By Ojara Daniel
In a bid to conserve the environment, members of the public are urged to embark on tree planting as the “only way” to fight climate change.
While speaking to the community of Omoro district at Lakwana sub-county, the State Minister for Northern Uganda, Grace Freedom Kwiyocwiny encouraged mostly the youth in Acholi and Lango sub-regions to start planting different tree species in order to recover the destroyed forests due to charcoal burning in the two regions.
According to the Minister, the unfavourable climate change is because many national tree species have been destroyed for charcoal business and it’s “everyone’s right” to contribute in tree planting.
“Our environment will be saved from climate change effects such as prolong drought and famine among others if we conserve it now,” she said.
She continues that people “must focus on planting trees for business and they must replant trees after cutting to restore environment”.
Walter Kibwota – a farmer from Lakwana sub-county appreciated the initiative by the Minister, saying: “If tree planting is to be encouraged in the two sub-regions, then the environment will be saved.”
He further accused local authorities in the two sub-regions of promoting commercial charcoal burning and dealers for causing deforestation.
However, the LC 5 chairperson for Omoro district, Okello Peter Douglas Okao requested government through Minister to start distributing tree seedlings annually to locals in order to conserve environment and the community to get values in the future.
Okao says, “If government have started distributing trees seedling such as mangoes, jackfruit, oranges among others, it would be a paramount help to the locals in near future”.