Environmentalists demand increased funding for climate change mitigation

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Environmentalists are demanding an increase in domestic funding towards climate change mitigation measures.

Dr Tom Okurut, the Executive Director of National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), notes that Uganda needs over 150 Billion Uganda Shillings annually to effectively address climate change mitigations and effects.

At the moment, Uganda experiences impacts of climate change, which include changing weather patterns, drop in water levels and increased frequency of extreme weather events like floods, as well as drought, whose social-economic impacts make communities vulnerable.

The cost implementation plan of the National Climate Change policy drafted in 2015 estimates a budget of US$ 250 Million every year for 15 years. For the financial year 2020/2021, climate change together with water management was allocated 668 Billion Shillings.

Gloria Namande, the UNDP Program manager explains that Uganda needs to adapt to domestic funding for climate change. She adds that the promise of 100 US Dollars for low developing countries like Uganda remains a theory.

This amount of money as stated in the Sustainable Development Goals is to address the needs of developing countries to both adapt to climate change and invest in low-carbon development.

She further adds that with adequate funding, Uganda can have a stronger response to the adaptation of climate change and its effects other than mainly emergence response.

Bob Natifu, the Acting Commissioner Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Water and Environment, explains that while more is needed, the government has been making efforts to address climate change in Uganda despite challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic.

Okurut reveals that other than focus on government, civil societies can be used for quicker financial mobilization at the community levels.

Alex Crook, East African Climate Change lead from the British High Commission notes that efforts towards climate require multi-sectorial support. He says that one of the key requirements towards climate change is adequate funding.

Globally, countries agreed under the Paris Agreement, that every five years they would come up with an updated plan that would reflect their highest possible ambition at that time, committed to bringing forward national plans setting out how much they would reduce their emissions.

The Paris agreement covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance.

*****

URN