Last Updated on: 29th May 2023, 05:06 pm
Gulu, May 29, 2023: The authorities of Gulu and Arua cities have called for a mindset change among the city dwellers for the metropolises to achieve green cities and mitigate climate change.
In an interview with TND News, Agnes Oyella, the senior planner of Gulu City disclosed that the fight to mitigate the effects of climate change and achieve green cities depends entirely on the collective efforts of everyone.
She added as Gulu city, they have planned for greening the city though there are challenges with the people’s mindset on environmental pollution which, she says, needs to be changed through sensitization and individual change.
Oyella notes that when we have a green city, the air condition and health of the dwellers are guaranteed since the air that will be inhaled will be clean and safe.
“We should have a mindset change on climate change, green environment is the way to go, green cities, we should not only see construction buildings, but people are also having stress and they should go to recreation centres and relax,” Oyella during an interview.
Michael Ocan, the Gulu city environment officer disclosed that there are so many plastics and garbage being dumped at undesignated spots within the city. This practice, he says is frustrating efforts by the city council to regulate the littering of waste within.
He noted that some people dumped plastics and other waste everywhere despite the available dumping points for plastics set by the city council. “People have to change their mindset on waste management to achieve a green city.
“You can still see people dumping waste on the streets, despite the many plastic kits that have been installed along business areas within the city. We need a mindset change on waste management by individuals themselves,” disclosed Ocan.
Moses Alo Findru, the principal senior city planner of Arua disclosed that as Arua city, they have put aside a budget in the financial year 2023/2024 for tree seedlings, and nursery beds to green the city.
He further noted that these climate-resistant tree species will be planted along every inspected road within the city so that Arua becomes green and fresh air emission is achieved within the city area.
Alo noted that this will also enable the city dwellers to own the project and it will also help in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.
“In our budget, we are putting small monies for raising nursery beds of tree species that have high economic value and stand all cases of weather changes,” he added.
Dr Ronald McGill is the Project Lead and Program Manager at Urbanization and Industrialization under the Green Growth Planning and Implementation. He calls upon the new cities to adopt new strategies for greening so that they can support environment-friendly activities.
He further noted that the adaptation of green cities will help the newly created cities to have a healthy environment with conducive air and healthy people.
“We cannot continue spreading waste on an open ground because you are poisoning the environment and causing pollution for your children and it is not good,” noted McGill.
Uganda’s Vision 2040 specifically highlights industrialization and urbanization as key focal areas as it envisions that 60 per cent of Ugandans will live in urban areas by 2040 and therefore, actions of designing, servicing and attracting investments into greening secondary cities will help Uganda to benefit from the economic and social dividends that come with urbanization.