When we talk about environmental future of a country, we envision the state of nature and our human relationship with it in the future. We are interested in our human relationships with nature in all the dimensions of the environment: ecological-biological, sociocultural, socioeconomic and temporal.

However, since President Tibuhaburwa Museveni declared his philosophy of development emphasising infrastructure development at the expense of environmental development and nature, and extricating Ugandans from the environment and nature, environmental decay and collapse are rising an alarming speed – best seen in countrywide environmental poverty, climate change, food shortages and steep food crisis.

Interestingly, Omagor Markson (2022), citing Mafabi’s article ‘Government is ready for environmental restoration,’ emphasising that the government will share strategies for the restoration of the environment and natural resources. Mafabi was referring to President Museveni’s statement that dependence on rainfall and the degraded ecosystem pose danger to Uganda’s economy in the face of climate challenges. According to Mafabi, the president said “Government will come up with a plan to fully restore our environment here. Once we are done, you will see the environment.”

The president made the announcement during the closing ceremony of the National Scouts Camp that started on August 12 at the scouts’ home in Kaazi, Wakiso District. However, todate the president has not shown that he is ready to recant his development philosophy, which is responsible for most of the recent environmental degradation in Uganda.

Apparently, the president himself, by virtue of his decisions and actions, is at the centre of environmental decay and collapse. He has allowed people belonging to the nomadic pastoral energy system (the nomads of Rwandese extraction) to grab land everywhere in Uganda, destroying our time-tested agroecological systems, on which our food security has depended for centuries. He has allowed soldiers to illegally log tress in our natural forests, including the only rain forest we have – Mabira Rain Forest. It was him personally who engineered the destruction of Mabira Rain Forest by giving 7100 hectares of Mabira ecotone land to Mehta’s Sugar factory.

It was his who decreed that sugarcane be grown in the Bugoma Forest Corridor in Bunyoro, thereby destroying the migratory routes of wildlife. It was him who decreed that 10,000 hhectares of natural forest be felled on Bugala Island in Kalangala District in favour of the false tree (oil palm) to produce palm oil at a time when the world is yearning for a fat-free diet. It was him who decreed that Bujagali Falls on River Nile be constructed in favour of hydropower, reasoning that if the Uganda’s did not have money to buy the electricity he would sell it to neighbouring countries. It was him who oversaw the springing up of numerous plastics factories in Uganda. Last but not least, it was him who decreed that industrial parks are established in swampy areas, thereby triggering the phenomenon of manmade floods for which there is no solution currently.

Therefore, it is difficult these days to explain environmental decay and collapse without evoking President Tibuhaburwa Museveni. His policies, which he initiates himself and then retrospectively legitimises as government policies by giving them legal force, are likely to be remembered as the real force behind environmental decay and collapse in Uganda towards and in the 21st century.

Uganda’s environmental future under threat

In my retirement, I frequently reflect on why I became the third professional conservation biologist in Uganda, and why I spent years training conservationists and environmentalists at Makerere University, Uganda. Because of the presidentialism of President Tibuhaburwa Museveni, whereby he is in everything small and big, these are unable to apply their professionalism to the conservation and management of Uganda’s environment. They only do the bidding of the president.

Nevertheless, the university education system continues to academicise the environment and environmental conservation and management just to produce papered graduates. As if this is not bad enough, President Museveni controls the national budget-making, in such a way that military security, State House take far more money than health, social development, environment, environmental health, environmental security and environmental development. Yet, everything else fails if the environmental foundations are weak or jeopardised. The political perception of environment as just something for exploitation to satisfy human greed and needs must change if we are to make any headway in the 21st century and beyond.  

Uganda has lost 41.6 per cent of its forest cover in the last 100 years (1921-2021). In 1900, Uganda’s forest cover stood at 54 per cent and by 2017, it stood at a miserable 12.4 per cent. There is consistent pressure on land for cultivation and settlement and increasing demand for wood fuel. While efforts have been made to restore the forest cover, the population has not been adequately involved in this restoration process. It is against this background that we address climate change and deforestation as global problems that require a global response. Ninety-four per cent of Ugandans rely on unsustainably sourced fuel wood, with gas being prohibitively expensive, the vast majority of Ugandans rely on charcoal or firewood that has been harvested from national forests or the private lands of impoverished farmers. There has been a 180 per cent charcoal price increase in the past six years (Tukwatanite, 2023). 

Risk of academicisation of environment

When one academicises something, one makes it unreal. Therefore, when one academicises the environment one turns it into an academic concern, which does not necessarily benefit the environment in terms of effective conservation and management. In fact, it introduces academic elitism in what was a social and cultural enterprise. Elitism is a vice not, a virtue or value. This can explain why many men and women with academic knowledge have failed to conserve and manage the environment effectively when they have been assigned the responsibility to do so. They are not men and women of reality but unreality, yet the environment is real (Oweyegha-Afunaduula, 2023).  Unreal environments, resulting from the academicisation of thinking and action (conserving and managing), end up being artificial environments, not greatly different from urban environments or plantations whose problems and solutions continue to be academicised. As such they are outward-looking, with wandering minds that are more comfortable externally than internally. They need mind liberation”. I may add that so disoriented, they are unlikely to be curious enough about nature to conserve and manage it for posterity as our ancestors did. They are likely to work in the interests of environmentally destructive forces (Oweyegha-Afunaduula, 2023).

Extractives’ threat to Uganda’s environmental future

There is nothing that is destroying the environment of Uganda and is the most environment-jeopardising factor well in the future as the extractives sector. The foundation in Uganda’s extractive sector is Karamoja and Busoga, which are also reputed to be the poorest regions in Uganda – financially – but  are rich mineral-wise, Unfortunately, their minerals are being clandestinely mined by people of extraneous origin (Chinese, Indians, Rwandese or former refugees connected to power) and exported without any beneft to the two regions.

