The 3rd Uganda Water and Environment Week (UWEWK) will be held between March 23 and 27, 2019, at the Water Resource Institute in Entebbe under the theme “Water and Climate Change.”
Minister for Water and Environment, Sam Cheptoris, has, prior to the event, warned alarming encroachment at the shores of Lake Victoria.
“The ministry is concerned about people who build close to Lake Victoria and the increased encroachment on wetlands which has become a major cause of negative environmental changes,” he said. People should build 100 metres away from the lake shores. Properties are getting destroyed and individuals are drowning because of too much water in the lake.”
The overall objective of the UWEWK is improved understanding of the importance of inclusiveness and sustainable management and development of water and environment resources.
“We are concerned about the pollution and encroachment. We are determined to ensure that people are evicted from wetlands. With the help of Ministry of Lands, land tittles obtained from 1995 to date will be cancelled,” Cheptoris said.
He said they also plan to hold a meeting with the people staying around River Rwizi in Mbarara and educate them about the relevance of restoration.
“Last year people of Rwizi and other politicians resisted as we tried to do some restoration. This is the only source of water they have so we need to protect it for their own use. We need to join hands and replant trees,” he said.
Cheptoris warned that some diseases such as Coronavirus are due to environmental changes.
“Diseases like corona virus are there because of changes in the environment. Others will also come up if you don’t stop tampering with nature,” he warned.
