Environmental impacts are the unwanted byproduct of economic activities. Inadvertently, humans alter environmental conditions such as the acidity of soils, the nutrient content of surface water, the radiation balance of the atmosphere, and the concentrations of trace materials in food chains. Humans convert forest to pastureland and grassland to cropland or parking lots intentionally, but the resulting habitat change and biodiversity loss is still undesired.
Although government has made progress in environmental laws, implementation remains a challenge. Population trends affect environmental management through the availability and renewability of natural resources. A vast majority of Uganda’s population is dependent on natural resources. For example the decline in forest cover at 1.8 percent per annum (between 1990 and 2005) is attributed to the increasing demand of land for agriculture and fuel wood by the rapidly increasing population growth (UBOS, 2015). The high rate of population growth also increases poverty levels and threatens opportunities for wealth creation by negatively affecting future gains in agricultural production and food security (National State of the Environment Report for Uganda, 2014).
The environmental and health sciences have brought important insights into the connection of environmental pressures and ecosystem damages. Well-known assessments show that habitat change, the overexploitation of renewable resources, climate change, and particulate matter emissions are amongst the worst environmental problems. Biodiversity losses and ill health have been estimated and evaluated.
For ecological health, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) is considered to be authoritative. Priority environmental pressures identified by the MA are habitat change, pollution with nitrogen and phosphorus, overexploitation of biotic resources such as fisheries and forests, climate change, and invasive species. For human health, the WHO Burden of Disease assessment is considered authoritative. It identifies unsafe drinking water and sanitation, household combustion of solid fuels, lead exposure, climate change, urban air pollution and occupational exposure to particulate matter as important contributions to the burden of disease today
The FAO estimates that there are 854 million hungry people in the world. Some of the many interrelated causes of hunger are rooted in the way environmental assets (e.g. land, water, seeds) are controlled, managed and marketed (FAO, 1996). Agriculture and food consumption are identified as one of the most important drivers of environmental pressures, especially habitat change, climate change, water use and toxic emissions.
We must start looking into our everyday activities if we truly want a green economy – for developed and developing countries
Project description:
(The project is contributing to SDG 13 which is about take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts with rising greenhouse gas emissions, climate change is occurring at rates much faster than anticipated and its effects are clearly felt worldwide. While there are positive steps in terms of the climate finance flows and the development of nationally determined contributions, far more ambitious plans and accelerated action are needed on mitigation and adaptation.)
This project is aimed at creating awareness to the greater public about activities done that are environmentally friendly and the effects of activities that damage the environment.
The project creates awareness about how bad environmental practices negatively impact on people individually. ( at the grass root)
On the other hand the project creates awareness on what people should do to protect the environment and improve on their surrounding ( be it in their homes, places of work , schools and institutions)
People will be tasked to explain what they are doing individually to protect the environment. Also institutions like schools, hospitals, business and churches will be tasked to explain what they are doing to protect the environment?
They will further be asked about what they have done or doing that damages the environment. Also what they are going to do to protect the environment.
All these interviews will be recorded in high quality video digital formats, this will create evidence of what is happening at the grass root that can (if merged destroy or build the environment)
Project goals and objectives:
Strategic objective:
Empowering communities to task duty bearers, demand for actions aimed at saving the environment and reduce the effects of climate change through creating awareness and advocacy.
Specific objectives:
- Information and communication technologies for sustainable environment management and development- Establish innovative ways of using social media at grassroots levels for environmental advocacy inclusive of men, youth, and women.
- Support participatory planning for environmental protection at community and national levels based on ecological systems in target areas Harness gendered land management options for effectives environmental protection.
- Improve public confidence in recycling and further encourage the culture of recycling across Uganda.
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