KAMPALA – World Wide Fund for Nature-Uganda Country Office is mobilizing Ugandans for one million people march on the streets of Kampala against plastic and Kaveera pollution.
Scheduled for February 13, 2020, the wave will march for about 8 Kilometers from Kampala City Square to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) grounds- Lugogo.
According to WWF-Uganda Country Director, David Duli, Plastic pollution has become a critical environmental challenge in Uganda and there is little effort towards checking the increased plastic and Kaveera pollution and suffocation of nature. He added that this is the time to act.
“You will find plastics littered everywhere, from the city to beaches to drainage channels and even the remote parts of the country. This is threatening the future of our country and the generations to come. We must act now,” he said.
In April 2015, the Ministry of Water and Environment under the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) affected the ban on the importation, manufacture, and use of polythene bags of gauge below 30 microns.
Plastics take over 500 yrs to decompose and its influx into the ecosystem is continuously increasing, from annual per capita consumption of 2kg in 1974 to the current 43kg. This threatens the Pearl of Africa. This #EarthHourUg2020, #JointheMarchAgainstPlasticPollution. @WWF_ROA pic.twitter.com/0WYSFR29O5
— WWF Uganda (@WWFUganda) February 3, 2020
Quoted in a news story on their official website, according to the Manager of Communication, Policy, and Advocacy at WWF in Uganda Ms. Kyategeka Samanya Rita, the efforts currently in place to address the plastics pollution are not enough.
“During these one-million-marches, we seek to mobilize young people, businesses, our Government and individuals to take actions and policy decisions aimed at ending this pollution,” she said.
On the same day, the 13th of February, WWF-Uganda will launch the Earth Hour 2020 Campaign, a global conservation initiative started and supported by WWF in 2007 where across the world, individuals, businesses, governments, and communities are invited to turn off their nonessential lights for ‘one hour’.
In an interview with WWF-Uganda Communications Officer, Happy Ali, among other activities for this campaign will be the Inter-university Innovations Challenge that will see young minds from about eight universities in Uganda present mature and well-thought-out innovations all tailored to address Uganda’s chocking plastic pollution.
Happy added that some partners are already on board who among others are; Plan International, Kampala Capital City Authority and Youth Alive Uganda and there is hope for more partners.
