The Obwakabaka Bwa Buganda (OBB) cultural institution has fortified its determination to safeguard Uganda’s dwindling biodiversity through a strategic alliance with Aquafina and the Uganda Biodiversity Fund, embarking on a spirited tree-planting endeavor.
Their vision entails crafting a majestic forest, christened “Ekyibira Kya Kabaka,” in every nook and cranny of Buganda Kingdom. This grand initiative is slated to span a five-year odyssey, encompassing each and every county within Buganda, thus requiring all counties to designate areas for the cultivation of this arboreal haven.
During the inaugural ceremony of the “Ekyibira Kya Kabaka” venture held at Bulange Mengo, the Katikkiro for Buganda, Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga, boldly called upon the government to halt the concession of natural resources to investors, who often wreak havoc on nature under the pretext of job creation.
Katikkiro Mayiga further beseeched the central government to enact legislation prohibiting citizens from felling trees, even those they personally planted, unless sanctioned by environmental regulatory authorities.
He fervently urged Ugandans to promptly partake in tree-planting initiatives across various locations, be it church compounds, road verges, or their own abodes.
“Let citizens comprehend the imperative nature of widespread planting and nurturing of trees. Take ownership of the trees you plant in church compounds, line the roadsides, extend this effort around your homes and compounds,” implored Mayiga.
The Minister for Buganda, overseeing the domains of Lands and Human Settlements, the esteemed Hon. Hajjat Mariam Mayanja Nkalubo, declared this as one of Buganda Kingdom’s ingenious strategies to oversee voluntary community endeavors, all dedicated to sculpting a more idyllic realm for mankind.
“In our ranks, leaders are indefatigable in communal endeavors; they sow the seeds of trees, breathe life into weary waterways, oversee the proper disposal of waste, but now, let them also take up the mantle of educators, enlightening hearts about the sanctity of nature and the ethos of community labor. Here we stand, united with our partners, bound by a shared purpose to safeguard our sacred environment,” proclaimed Nkalubo.
Francis Ogwal, the sage from NEMA, whose wisdom flows in matters of environmental conservation, heralded the imperative unity of people in the quest to resurrect Uganda’s lost emerald tapestry.
“Once, in the year 1900 or perhaps 1890, our verdant canopy stretched over 10.7 hectares, a resplendent cloak enfolding 63 percent of our realm. Uganda was an emerald jewel then, yet by 1990, a mere 4.9 million hectares remained. In a blink of a century, or even less, we witnessed a staggering loss,” intoned Ogwal, a voice resonating with gravitas.
Ssali Damascus and Ddamulira Ssempuuma, luminaries in the realm of environmental guardianship, echoed fervent calls from this workshop, urging Ugandans to shield the viridescent sanctum from trespassers, lest we befall dire environmental reckoning.
Uganda, once adorned in lush green splendor, has witnessed a harrowing depletion of its natural canopy at an unprecedented pace, dangling perilously on the precipice of an unparalleled global climate calamity.
According to the latest revelations from Global Forest Watch, Uganda mourns the loss of a staggering 967 kilo hectares of arboreal majesty from 2001 to 2021, a lamentable 12 percent plummet in tree canopy since the dawn of the millennium.
This tragic turn of events bears dire repercussions on Uganda’s vibrant tourism sector, as the sanctuaries of countless endangered fauna and avian treasures face encroachment.
Theodore Panayotou, a scholar at the Institute for Contemporary Studies in San Francisco, California, expounded on this very theme in his 1993 opus. He astutely noted that environmental degradation, exacts a toll of roughly 5% of developing nations’ Gross National Product (GNP).
Observers point accusatory fingers at two culprits: haphazard urbanization schemes and a populace burgeoning at breakneck speed, both catalysts for a frantic land scramble, birthing fields and homes in their wake.
Yet, some stout-hearted guardians of nature lay blame squarely at the government’s doorstep, decrying a willful blindness to the nefarious deeds of avaricious individuals hell-bent on nature’s destruction. They do not hesitate to call the state a willing accomplice in this unruly affair.
Take, for example, Matia Lwanga Bwanika, the astute LCV chairperson for Wakiso district, a luminary in the realm of environmental conservation. He pins the colossal onslaught on nature to a governance crisis.
This predicament, he contends, sprouts from a dearth of political resolve, the insidious tendrils of corruption, and a failure of leaders at the zenith of government to grasp the gravity of environmental imperatives, all while an archaic pursuit of wealth obscures their vision.
The legacy of “Ekyibira Kya Kabaka” initiative stands as a testament to the enduring power of collective action in the face of ecological adversity, and serves as an exemplar for nations grappling with the imperatives of sustainable stewardship.
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