All Ugandans who obtained fraudulent land titles for wetlands must return them before July 27, the Minister of State Minister of State for Environment Dr. Mary Gorret Kimono Kitutu, has directed. According to the minister, the errant land owners must also evacuate the wetlands immediately.
Dr. Kitutu gave the order ahead of Uganda hosting the African Great Lakes Conference aimed at climate conservation and development scheduled for between May 2-5, expected to bring together delegates from 11 countries including hosts Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Rwanda among others.
“We will share evident-based information, disseminate it to the public and discuss ways of implementing polices. It (conference) will link together regional authorities, policy makers, scholars and many other decision makers across the region to pave away of sustaining these vital resources,” Dr. Kitutu said today, while addressing media practitioners at the Media Centre.
The Minister added: “Lakes support diverse industries and provide ample investment opportunities in agriculture and fishing among others. However, theses must be developed sustainably to secure their services in the long term and reduce negative impacts on people and environment,”
In the recent months, Uganda has had climatic change challenges resulting from massive deforestation and land reclamation. As a result the country has experienced drought leading to massive famine and a widespread contagion of pests and disease. Consequently, massive conserved forests and wetlands have been encroached upon.
