Assembly urges Council of Ministers to re-establish Climate Change unit at EAC
It is now a matter of time before the Community reinvigorates the EAC Climate Change adaptation programme. With it, the Council of Ministers is also being urged to re-establish the Climate Change Unit at the EAC, which faced closure last year due to perilous lack of funds. The move follows a Resolution of the Assembly moved to invoke Article 59 (3) (B) of the Treaty to revive the EAC climate Change adaptation and mitigation program.
Mover of the Resolution, Hon Abubakar Zein, reiterated that following the dissolution of the key unit at the EAC Secretariat, critical work that had being done was interrupted.
“Though the eventuality came to pass, the Council is taking efforts to re-look into the revival of the key programme”, Hon Zein added.
With the passage of the Resolution, the Council of Ministers is now expected to make tangible proposals on how to secure the work undertaken or yet to be done under the EAC Climate Change Programme including the possibility of creating a budget line for the same.
Within the next four months, the Council is to table before the Assembly a comprehensive report on the background to the establishment of the EAC Climate Change Programme circumstances that led to the shutting of the unit and possible negative impacts the Community may suffer.
Contributing to the debate on the Resolution, Hon Patricia Hajabakiga said it was shocking that the Climate Change Unit was closed at a critical time when the EAC and the continent needed to come up with a common position during the negotiations of the Paris declaration.
“Last year the world gathered in Paris, France, to chart the way forward on climate change. Essentially, analysts contend that if not dealt with, climate change would essentially begin to deal with the inhabitants”, Hon Hajabakiga said.
She said the Assembly had over the last few years passed a total of 4 resolutions related to matters of climate change. “The Council of Ministers needs to understand that climate change is a major challenge and we must speedily act”, the legislator said.
Hon Dora Byamukama said climate change and conducive environment were part and parcel of fundamental rights.
“We should move beyond mitigation to include adaptation, which requires us to look at green housing, irrigation and planting of seeds among others. I plead with the Council of Ministers to take the matter very seriously”, she said.
“We must be able to feed ourselves if we are to sustain our dignity on the face of the earth”, Hon Byamukama added.
Hon Mike Sebalu said the centrality of integration lay in its trickle-down effect to the people. He remarked that leaders must be strategic thinkers and must prioritise key strategic areas.
“The issue of climate change is critical, topical and on top of the global agenda. Today, it affects critical issues of life and it is important for the region to set exemplary practices and good examples”, he said.
Hon Shyrose Bhanji said without the climate change programmes, the region’s environment including flora and fauna would be at risk.
“Let us take an example of Mount Kilimanjaro summit whose ice is diminishing at the moment due to negative climate change. A day may come when the mountain has no ice or water, therefore, there is an acute need to re-establish the unit” Hon Bhanji remarked.
Hon Saoli ole Nkanae informed the House research shows the Sahara desert was moving south towards the region while the water at Antarctica is melting which could lead to a serious case of desertification.
Hon Taslima Twaha termed the closure of the unit unfortunate and called for its immediate re-establishment.
Hon Martin Ngoga said it was necessary for a policy on sustainability to be in place. There are certain strategic areas and we need to see how best sustain such units.
Hon Dr Ndahiro asked the Council to operationalise the Private-Public Sector Partnership (PPP) framework and as such include the Private Sector and Civil Society Organisations in management of climate change.
The Third Prime Minister and Minister for EAC, Uganda, Rt Hon Kirunda Kivejinja said the Council of Ministers was already seized of the matter and would pay serious consideration to the content of the Resolution. He said deforestation if unchecked would result in consumption of loads of firewood.
At the 24th Meeting of the Council of Ministers held in November 2011 in Bujumbura, the Council approved the establishment of the Climate Change Programme Management to proceed after the signing of the Financing Agreement. In July 2012, the agreement between COMESA, EAC and SADC was signed to establish the Tripartite Programme.