Take climate change advocacy to schools -Lumumba urges CSOs

East African Gazette

Kampala 

The Minister in charge of general Duties office of the Prime Minister, Justine Kasule Lumumba has tasked Civil Society Organisations to take climate change advocacy to schools in a bid to deliver mass public awareness on climate change mitigation measures to ensure food security in Uganda.

Speaking at the closing of three days of the second East Africa Climate Change symposium and exhibition at Makerere University Business School Climate Change Action East Africa (CCAEA) over the weekend, Lumumba said students have the potential to carry the conservation messages and implement them in their communities.

“Universities help us evaluate our performance on key development programmes. Inform policy, make them relevant. The world is a global village. How do we compete with the rest of the world? Let’s commercialize this research to solve society’s challenges other than shelving them, “Lumumba said.

She cautioned civil society to partner with the government to address climate change impacts in society.

“Look out for stakeholders for sustainability and knowledge transfer. Climate change and food security is what the government is grappling with. Every day our environment is changing therefore everybody must play a role to conserve our environment from impacts of Climate Change, “Lumumba said.

She pledged to remain committed to realising SDGs despite climate change impacts taking root in Uganda.

 Embracing One acre model

Dr Tom Okurut, the Executive Director at Climate Change Action East Africa Secretariat, said embracing the One acre model will help the already affected communities restore food nutrients needed for agriculture farming and conservation of the environment.

“We would like the communities to embrace the one acre model as yardstick to addressing climate change impacts. One acre model is the new way of farming where a farmer can integrate tree planting, rear poultry and animals and grow   crops respectively within the same farm land to save the environment,” Okurut said.

The exhibition and food symposium held Under the theme “Responding to Climate Change Impacts on Food Security within the East African Region” aimed to find a lasting solution to Climate Change impacts in the region.

Okurut asked the government to include tree planting as a component for accessing Parish Development Model funds so that every beneficiary of PDM plants at least ten trees to conserve the environment.

“Government should ensure that energetic youth go back to villages to dig and produce food to secure food security. PDM money beneficiaries should plant 10 trees to make Uganda green, “he said.

Govt tasked to speed up policies on biotechnology to boost food production.

Makerere University Business School Council Chairperson Shifrah Lukwago urged farmers to use new technology to enhance food security and market access.

She asked the government to speed up policies on biotechnology to boost food production to secure the country from hunger.

She argued that through usage of biotechnology food production can be enhanced to serve the growing population.

 Youth should their mindset towards white-collar jobs

Prof. Moses Muhwezi, the Acting Principal, Makerere University Business School (MUBS) called upon youth to shun away the mindset of white-collar jobs but instead tap into agriculture sector  

“Agriculture is the back born of our country employing 80% of the population, therefore the sector has the potential to accommodate all of us “said Muhwezi

Dr Tom Okurut pledged to mobilise more climate change awareness drives within schools and universities so that youth are encouraged to implement tree planting drives in their communities to save the environment.

“My Organisation will champion climate change and food security advocacy within the education space. We believe getting youth armed with climate change information will go a long way to saving biodiversity conservation in the affected communities going forward, “Okurut said.

He said food insecurity remains the greatest contributor to climate change in Uganda.

Statistics  

According to a World Bank report, about 80% of the global population most at risk from crop failures and hunger from climate change are in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia where farming families are disproportionately poor and vulnerable.

Without solutions, falling crop yields, especially in the world’s most food-insecure regions, will push more people into poverty – an estimated 43 million people in Africa alone could fall below the poverty line by 2030 as a result.

The Climate Change Action East Africa (CCAEA) in collaboration with The Climate Action Network (CAN-U), and other partners including Crown Beverages, International University of East Africa and Makerere University Business School (MUBS) organized the 2nd East Africa Food Security Symposium and expo from 19th -21st October 2023 at Makerere University Business School main campus in Kampala.

Also, the Symposium attracted diffident stake holders including NEMA, Students, Dr Ruth Atuhaire, the Head of Department, Energy Science and Technology, Geoffrey Derrick Mawanda, the National Coordinator Climate Change East Africa and others