The Principal Prof. Waswa Balunywa has called upon the Government of Uganda and oil companies to allocate more research funds to universities to carry out research on alternative sources of energy in the country and Africa at large. As the country generates more electricity, there is also need to have alternative sources of power.
Prof. Balunywa says climate change is a concern to everybody but unfortunately in Uganda not much effort has been put to it. There is a lot of destruction of swamps and forests due to construction of roads and industries which is dangerous.
Another threat to the environment that could exacerbate the problem is the damage caused by two deficiencies including the lack of electricity that leads to populations destroying the biomass in search of fuel for cooking and the lack of industrialization that causes overcrowding of the people into subsistence and primitive agriculture.
This overcrowding into agriculture compels people to invade forests and wetlands in search of new agricultural lands having misused long cultivated portions of the land.
It is projected that in the next 10 years, there will be an increase in slum development, where there shall be less people who use gas but more of charcoal and firewood and therefore there is need for the country to look at charcoal as one of the energy sources and establish whether it is sustainable or not which calls for a policy on the development of charcoal and trees.
The Principal was on May 25, 2021 addressing the two day Climate Change Summit, was organized by the MUBS’ Faculty of Graduate Research and Studies in conjunction with National Forestry Authority, Norad, National Environmental Management Authority and the Parliament of Uganda.
The summit intended to inform society about the impact of climate change and the different activities that mitigate the impact on the environment.
Prof. Balunywa discouraged deforestation and called for a policy on cutting down trees. He thanked the organizers for nurturing students to come out to discuss topical issues about the country.
Dr. Tom Okurut, the Executive Director of National Environmental Management Authority said it is a responsibility for every Ugandan to sustain the environment.