Let us manage our climate well

Mankind has play their role in the natural world. We have learned to treat many dread diseases, feed billions of people, cut canals between continents, and harness the power of the atom. We have bent much of nature to our will. We have let our climate control us by remaining in assumptions and expectations of wet and dry seasons. We have continuously become victims of climate change, the alteration in the established weather patterns has brought still more economic, political, and social havoc.
Even the less extreme climate change scenarios have led to more deaths and greater damage to property. We have seen that in Bududa and other areas in Uganda. In the more severe scenarios, Kampala slums such as Bwaise, Kalerwe, etc, get nearly sub-merged. Under these climate changes, once-productive farmlands become less productive.
We still can’t do something about the weather. What is less clear is the extent of mankind’s role in the change. What can every Ugandan do to attain better weather? The latest consensus of climate scientists, summarised in last February’s report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is that by far, the biggest component of the forces currently warming the Earth is the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide, and the source of that carbon dioxide is us. Even if we differ with the panel’s conclusion, we undoubtedly agree that variations in climate don’t occur without a reason. We have continuously cut down trees, reclaimed swamps and wetlands for economic purposes, but Ugandans are the victims at the end.
However, I still believe our influence on climate may be inadvertent, but it is a milestone in civilisation’s progress. I believe the choice is clear. Whether we start today or in a decade, it is inevitable that we will begin to apply our new-found capabilities to actively manage, or even engineer climate. Besides using technology, which is ideal, I still believe that if every Ugandan plants a tree, respects forests, swamps and wetlands, we can see a positive influence on climate. This positivity will keep the Pearl of Africa green, hence creating wild nature rather than driving it away; tourists will multiply and foreign exchange will boom; soil fertility will increase and our economy will skyrocket and finally our debts will reduce.
Avoid destruction of trees to keep Uganda moving forward. Let every Uganda be a climate manager, but not destructor.
Finally, we call upon Nema to continue doing its work as we advocate for a better Uganda.
Brighton Aryampa,
[email protected]