Civil society responds to Marrakech climate talks as countries reaffirm their commitment to Paris deal.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change, Hon. Lawrence Biyika (NRM, Ora County), has urged Parliamentarians to engage their communities in day-to-day practices that can check Climate Change.
Biyika was last week addressing the media about the Marrakech Climate Change Conference which took place from the 7-18th November 2016 in Morocco.
Biyika said that Uganda relies heavily on agriculture and natural resources.
“Our target is to increase food production, which we must do while engaging in practices that protect our environment so that we are safe,” Biyika said on Tuesday 13th December 2016.
He added that the Marrakesh Conference called for implementation of proposals made during the Paris Climate Change Conference of 2015. He said that as parliamentarians, there is a need to keep Uganda on track to uphold the Agreement made in Paris by engaging in projects that fight climate change.
“The Conference dictated ways in which emissions of greenhouse gases can be reduced with a timeframe of up to 2100. The Conference also encouraged countries to walk the talk and implement climate change combating procedures,” Biyika said
“As MPs, we need to use our positions to create awareness among the people at the grass roots about climate change and encourage them to participate in activities that protect the environment,” Biyika said.
Hon.Felix Okot Ogong
Hon. Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South) added that as MPs, there is a need to keep the environment safe.
“Climate change is a very big issue and it is real, so we need to come together and counter this problem,” Okot Ogong said.
The Minister of State for Environment, Hon. Mary Goretti Kitutu (NRM, Manafwa district) said that Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change.
“We need to work on climate change because we are spending money for development on food donations as a result of droughts,” she said.
“We need to mobilise people to plant trees and discourage people from occupying wetlands. The ecosystem including wetlands and trees are natural water reservoirs. We can use these to get water for irrigation for farming instead of reclaiming them,” Kitutu said.
Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa, the Government Chief Whip, said that she was happy with Chairperson insisting on introducing projects that fight against climate change.
“Let’s push for the Climate Change Bill to be passed so that implementation is made easier. Synergies are important so let’s unite with parliamentary forums like food security to fight climate change,” Nankabirwa said.
Nankabirwa added that the government needs to bring on board people at the level of local government because they give tenders to people who cut forests for charcoal and related issues yet they are the custodians of these forests.
The UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech 2016, aimed at encouraging governments to operationalize the Paris Climate Change Agreement adopted in 2016. The Paris Agreement gave clear pathways and a final destination in respect to decisive action on climate change.