Environment Ministers and representatives of the 10 African countries sharing the Western Indian Ocean have signed a new Protocol for the Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment of the Western Indian Ocean from Land-based Sources and Activities (LBSA), and a 25- year Strategic Action Programme (SAP) aimed at ensuring efficient management of the marine and coastal environment in the larger Eastern and Southern African region.
The Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Western Indian Ocean has also been amended to take into account new provisions on emerging issues such as climate change and the need for an ecosystem-based management approach.
UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner says: “The adoption of the LBSA Protocol is a long process coming to fruition and sets a bright future for the Nairobi Convention. The Nairobi Convention Secretariat is thankful to contracting Parties for their strong engagement and dedication in the process of developing a new legal instrument on land-based activities that affect the marine and coastal environment. This provides an important tool that will shape and guide our actions as we ensure that the unique Western Indian Ocean’s ecosystems can deliver sustainable development and well-being to the 60 million people who live and depend on its resources.”
With the signing of the final act of the LBSA Protocol and the rejuvenated Convention, the Western Indian Ocean region becomes one of the three regional seas in the world to have a regional agreement focused on the control of land-based activities degrading and or polluting the marine waters of the region. The other regions with a similar agreement include the Wider Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea.
The President of the Conference of the Plenipotentiaries, Mr. Sateeaved Seebaluk of Mauritius said: “There is a great sense of achievement to see the positive conclusion of this process which had its hard times but a lot of progress has been made. Today, the Convention of Nairobi is one the successful convention in this part of the world. We have successful WIO-Lab projects; the updating of the Convention and the development of the LBSA Protocol have been successfully accomplished. These key instruments should not be archived but instead should become working documents to ensure good practices in contracting parties.”
The Indian Ocean, which is globally recognised for its unique biological richness and natural beauty and high ecological and socio-economic value, is still few of the remaining undisturbed areas of the world oceans with diverse ecosystems that provide invaluable goods and services to the growing population of the region. The economic value of the goods and services provided by these Western Indian Ocean marine ecosystems is estimated to be over 25 billion US Dollar, with fisheries and tourism as the two main direct contributors to the economies of the countries in the region.
However, Countries sharing the Western Indian Ocean are now facing serious challenges related to the sustainable management of the coastal and marine environment.
The Strategic Action Programme for the Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment of the Western Indian Ocean (SAP), endorsed by Contracting Parties today will address the challenges faced by governments in the region in dealing with increasing pollution of coastal waters, the destruction and degradation of critical habitats, changes in freshwater flow as well as challenges resulting from global climate change.
It is expected that the agreement will bind the governments towards a common objective of preventing, reducing, mitigating and controlling pollution from land-based sources and activities to protect and sustain the marine and coastal environment in the Western Indian Ocean.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Friday, September 26, 2008
Should Safe Water Be for Humans Only?
Safe water should not only be for human beings alone. Animals such as the ones in the pictures need safe waster to live better lives. I took these pictures in Uganda in Sanga, Kiruhura district.
A Call to Conserve Uganda's Water
Conservation of rivers and lakes would help to preserve such waters (see photos ) for the future generations. However environmentalists are warning that climate change is greatly threatening the future of such water bodies. I took these photos in Jinja, Eastern Uganda on different parts of River Nile.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Poor Farming Methods Polluting Water in Uganda
Hundreds of thousands of rural people and their livestock in the western Uganda depend on polluted water according to environmentalists there.
Environmentalists in the region say most of the waters in the rivers, lakes, and wells there have been polluted and are now brown in color. They blame this mostly on poor methods of farming which causes soils from this hilly region to slop down the hills and pollute waters in the valleys every time it rains.
I visited this region and toured the famous River Rwizi, one of the main Rivers in the region which is a source of water for thousands of local people and their livestock. Snaking through the famous hills of southwestern Uganda, Rwizi was always a beautiful river that brought pride to the people in the area due to its sky blue waters and the purposes they served.
Today, River Rwizi is back in news not for its great beauty and history but for being under a brink of death. The deadly disease whose symptoms include browning and ever decreasing waters was spread to it by the people who depend on it according to the agency that oversees environment in Uganda-NEMA.
The focal person for the National Environment Management Authority-NEMA in the western region, Jeconeous Musingwire told me that the water of River Rwizi “should never be shaded blue on any map because its color is brown like soil.”
He disclosed that Rwizi’s waters are brown because of sedimentation. “There is a lot of soil wash off from the river’s poorly managed catchments areas,” laments Musingwire.
River Rwizi which originates from Buhweju, a mountainous county of Bushenyi district meanders through the bare hills of southwestern Uganda in Bushenyi, Ntungamo and Mbarara districts. It continues to flow via several cattle grazing places in this region before joining Lake Mburo National Park and later joins Lake Mburo.
