Carrefour Uganda has partnered with the Ministry of Water and Environment to mark the World Wetlands Day.
Together they conducted a clean-up of Nakayiba swamp in Masaka, where the government plans to build a wetland city to promote conservation and wise use of the wetlands in a bid tobring sustainable socio-economic benefits for local people.
Employees from various Carrefour stores in Kampala participated in the clean-up activity as part of the retailer’s corporate citizenship efforts.
By highlighting World Wetlands Day, Carrefour seeks to raise awareness on the importance of wetlands in the environment and encourage other corporates to support enterprises or projects that protect and conserve these distinct ecosystems.
“At Carrefour we are committed to preserving our natural ecosystems and are actively contributing towards sustainable development in the markets we serve. We believe that it is a collective responsibility to take charge and protect such important and diverse biodiversity that is critical for the survival of animals, plants and humans. We are grateful to have partnered with the Ministry of Water and Environment to conduct a clean-up of Nakayiba swamp, and hope to make our customers more aware of how important it is to preserve wetland areas,” said Franck Moreau, the regional Director of Carrefour East Africa at Majid Al Futtaim Retail.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on 2 February to raise awareness about wetlands as critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability, economies and more.
The day also recognises the influence and positive production that wetlands have on bringing communities together for the benefit of nature.
Moreau added, “Wetlands are crucial to our ecosystems because they cleanse and filter water as it moves through. However, too much contamination can overwhelm this natural filtering system and destroy it. This would have a severe impact and can lead to drought damage, increasing flooding, water pollution and a decline in wildlife populations.”
The theme for this year’s event was "Wetlands Action for People and Nature."