Video shows on Climatic Change Implications

The Human Cost of Climate Change

The Nile Question

The ownership, use, and even identity with the Nile River shoulder a big debate. There now exist queries difficult to answer. What is important though is that some riparian countries regard the river as their life blood. But the situation is changing. Climate change and increasing demand for agricultural and industrial products and services implies that reliance on the river is rapidly changing face. The situation is not helped by land degradation. The Nile is no longer “that longest river” cutting across many sub-Sahara African countries. Water is becoming as good as oil, if not more than oil. It is life and river Nile is the storeroom to many countries.

Controversies and Other Developments

The question of who accesses the Nile waters, how it can be used, is among many aspects of the agreements signed by the River Nile sharing countries. In 1929, the Nile Water Agreement was signed, which granted Egypt and lions share of the waters. About 55.5bn cubic meters (of the total 84bn meters of the Nile waters) of water are guaranteed for Egypt a lone under the terms of the agreement. Cairo is granted the authority to monitor the Nile River, since the agreement forbids any development projects that stand to threaten the water volume accessible by Egypt. In 1959, a second agreement was signed but bore little, if any, differences from the initial agreement.
While the agreement demonstrates the value of the river to Cairo, it also showcases the best of injustices the colonial masters brought to the river sharing countries. Today, complaints are ripe and news over the war possibilities is looming. There is a war possibly. Are we already for it? No doubt many would choose to die fighting for their rights over the waters, than face the pangs of hunger because the agreement denies them their natural water use right. East Africa has taken critical steps of withdrawing from the colonial initiated agreement. and there seems to be no turning back. Tanzania has announced plans to build a 105-mile pipeline drawing water from Lake Victoria which feeds the Nile. This project flouts the treaty (s).

The project is expected to benefit about 400.000 people in the North-West arid parts of the Country but the number is expected to reach 900,000 people in a space of two decades. This is not an irrigation project, but water supply is for domestic and industrial use. Approximately 160 million people in the 10 Nile Basin countries survive on this river and its valuable tributaries. The population is expected to double in the next 55 years.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu-Zeid the Egyptian water minister, described Kenya's intention to withdraw from the agreement as an "act of war". In addition, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former secretary-general of the UN, has predicted that the next war in the region will be over water.

The 2010 Nile cooperative Framework Agreement

Since May 14th 2010, four countries i.e. Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda, signed a “land mark agreement” at Lake Victoria Hotel in Entebbe. Kenya signed the agreement on May 20th and other countries such as Burundi and DRC are itching to put the pen to paper. The Nile Cooperative Framework Agreement which is meant to replace the 1929, and 1959 agreements has been rejected by both Egypt and Sudan. As the Sub-Saharan countries got independent, so should they be free of any instruments left behind by those who worked to define (abuse) their rights to water. It is a matter of negotiations and understanding.

The impact of deforestation, soil erosion, and overgrazing means changed lifestyles, values, and goals. So should be the dynamics in the water resource use.

Ministers from the Nile Basin pose for a photo after signing the agreement at Entebbe on Friday 14th May 2010. Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/719720/nile%20agreement

Also, open http://www.ntz.info/gen/n01799.html

A Land Slide in Uganda: An Avoidable Eventuality at the Peak of Land Degradation

An Avoidable Eventuality and the Peak of Land Degradation

It’s “a great tragedy that should make the country re-think the practices that interfere with God’s natural engineering…God knew what he was doing when he said this is a mountain, a swamp, a flood plain, river, etc. Therefore, practices that go against God and nature are dangerous as has been demonstrated by this tragedy” H.E: Yoweri Museveni’s stressed at his tour of a landslide hit Bududa district in Eastern Uganda.

President Museveni visits the disaster area

Over 100 people are confirmed dead and close to 350 are unaccounted for in what could be the country’s worst natural disaster in the recent history, that covered three villages in Bududa District, on Monday 1st March 2010. A bout 100 pupils who took shelter in a shop located in the near by Namatesi were buried alive by the boulder and mud loaded landslide. Other people were buried in the health centers, the church and many in their homes. Little did they know that these were later to be their final points of disastrous death. It is simply a state where nature rumbles, but it is a feedback and a mix of both human action and inaction. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (quoted in The NewVision Uganda Tuesday, 2nd March, 2010) observes how the landslide begun from an encroached area of the National Park and later spread about 250 Meters in an equally degraded community land.

