Walking to Preserve the Environment

The ministry of water and environment Monday, flagged off a group of walkers’ Association of Uganda for a 370-kilometre walk to Kapchorwa.

The estimated 10-day walk to the Kapchorwa is focused on creating awareness for environmental conservation.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is joining the campaign this year to combat effects of climate change.

It is the third year the Walkers’ Association of Uganda led by Geoffrey Ayeni is walking hundreds of kilometres in the spirit of protecting the environment. At the flag off, the ministry of Water and Environment noted that there is a need to take immediate action to protect the environment

The walk that started with planting trees at the ministry intends to have 1000+ trees planted from Kampala to Kapchorwa.

On behalf of the minister for Water and environment, the Director Environmental affairs Paul Mafabi, told the gathering that the country must come together and fight protect the environment.

He says the country has just experienced a disastrous tragedy in Bududa that claimed close to fifty lives, scarcity of food, drought among other effects of climate change, which is a wakeup call to everyone to protect nature.

NEMA joined the cause this year as one of the strategies to curb endemic climate change effects.

NEMA says Partnerships are the way to go. The Authority says such partnerships will help them see better outcomes.

Geoffrey Ayeni and his team says this walk will see behavioural change towards environment, before reaching Kapchorwa a number of stopovers.

This years’ theme says ‘’Climate is changing, Integrate risk reduction in all your work’’

By Salmah Namwanje