At the Seventh Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi, Kenya, Uganda delivered one of its strongest messages yet on global climate responsibility.
The country declared that it is not merely a climate-vulnerable nation but an emerging model for environmental recovery and resilience.
Uganda’s delegation highlighted a national turnaround rooted in science-based decision-making, ambitious policy reforms, and a growing movement of community-led environmental stewardship.
Central to this narrative is the country’s significant expansion of protected areas, which now cover 40% of Uganda’s total landmass—a figure that outpaces the global target of 30% and positions Uganda among the world’s leading nations in land conservation.
Government officials described this achievement as part of a deliberate strategy to restore degraded ecosystems, safeguard biodiversity hotspots, and create buffers against the rapidly intensifying impacts of climate change.
Uganda has over the past decade strengthened enforcement against environmental crimes, revived wetland restoration programs, and expanded collaborative conservation models involving local communities, private landholders, and Indigenous groups.
“Uganda is proving that environmental recovery is not only possible but transformative when anchored in science and community action,” the delegation emphasized.
Adding that ,“We are charting a pathway that other climate-vulnerable countries can adapt one where ecological restoration fuels sustainable development.”
A renewed demand for climate justice
But even as Uganda showcased its progress, it reminded global leaders that domestic efforts alone cannot counteract the escalating climate crises driven largely by industrialized economies.
Uganda reiterated a long-standing appeal for climate justice, urging developed nations—especially top historical emitters—to fulfill their commitments to countries on the frontline of climate impacts.
The country called for predictable, accessible, and equitable financing, alongside technology transfer and meaningful capacity-building support to help nations address loss and damage already destabilizing their economies.
“Countries like Uganda are doing their part, often with minimal resources,” the statement read. “Major polluters must now do theirs. The scale of loss and damage we face requires financing and technology commensurate with the reality of the crisis—not symbolic promises.”
Uganda’s appeal comes at a time when African states are increasingly voicing frustration over slow and complicated access to climate funds, despite being among the regions most affected by cyclones, droughts, floods, and ecosystem collapse.
A model—but not without challenges
Experts note that while Uganda’s conservation gains are impressive, the country still grapples with pressures including population growth, land-use conflict, and illegal natural resource extraction. Access to climate finance remains a barrier to scaling up restoration and meeting adaptation needs.
Yet at UNEA-7, Uganda framed its progress as evidence that effective environmental recovery is possible—even under economic constraints—if rooted in science and supported by communities.
With the UNEA platform focused on strengthening the global environmental governance architecture, Uganda’s message served both as a warning and an invitation: vulnerable nations are taking bold steps, but the world’s biggest emitters must match this ambition with action.
Discover more from tndNews, Uganda
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.