Rescue efforts with elementary tools
Environmental Protection in Uganda has long been seen as a discipline of “anti” development practitioners. In fact several forestry (NFA) staff members have either been murdered or maimed by angry encroachers in an attempt to physically defend their desires at the expense of environmental health. Besides, political interests have rather made practical implementation of environmental rules and policies unattainable. The country has been stripped of its forest cover and the once “pearl of Africa” is nothing but an ugly shadow of its beautiful past. Those with the love of nature have rather been kept in a prison where technical conservation knowledge is shelved or limited to those who care to learn – and who are actually very few.
Is this the common man’s mistake, the policy maker’s, r both? We need to revise our notes and establish the role of land managers in ensuring efficient spatial and land use planning that carefully take care of environmental concerns. Uganda has lost some its important citizens of different age groups as an unfortunate lesson towards the need for deliberate environmental management efforts. The cost in way to high in terms of irreplaceable human lives, irreversible environmental degradation, and economically straining cost of evacuation, resettlement and recovery program - Shs35 billion [$17 million] is being solicited by the government only for resettlment. This can be avoided but things may get worse before they get better.It is high time we re-invented the wheel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbcVbLdihmE&feature=player_embedded

Land Use Conflicts: A case in Kenya

Access to land remains one of the most impeding factor to the effective environmental and social economic stability. In the Kwanza district of Kenya, scrumble for access to the grazing land has become a case for a showdown between the two communities in one village. It is probably one of the worst case scenarios in the area's recent history. The evolution of the conflict from latent to exposed stages of development with no adquate intervening measures means that land use remains a contentious issue that pits individuals and communities against each other. As a result, (watch the video below), about three people sustained injuries with scores of livestock killed in the latest clashes.

Source: NTV, Friday December 18, 2009

It is one of the latest demonstration of the burden at the hands of land managers. It remains our responsibility to facilitate the realisation of a harmonious and negotiated position pertaining the use and management of the scarce land resources.

Climate Change: Emerging Challenges and Opportunities

14th Dec. 2009 was greeted with an astounding presentation by the S. Korea's Minister of Environment on the country's bold steps towards Green Growth, at the Technical University of Munich. As one of the emerging developed countries but also a bridge between the developing and Developed worlds the country has pronounced itself as a major actor in fighting for environmentally sound economic development. Before a largely international gathering of students, lecturers and Professors, the minister demonstrated his country's dream in the short, medium and long term.

Beyond Control?

The conduct of the conference and the emerging devisive issues pertaining to the approach and major polluting powers' contrubitions to wards financial facilitation of climate change related programs, and the the call to express utmost commitment are a show of how intense issues are. Assumming the responsibility of our respective shares in the problem-solution scenario remains a key issue daunting progress towards finding a common voice.

In the end deep felt public anger demonstrated at the conference and a series of boycots and consequential temporal boycot of business is a show of a problem with no solutions at hand. The future is not good. Today is undoubtadly the future of the past with delicate issues. There is a future still to which we hold greater fears unless otherwise.

Source: BBC web. Emaciated human sculptures standing just outside the talks venue

The US and China as the largest emitters of GHG have notably indicated their willingness to make concessions. A move of such nature could undo the angry attitude of delegates from the Developing World Nations. The US' note on her Commitment to offer funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation programs is rather a ray of hope in the ongoing negotiations towards finding a common stand.

Nevertheless the painful truth is that the "proposals on the table - especially from industrialised countries - fall far short of what the world needs" (Keith Allott, head of climate change for WWF in Britain-www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8419769.stm)
The question is, What's your individual responsibility and so, What's good for the future?

Need for a combined Effort

Voices for partnership in Forestry management, (http://www.iied.org/natural-resources/key-issues/forestry/growing-forest-partnerships)

The Climate Challenge: Constrained Progress

Climate Change: Does it really matter?

That the Earth is warming is a gospel truth. The disturbing reality quickly demonstrates how the poor nations are yet to add more problems to their existing list of burdening food insecurity, land degradation and disturbing poverty.

Atmospheric GHG Concentrations & Global Surface Temperature Trends

While the impacts of the dehumanizing global warming have shown signs of spontaneous emergence, the world is entangled in disagreements especially between the rich and poor nations. The latest has been a decrying voice of the Developing countries and Aid Agencies over the recent pledges made by the rich states to curb the global warming problem.
Describing the EU package as inadequate, the critics have quickly pointed out the absolute lack of honest commitment considering the amount and velocity of approaching problems. Bruno Tseliso Sekoli, the chairman of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) bloc, has been quoted by the BBC as saying that the EU pledge certainly "cannot be enough for the purpose of meeting the requirements of the LDCs" and that;
“Any money that would flow from the developed to developing worlds would be welcome but these numbers are very, very low”
Interestingly the offers from the developed world are a combination of new with old aid packages to make convincingly huge sums of money but which in reality may not cover the gaping financial gap. This was acknowledged by the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, noting that that the pledges made at the summit were "a combination of new and old resources” and "almost all the money is likely to be simply a relabelling of existing aid commitments"

This could mean that not much is new from the summit, concerning making fresh strides towards abating the tragic global threat arising from human actions.

Observation
As the richer nations are tasked to contribute their “fair share” in fighting to control and facilitation of adaptation to global warming which they responsibly deserve to do, poorer nations must recognize their contribution to the problem. Emissions from the conversion of forests or grazing lands to agricultural or urban land are largely a monopoly of the Third World Countries for which they must equally claim greater responsibility and swing into action.

Is Land Based Genocide Possible in Uganda?

Can the Bunyoro Land Issue Cause Genocide?

