relaxed to an extent that it now seems as if the country has no binding laws for its people to observe”.

That, according to Water and Environment Minister Maria Mutagamba, is why so many wetlands and national parks have been encroached upon by squatters.  This year’s World Environment Day celebrations were launched under the theme “Plant a tree, save life” and was specifically designed to help raise awareness on the serious impact of deforestation and forest degradation in the country.  The minister added that the awareness campaign will also help to protect key habitats used by rare species.

Dr Gerald Musoke, the Deputy Executive Director at the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) said people should know the importance of planting and conserving the environment.  “…People in Bududa were killed by landslides simply because they had tampered with nature by cutting the existing trees. The same should not reoccur in our country”, he added.

He added that since 1991, over 560 people [including the ones who perished last year at Nametsi village in Bududa] have been killed by mudslides and landslides.  “…We are supposed to co-exist with nature and live in harmony, not tamper with it”, Dr. Musoke said.

He also warned against cutting down trees, saying such acts cause natural calamities like floods, mudslides, and landslides to strike
resulting into loss of lives and property.  “…People should learn better practices of land use so as to curb the dangers that nature will bring to us”, Musoke said.

Mr Gashom Onyango had earlier also revealed that NEMA had received Shs2.5 billion funding from development partners to help ensure that farmers are provided with seedlings so that they grow trees just like they grow their crops.  He added that the ministry of Water and Environment was going to provide Bududa district with 45,000 tree seedlings as part of the programme for growing of trees in region.

He urged everyone to participate in the reforestation efforts in order to curb land degradation.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.