Musingwire says valleys and hills which river Rwizi meanders through are usually set on fire in the dry seasons. According to Musingwire, the same hills and valleys are again faced with poor methods of cultivation in rainy seasons. This, Musingwire says, “leaves soils from the poorly managed hills and valleys dumped into the River every time it rains.” This, he says is not only happening to River Rwizi but also to several other water bodies in the region
Musingwire tips that poor methods of farming could continue threatening water sources in this region unless local people there promote soils conservation.
END
Environmentalists in the region say most of the waters in the rivers, lakes, and wells there have been polluted and are now brown in color. They blame this mostly on poor methods of farming which causes soils from this hilly region to slop down the hills and pollute waters in the valleys every time it rains.
I visited this region and toured the famous River Rwizi, one of the main Rivers in the region which is a source of water for thousands of local people and their livestock. Snaking through the famous hills of southwestern Uganda, Rwizi was always a beautiful river that brought pride to the people in the area due to its sky blue waters and the purposes they served.
Today, River Rwizi is back in news not for its great beauty and history but for being under a brink of death. The deadly disease whose symptoms include browning and ever decreasing waters was spread to it by the people who depend on it according to the agency that oversees environment in Uganda-NEMA.
The focal person for the National Environment Management Authority-NEMA in the western region, Jeconeous Musingwire told me that the water of River Rwizi “should never be shaded blue on any map because its color is brown like soil.”
He disclosed that Rwizi’s waters are brown because of sedimentation. “There is a lot of soil wash off from the river’s poorly managed catchments areas,” laments Musingwire.
River Rwizi which originates from Buhweju, a mountainous county of Bushenyi district meanders through the bare hills of southwestern Uganda in Bushenyi, Ntungamo and Mbarara districts. It continues to flow via several cattle grazing places in this region before joining Lake Mburo National Park and later joins Lake Mburo.
Musingwire says valleys and hills which river Rwizi meanders through are usually set on fire in the dry seasons. According to Musingwire, the same hills and valleys are again faced with poor methods of cultivation in rainy seasons. This, Musingwire says, “leaves soils from the poorly managed hills and valleys dumped into the River every time it rains.” This, he says is not only happening to River Rwizi but also to several other water bodies in the region
Musingwire tips that poor methods of farming could continue threatening water sources in this region unless local people there promote soils conservation.
END
Masaka Inhabitants Consume Contaminated Water-UN-HABITAT
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–HABITAT) has warned that petroleum and vehicle garage wastes in the Uganda’s southwestern town of Masaka pour into Nakayiba and Nabajuzi wetlands, the major sources of water for the town inhabitants.
George Kasumba, the UN Habitat Consultant, warns that the inhabitants of this town are in great danger because, “the wastes from the town enter these wetlands without being purified.”
While speaking at a one-day strategic Urban Development Plan for Masaka Municipality at Tropic Inn Hotel recently, Kasumba lamented that this as a result of lack of a reliable dumping site for Masaka Municipality.
Worse more, the population surrounding Nakayiba wetland grows yams, sugarcanes and sweet potatoes within this swamp which are later consumed by the local people and the town dwellers.
According to Kasumba, there is need for, “proper treatment of the water from these wetlands” to make sure that local people do not consume contaminated water from these wetlands.” Several people close to these wetlands collect water direct from them which they sometimes drink unboiled or use to prepare their food.
He also said that the garbage from Masaka Municipality dumped at Bwala and Ssenyange hills straw back to the urban area due to the strong winds and the flowing rainwater.
Speaking at the same function, the Masaka District Chairperson, Vincent Ssempijja said that operations against shops and homes constructed without toilets in the municipality are going to start effective with this month of January. He urged all the local leaders in the district to work towards having standard sanitation and hygiene in their communities.
The Member of Parliament for Masaka Municipality thanked the UN Habitat for providing about 1.4 million dollars towards the improvement of Nyendo from a slum environment to a properly planned town status.
END
George Kasumba, the UN Habitat Consultant, warns that the inhabitants of this town are in great danger because, “the wastes from the town enter these wetlands without being purified.”
While speaking at a one-day strategic Urban Development Plan for Masaka Municipality at Tropic Inn Hotel recently, Kasumba lamented that this as a result of lack of a reliable dumping site for Masaka Municipality.
Worse more, the population surrounding Nakayiba wetland grows yams, sugarcanes and sweet potatoes within this swamp which are later consumed by the local people and the town dwellers.
According to Kasumba, there is need for, “proper treatment of the water from these wetlands” to make sure that local people do not consume contaminated water from these wetlands.” Several people close to these wetlands collect water direct from them which they sometimes drink unboiled or use to prepare their food.
He also said that the garbage from Masaka Municipality dumped at Bwala and Ssenyange hills straw back to the urban area due to the strong winds and the flowing rainwater.
Speaking at the same function, the Masaka District Chairperson, Vincent Ssempijja said that operations against shops and homes constructed without toilets in the municipality are going to start effective with this month of January. He urged all the local leaders in the district to work towards having standard sanitation and hygiene in their communities.
The Member of Parliament for Masaka Municipality thanked the UN Habitat for providing about 1.4 million dollars towards the improvement of Nyendo from a slum environment to a properly planned town status.
END
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