The Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kagadi, Benjamin Tumusiime has fostered the struggle to restore the troubled wetlands and forests in the western district of Uganda.
While spearheading the sensitization campaign to end environmental degradation, Tumusiime encouraged the removal of illegal structures, plants and crops in wetlands, closing of drainage channels, and avoid burning of swamps for cultivation purposes.
The deputy RDC stepped up a campaign in the awake of president Musevenis’s directive to local government authorities to end rampant depletion of swamps which is of a great detriment to the environment.
“Many people here have resorted to encroaching and damaging wetlands especially for agriculture and settlement. This is a very bad practice as consequential repercussions of climate change awaits,” Tumusiime said.
“The impact of climate change is long term and disastrous that needs a collective effort to mitigate,” he adds.
Tumusiime called up on the locals who are still encroaching on wetland and forest reserves to voluntarily vacate these areas before the authorities move to evict them.
“Depleting wetlands and forests is irresponsible environmental practice as it will cause prolonged drought in our country which is endowed with the natural beauty.” The deputy RDC says.
The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has for a long time tried to enforce measures of restoring the endangered wetlands and forests.
However, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni emphasized that those encroachers should not be driven out forcefully but rather be sensitized on the importance of environmental conservation.
Tumusiime further encouraged residents especially in the urban areas of Kagadi town-council to use alternative sources of fuel more so in cooking to avoid cutting trees just for Charcoal.
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