As Uganda joins the rest of the world to celebrate the World Environment day, the Uganda Environment Shadow Minister, Hon. Beatrace Anywar has appealed to the people of Uganda to use their votes as a political weapon to protect the environment.
Better Environment policies will help protect forests like Mabira
The World Environmental day which is celebrated on 5th June of every year is used to create public awareness, enhance political attention and public action to the environment.
Anywar, who was instrumental in the 2007 campaign to stop Uganda government from selling Uganda Mabira Forest to Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited for sugarcane plantations says, politicians who haven’t planted any tree should not be elected to political offices.
The opposition shadow minister also advised people to design environmental questions, targeting candidates standing for elective political posts in the coming 2011 Uganda general elections to enable the direction of political actions towards conserving the environment.
She also appealed to every Ugandan to show readiness in conserving the environment to avoid facing natural calamities like flooding and draught.
Uganda faces severe environmental degradation as a result of overpopulation which puts pressures on forests. Uganda is also facing rapid Industrialization and urbanization coupled with poor environmental policies leads to a dire environmental degradation.