Land management in Uganda has almost reached a stalemate. Besides corruption and fraud in the land registries and significantly weak institutions at the district levels, the negligence of the responsible authorities to invest in finding lasting solutions may cause regrettable impacts. Bunyoro is no stranger to the land impasse and its predicament defines or is rather enmeshed into the country’s unpleasant history of land problems since the colonial times. The responsibility of the current land problems can neither be claimed by the colonial master – Britain alone, but also the national government which carries the duty to guide equitable access to land, through adequate institutionalisation and ensuring equity and efficiency. This should have been assumed an accomplished mandate, 47 years since her independence in 1962. However, the current violent land conflicts with tremendous environmental and economic implications can hardly permit the nation’s potential to achieving it commitments to the MDGs, Agenda 21 or the sustainable development principles.
July 25th 2009 woke up to the presidential letter perhaps aimed to finding the solution to the ageold Bunyoro’s land impasse. However, the political and social implications through the context of its wording cause a reason to wonder as to whether it’s premised finding the best options for sustained solutions. By calling for ring-fencing of political positions from the migrants (Bafuruki), among several other astounding recommendations, the resultant social peace and harmony is unpredictable, at least in the near future.

“If the Bafuruki were more nationalistic, why could they not find some persons among the indigenous people and vote for them ... Suppose we were to infuse 100,000 Bafuruki into Acholi or Karamoja, what would be the reaction? If the Acholis and Karamajongs were to react violently, would it mean that they are not Ugandan enough or would it be that the policy was wrong?” H.E: Yoweri K. Museveni (July 25th 2009)

Should this imply that the Banyoro's violent reactions are in pursuit of a right policy? and so should they go on uninterrupted? Labelling the contents and intentions of letter as “sowing the seeds of tribalism” by the leaders of migrant populations in Bunyoro and consequent violence possibly from the local reaction to the developments have not been uncommon. Where property losses and subsquent eviction threats no matter the ownership status soar, the country has entered a new phase.

Dead goats left after a violent land conflict (photo by Gerald Rulekere-www.pulse.com)

Ethnic tensions have so far claimed properties of Bakiga business men (See Daily Monitor Aug. 5th and 12th 2009). The area has been at a verge of such showdowns but only needed simple reason sparks and backing to kick-start. However, Bunyoro has seen bitter situations. Areas like Kibale district were reportedly at the blink of violence targeting the settlers on the grounds of land ownership related wrangles. For example, the president thwarted a planned violent demonstration, as police arrested individuals with pangas, iron bars and other rudimentary tools meant for the demonstration (See The NewVision 5th June 2009).
The solution to the problem is so far scanty and the scale of the problem unimaginable atleast for now. The problem while is fueled by the recent developments, dates back to the Buganda agreement and subsquent irregular land sales by both Banyoro and Baganda Landlords as well as the local council leaders. More to the problem are weak institutional interventions. Simple actions generate big reactions in a tense atmosphere. The allocation of land by the District Land Board in 2003 in Kibaale, soon preceded violent land conflicts and is perceived to have triggered the escalation of the problem, but lasting conflict preventive efforts are vital. Prior to this event, February 2002 witnessed a violent land conflict where migrants’ houses were burnt, as migrants threatened and physically attacked. About 5 people were killed as the army and riot police struggled to halt the violence, and set up roadblocks in different areas. A conflict that stretched to May 2002 was feared to escalate into genocide similar to the 1994 experienced in Rwanda (See Schelnberger 2007).

The impact of the present steps through political statements whether made to solve the problem cannot be under-estimated. Appeasing on ethnic group to the detriment of the others may cause long term unwanted consequences. In the absence of a consolidated land policy, and with crystal legal pluralism where land markets are largely informal, many stakeholders take the advantage of the prevailing gaps. There isn't much to host better expectations. We are yet to see a full-blown spirit of classic resentment between individuals, communities and ethinicities, as well as opinions and interests if they haven't been as clearer. Formal and informal institutions could clash as well, but fodging national unity may require a new approach lest the situation gets out of hand before it gets better.

The police stand guard in Kyangwali-Hoima District due to tensions over contested land rights (Photo -The NewVision Thursday, 13th August, 2009)

Whether with a legal land title or not, migrants carry a label as "rebels who ... invaded the king’s land" that have to be evicted "by force" Kyangwali LC3 chairman quoted in The NewVision 13th Aug. 2009).

While the recent developments cannot be isolated in the broader frame of the problem, it would be fair to attribute the issue to the general stakeholder community. Everyone whose decision can potentially cause, accelerate or fundamentally serve to solve the land problem in Bunyoro carries the duty to ensure harmony, tranquillity and prosperity in the region. Failed efforts affect the country at large, across generations and ethnicities. At least, that Uganda is a one and united country can be demonstrated today before the situation goes out of hand. As of today, Kibaale district leads in both land conflicts and forest cover losses country wide. The future presents disturbing signals. Let us look beyond now and individuals, but be wise and cunning, otherwise, the country is seated on a time bomb – more than treading past the slumbering dragon.