Editor, with the various developments taking place in the most of the critical biodiversity’s in the Bunyoro sub region such as wetlands, forests, Murchison fall National Park, water bodies like Lake Albert and others.
The government should prioritize environmental conservation projects such as giving the adequate budget 2026/2027 for climate change mitigation and adaptation activities, engaging the region in eco-friendly activities but also stop some of the developments in the critical biodiversity’s in order to mitigate the impacts of climate in the region.
It is noted that the oil developments especially the Tilenga, Kingfisher and the EACOP projects and rapid expansion of sugarcane farming by Hoima sugar limited and out growers in region are causing significant degradation of critical biodiversity.
The massive development of these projects in the Bunyoro sub region have put under a big pressure on the critical biodiversity’s in the region hence causing drastic climate for instance the change of weather partners, prolonged drought and change of the seasons in the region.
In addition to that, massive destruction of the sensitive biodiversity’s to pave away the oil and sugar cane developments have also resulted to habitat fragmentation and wildlife displacement, reduced food security and others.
Since 2014, Bunyoro sub region have been experiencing the drastic climate change especially the prolonged drought, change of the rain partners and others. The situation worsens when the oil and sugar cane plantation developments started in region. This is because these two developments caused the destruction of the critical biodiversity’s in the Bunyoro sub region.
For the government to stop the drastic climate change in the region, they must prioritize the increment of the climate change mitigation and adaptation budget for the region, engage the population in the eco-friendly activities and stop all the oil and gas activities and the plantation of the sugar cane growing in the critical biodiversity’s such as forest, wetlands, national parks and others.
Therefore, I call upon the government of Uganda to increase the 2026/2027 budget for climate change mitigation and adaptation activities for Bunyoro sub region but also stop all the developments that are harming the environment in the region.
By Paul Kato,
Research associate and environmental activist
Email: katop.adyeeri@gmail.com
