Minister for water and environment Beatrice Anywar has asked the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to consider funding the Kampala ministerial declaration that seeks to deal with the harsh impact of climate change in East and Horn of Africa.
Anywar made this case at the COP27 happening in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, where more than 100 world leaders in attendance.
“In Uganda, we look at mobility in two perspectives. Human forced mobility due to politics, and human forced mobility due to climate change and that is migration. We need to put money into such an intervention. UNFCCC has to put it on the agenda so that migration has an alternative source of livelihood to calm it down and we are involving them as fellow human beings not as a problem to countries,’ Minister Anywar said.
The Kampala Ministerial declaration on Migration, Climate Change & Environment. that is aimed at bringing nations across the East & Horn of Africa region together to prioritize, respond to and galvanize global support to deal with the harsh impact of climate change on human mobility was signed by Ministers from the East and Horn Africa, and high level representatives from Burundi, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria in Kampala, Uganda on July 29, 2022.
Anywar also urged the developed countries which are emitting the most to compensate the least developed countries like Uganda for their contribution.
‘As a continent we have been sinking the emissions and it is about time we start the conversation on valuing what we have as a continent and it becomes a a negotiation tool. Our forests, waterbodies our wetlands are part of those which are sinking global emissions at no cost. We come to such meetings not as beggars for money from else where. We are already contributing to the sinking of carbon globally,’ Minister Anywar told a delegation that had gathered at the center for climate mobility.
The first deputy prime minister Rebecca Kadaga announced a 10 year action plan where Uganda government is to restore an environment levy on petroleum products to finance the plan.
‘This plan will include restoration of forests, cancellation of title deeds on wetlands. We are also finally going to deploy an environmental police so that they take charge. The same plan will include restoration of an environmental levy which was previously removed by ministry of finance illegally,’ Kadaga said.
President Yoweri Museveni, in his absentia, was announced as the chair of the climate mobility champion leaders. The award was picked by first deputy prime minister Rebecca Kadaga. In her acceptance speech Kadaga said President Museveni is fully committed to address climate change.
‘This commitment translated into the signing of the Kampala Ministerial declaration on Migration, Climate Change & Environment. Based on the President’s commitment I would like to accept the nomination of President Museveni as the chair of the climate mobility champion leaders.
World leaders at COP27 emphasised the need to act fast. COP27 concludes on 18th of November 2022.