The Minister of State for Environment, Beatrice Atim Anywar, has called for stronger measures in tackling the climate crisis.
She made these remarks during a side event at the Post-COP29 forum, held as part of the ongoing Uganda Water and Environment Week (UWEWK2025) at the Ministry of Water and Environment headquarters in Luzira, Kampala.
“We need bolder action in combating the climate crisis. It’s high time we took COP seriously and scaled up our interventions,” Anywar said.
Since its inception in 2018, UWEWK has served as a platform for knowledge exchange, advocacy, and dialogue to improve Uganda’s water and environment resources. This year’s event is organised under the theme, "Water and Environment Resources for Enhanced Resilience and Improved Income and Livelihoods".
The forum provided an opportunity to assess discussions from COP29, held last year in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Uganda focused on eight key negotiation areas, including adaptation and loss and damage, mitigation and Article 6, climate finance, technology development and transfer, capacity building, gender and climate change, agriculture, and legal and compliance matters.
Minister Anywar reaffirmed the government’s commitment to climate action, despite global concerns over severe climate change impacts and financing shortfalls.
“We are aware of the injustices happening to us as developing countries. Africa is endowed with natural biodiversity that helps clean up the mess from industrialised nations,” she said.
“While COP29 saw renewed commitments towards the long-standing $100 billion annual climate finance target, the main substantive outcome was the Baku Climate Unity Pact. This includes a new global climate finance goal to raise at least $1.3 trillion per year for developing countries, with developed nations leading the mobilisation of at least $300 billion by 2035."
The minister said that while this marks progress, it remains insufficient compared to the actual financing needs for adaptation and mitigation.
Speaking at the same event, Lawrence Buyika Songa, chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change, stressed the need to stay on course in achieving COP29 targets.
“This is crucial for reflecting on what we set out to do in Azerbaijan. Based on the outcomes, we need to adjust and see how we can align them with our priorities. On financing, it is important to avoid non-transparent middlemen and ensure that we receive our funding directly,” he said.
The Co-Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Donor Partner Group, Ole Dahl Rasmussen, reaffirmed donors’ commitment to supporting Uganda’s climate agenda and commended the country’s efforts.
“We are generally satisfied with the outcome of COP29, particularly the new climate finance goal. With that goal, we committed to significantly increasing international efforts to support developing countries,” Rasmussen said.
He added, “There is still a lot of work to be done, but fortunately, we are already working together to put in place systems that will not only help Uganda adapt to climate change but also ensure that newly created funding streams reach the country.”
The Commissioner for Climate Change, Margaret Athieno Mwebesa, who also serves as Uganda’s National Focal Point for the UNFCCC, welcomed the progress made at COP29 and acknowledged the partnerships Uganda has built over the years.
“There were some breakthroughs, particularly in Article 6, which defines the rules on carbon trading. As a country, we are preparing regulations to move forward,” she said.
“Uganda is very rich in natural resources, putting us in a strong position to benefit from our natural wealth. We need to work together and take action.”
Uganda Water and Environment Week 2025
The Uganda Water and Environment Week (UWEWK) is an annual event organised by the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and its partners through the Water Resources Institute (WRI).
Since its launch in 2018, the event has grown into the flagship programme for advocacy, policy influence, knowledge sharing, and learning within the water and environment sector.
The event contributes to Uganda’s National Development Plan and Vision 2040 while aligning with international frameworks such as the 2030 Agenda, Africa Agenda 2063, the Water Action Decade, and global initiatives for environmental conservation and climate change.
UWEWK provides a platform for sector actors and stakeholders to exchange knowledge and discuss strategies for managing water, the environment, and natural resources.
On Monday, March 17, Minister Anywar, alongside the Permanent Secretary, Alfred Okot Okidi, and other top officials from the Ministry of Water and Environment, welcomed the chief guest, Justine Lumumba, who represented the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, at the opening ceremony.
The event also drew representatives from various ministries, government agencies, civil society, development partners, non-governmental organisations, academia, the media, banking institutions, cultural institutions, and the diplomatic community.