Minister Kadaga calls for stronger action against climate change

Uganda’s Minister for East African Community Affairs,  Rebecca Kadaga has today urged citizens to collectively take firm action to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.

Hon. Kadaga made the plea on Thursday while addressing invited guests and dignitaries at the East African Food Security Symposium and Expo , held at Sleek and Slender Wellness Centre Offices in Kampala. 

The symposium organised under the auspices of Climate change adaptation in East Africa (CCAEA) in conjunction with Sleek and Slender wellness Centre, was grounded under the theme “linking climate change, food security, nitrution and well being”.

With increasing uncertainty amongst farmers due negative effects of climate change like drought and hailstorms which have taken a heavy toll on their crops, the expo was organised to raise broader awareness amongst everyone in the country, on how to act and end this phenomenon once and for all. 

Asides drought and hailstorms, climate change, perpetuated among others by emission of fossil fuel in the atmosphere has had several terrible effects on the environment.

They include rising sea levels, extreme weather conditions, disrupted economies, food and water insecurity, resource scarcity and conflicts.

It was against this background that, Kadaga emphasized that it was incumbent upon everyone to rise up and fight climate change. 

“There have been instances of severe floods, there have been instances of severe drought, you remember we got the incident of locusts which invaded this country and many parts of East Africa, all these incidences, are impacts of climate change on the African continent. You recall that three months ago, River Nile fought back and took over its territory, it returned and took over health centres, claimed schools, claimed buildings some people had to be forcefully moved by water,” stressed Kadaga, who is also the First Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda. 

“We have in some places food shortages, poor productivity, all these are effects of climate change. So this forum is going to work towards mitigating effects of climate change, towards advocacy so that people are aware of how they live and they should be living, together with nature and how to protect it,” she added.

Ronald Lwabaayi, team leader at CCAEA stressed the significance of Uganda being at the forefront of crusading against climate change, emphasizing that it should play an exemplary role, such that other nations like Brazil follow suit, in conserving nature and environment. 

“We want our country Uganda to lead in the fight against climate change in our region, what is happening in the Amazon, the trees are depleting, what is happening in the Congo, same story, so you can imagine. We must plant trees, we must construct houses using all the advices that we have been given, determined by science,” said Lwabaayi.

Victoria Ssekitoleko, the co-chair CCAEA strongly urged the importance of unwavering commitment and coordination among all stakeholders, in fighting severe drought, informed by climate change.

She bluntly explained that intermittent rain as a result of climate change leads to the withering of seedlings and crops, which produce wide spread famine, hence food insecurity and improper growth, leading to a dysfunctional population.

“We have been expecting rain since the beginning of this month, and the ministry of agriculture has kindly  given us a calendar of what we the farmers will be doing when, some people have already applied fertilizers. They are waiting for the rain, the rain is not here, some people have planted maize, then we had one shower of rain, they germinated, then the rain disappeared, they are going to wither and hence loss to a farmer,” She remarked.

Dr. Sam Okurut, the advisory board member CCAEA, said the prime aim of organizing the symposium was to show the rest of the world, how Uganda is well endowed with food resources, which are coming  under threat as a result of climate change.

“We are having this symposium in Uganda, the first of its kind in Africa because we want to show the world that Uganda is ahead of many of them, many of the countries in food security. We are known to be the food basket of East Africa, but we are also suffering, there are also areas, where people are at the verge of starvation because of things beyond the control of Ugandans. So we think by this event coming to Uganda, we are going to solve this issue,” said Dr. Okurut.

Jane Baine, the Chief Executive Officer of Sleek and Slender Wellness Centre also sounded direct appeals to all people, both within the country and abroad to embrace  the fight against climate change.

“Some of us have been in line with what this initiative is about, i want to say that Sleek and Slender wellness Centre has been here for the last 23 years teaching people about nutrition, how to live better lives, stresss management, so we are very happy to know that we are partnering with people, who are pulling in the same direction and I want to thank God for an occasion like this. I’m very grateful…..initiating a thing like this, which is going to benefit the country and also the entire world,”said Ms. Baine.

Today’s Climate Change Symposium and Expo sets a centre stage for subsequent similar other events tailored towards the same cause, with the major one slated for 14th to 16th October 2022 at Kololo Independence grounds, Kampala.