Uganda Voters Advised to Demand Environment Programmes,Uganda news, Uganda voters,Uganda Environment, uganda Environment news,Environment uganda

UGANDANS have been urged to elect politicians with environment protection programmes.
The call was made on Saturday by Lalanath de Silva, the director of The Access Initiative, an NGO, at the conclusion of the international environment workshop in Kampala. Lalanath is an international civil society campaigner based in the US.

He said it was disappointing that some elected leaders had not bothered to protect the environment. "There is a direct and indirect link between the environment, poverty and development. We, therefore, ask Ugandans to elect environmentally friendly leaders" he said.

"As Ugandans prepare for the 2011polls, let them be advised not to vote into power candidates that lack environmental programmes in their manifestos," he said. The workshop was held at the Lake Victoria Serena Hotel. It attracted environmental and civil society activists from around the world.
According to Gober Tumushabe, the executive director of the Advocacy Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), participants compared notes and shared challenges and success stories on environmental protection. He said the participants discussed access rights, poverty, democracy, oil and environmental and climate change governance.
Tumushabe lamented that the NRM government, which championed the formation of environmental laws and policies, had not done much to enforce them. He commended the Government for establishing bodies such as NEMA, but added that there was need to have more enforcement mechanisms and watchdogs to protect the environment.
During a tour of Mabira Forest, the participants were impressed by its beauty and said such areas should be preserved as they are irreplaceable.