Kampala | Uganda is experiencing a lot of climate change-related hardships and following the recent report by the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA), the country is indeed receiving heavy rains nationwide and causing floods.
The latest experience is of Kafu River that burst its banks in Mengo Sub-county in Masindi District, washed away the road thus leaving it impassable, submerged surrounding villages which left a number of families homeless and destroyed both livestock and crops more so at this material time when the people are struggling to make ends meet!
This follows the mega road incident at Katonga along the Masaka – Mbarara highway whose reconstruction is yet to be completed.
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UPC has all along advised the government to be well prepared for such natural disasters given the climate change consequences which are mainly as a result of environmental degradation!
The immediate challenge now is to deliver vital relief assistance to the affected families especially food, medicine and shelter hence calling for urgent attention.
All the rapid response disaster units need to be fully facilitated and deployed to save the lives of our people. Much as this responsibility is under the Ministry of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees as well as the Office of the Prime Minister, this kind of emergency requires a multi-sectoral approach and UPC therefore calls upon Agencies to come in for this noble cause.
To the Ministry of Works and Transport especially its arm, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), let the reconstruction and design of roads capture the diverse climate change effects which the country and world are experiencing to avoid double work and its related calamities.
With the effects of climate change, they manifest in different ways! Some effects are landslides as with Bududa in Bugisu sub-region.
Other areas receive less rain and planting season(s) are affected as crops cannot grow well. This impacts food security levels and hikes in food prices, yet the income for an ordinary family remains low.
UPC is calling upon all stakeholders to invest heavily in preserving our environment. Our forests and swamps are under serious threat of being wiped out. We need to move in decisively and protect our future generations.
The writer, Muzeyi Faizo, is Head of Media and Communications.
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