Kampala has a role to play in the regulation of climate change

Instead of consistently cutting all these trees into ornamental plants at a cost (and benefit for the contractor) trees without overhead electric cables should be allowed to blossom and be pruned quarterly.

As is the end of year tradition for contemporary world actors, delegates from 194 states as well as non-state actors converged at Doha on November 26 to continue last year’s discussion on climate change, one of the world’s biggest threats. This is about the survival of earth’s living creatures that can no longer be taken for granted.

Carbon dioxide is a vital part of the food chain for most living creatures essential to life on earth.

It spices our beer, coke and champagne. It naturally moves in and out of the atmosphere in various ways like through living plants which use it to produce energy while animals breathe it out as a by-product. Long-term monitoring has shown that the amount of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing due to human activity like vehicle emissions, ships, aircraft, domestic emissions and industries.

This is causes the earth to warm up and the oceans to become more acidic. Unless the amount of Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere is reduced dramatically, scientists predict that the temperature on earth will continue rising. This will cause the climate to change, sea levels to rise, and ocean and land environments will be adversely affected.

To make matters worse, land clearing especially in the developing world where nature had been less disturbed is reducing the earth’s ability to take up excess Carbon dioxide as there is less plant life to support natural regulation.

The 18th session of Conference of Parties (COP 18)of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is part of a solution seeking process to a problem inherited from past generations in an unequal world. Major culprits that are also principal beneficiaries include after China; USA, India and Russia. Unfortunately, it is to these same powers (who are even evasive) that the world looks up for leadership in scientific findings, mobilisation, finance and other requirements for saving our planet.

In order to be impactful, developing countries operate a cartel at CC gatherings and their Doha strategy is a strong rule based system that must happen if we are to make progress. Uganda’s preparatory conference is reported (Daily Monitor November 28) to have been well attended by representatives from various sectors and made first-rate recommendations to government and COP18/CMP8.

As to whether these recommendations actually emerged from the conference with the deserved gravity or are just another paper concoction for which Uganda is well known is still unclear. Reports from Doha indicated that unlike her neighbours, Uganda’s stand at the conference had nothing to display despite the seemingly wonderful preparatory conference!

As Uganda’s nerve centre from which many practices are duplicated, Kampala has a challenge of exhibiting good environmental practice achievable by merely reinforcing the two legs of City law & Physical planning (control over the erection, building alteration and use of land) on which any municipality moves. In this regard, KCCA has a couple possible winning measures that should be highlighted.

First, the authority could work on Kampala’s canopy by changing their attitude towards the Ficus benjamina trees all over the city. Instead of consistently cutting all these trees into ornamental plants at a cost (and benefit for the contractor) trees without overhead electric cables should be allowed to blossom and be pruned quarterly.

This would provide shade over the city, contribute to extraction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, keeping our air clean, earn Kampala some carbon credit (hard currency) and make the city a contributor to controlling climate change.

Secondly, through her lakeside sprawl, Kampala should be exemplary to smaller towns in organised development and preservation of the fresh water source. As opposed to remaining on back seat as we continue polluting the lake as if we are the last people on earth.

Mr Sebalu is a governance consultant
muyizzi@yahoo.com