Uganda’s extractives sector is rapidly transforming from small-scale and artisanal mining to large-scale industry in rural areas of the country. Extractives include oil, gas and the accelerated licensing of mining operations as vast deposits of gold, uranium, copper and rare earth minerals have been discovered, particularly in Busoga.

Such operations are accompanied by mega ‘infrastructure’ investments – roads, pipelines, power lines and dam projects – which serve the industry and displace local communities but not so in Karamoja and Busoga. Women bear the brunt of this. Extractivism is defined as the large-scale extraction of raw materials such as oil, minerals or industrial agricultural and monocultural products intended not for local consumption but for export. It entails many countries’ integration into and dependency upon the capitalist world market.

How land grabbing is a threat to Uganda’s environmental future

In Uganda, the land rush has displaced communities to make space for intensive monocrops, oil exploration and infrastructure projects. Government purchases land, often providing landowners with no choice and limited compensation and then leases it to investors, including foreign companies. The economic ideology espoused by governments throughout Africa and beyond is that increased foreign direct investment will create a more developed and prosperous economy with jobs, wealth, improved social services for all and better living conditions.

Due to land grabbing, native forests and local biodiversity are being lost, people are being evicted from their homes and forced to give up their lands, along with all the other problems linked to the large-scale use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Some individual cases are reported in the booklet Let’s expose Land Grabbing published by Slow Food and available for free download on the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity website. 

Slow Food projects in Uganda aim to empower local small-scale food producers and aid them in their fight against land grabbing (farmlandgrabbing.org, 2017). I have already mentioned elsewhere in this article that land grabbing is erasing our time-tested food security-imparting agroecological systems Mourice Muhoozi (2023) wrote that agroecology can help to restore Uganda’s lost green cover. However, what is going on in the country in the area of land grabbing, sometimes as if government allows it, and mostly by government agents, does not give much hope for agroecology. Therefore, the erosion of our seven or eight agroecological systems is likely to worsen with the passage of time.

In one short sentence Uganda’s environmental future is jeopardised.

Way forward

The environmental future of Uganda is and should be squarely in the hands of the youth. Our country’s population is more than 80 per cent youthful. Unfortunately, thousands of our youth are being ferried out to the Middle East to work as external slaves. Environmentally speaking they re being taken out of their environment to a foreign environment where they are no more than environmental pollutants.

When they come back, they will find a completely different environment where they will also be environmental pollutants. This is environmental sabotage because Uganda needs its youth to ensure that the country has a secure environmental future of which they are a part and can work in to create a secure, productive country.

The Basoga of Ugnda say “Emiti Emito N’ekibira” (Young trees make the forest). If we are to ensure a sustainable future for Uganda and its people, we must depend on our youth to who the future belongs. There is, therefore, need to focus on the youth when building a sustainable environmental future. Mahdi Kolahi (2023) has given 10 essential skills that the youth should be equipped with and which they must master in building sustainable futures. These are:

• Environmental literacy is the understanding of the natural world, ecosystems, environmental issues, and human-environment interconnections. It enables individuals to analyze, evaluate, and take responsible actions to protect and sustain the environment, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious society.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills involve analysing information, evaluating evidence and making reasoned decisions. It includes logical reasoning, objective evaluation and the ability to identify and solve complex problems. These skills are essential for navigating the complexities of the modern world and addressing issues effectively.
• Collaboration and communication skills involve effectively sharing ideas and information in teams. Collaboration requires pooling resources, active listening, empathy and constructive contribution. Effective communication involves conveying ideas clearly, actively listening and fostering open dialogue. These skills are crucial for achieving shared objectives in diverse and dynamic environments.
• Leadership and advocacy skills empower individuals to drive positive change and influence others toward a common vision or cause. Effective leadership and advocacy require strong communication, strategic thinking, empathy, and the ability to navigate complex systems. These skills play a crucial role in promoting sustainability, addressing environmental challenges, and creating a more just and equitable world.
• Innovation and creativity drive progress and spur new ideas and solutions. Both are crucial in finding sustainable solutions to complex environmental issues and fostering a more resilient and inclusive future.
• Cultural competence and inclusivity involve understanding, respecting and effectively engaging with diverse cultures and communities. Embracing these skills fosters cross-cultural understanding, collaboration and social equity, leading to more sustainable and harmonious interactions between human societies and the environment.
• Resilience and adaptability are crucial qualities for individuals and communities to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Cultivating these qualities helps individuals and communities respond to changing environmental conditions, promote sustainable practices, and build a more resilient future.
• Systems thinking involves understanding the interconnectedness of different parts of a complex system and is crucial for addressing complex problems. Developing systems thinking skills involves analyzing complex systems and identifying feedback loops, enabling young people to contribute to a more sustainable and just future.
• Data analysis involves examining and interpreting data to gain insights and make informed decisions. Data analysis skills are essential for making evidence-based decisions in various fields. Developing these skills helps young people make informed decisions and contribute to a more data-driven and evidence-based world.
• Being action-oriented involves taking initiative and being proactive in addressing challenges and opportunities. This skill is crucial for personal and professional success and contributes to a more sustainable and just future. Developing these skills helps young people become effective problem solvers and agents of change.

For God and my country

• A Tell report / By Oweyegha-Afunaduula / Environmental Historian and Conservationist Centre for – Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis (CCTAA), Seeta, Mukono, Uganda.

About the Centre for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis (CCTAA)

The CCTAA was innovated by Hyuha Mukwanason, Oweyegha-Afunaduula and Mahir Balunywa in 2019 to the rising decline in the capacity of graduates in Uganda and beyond to engage in critical thinking and reason coherently besides excellence in academics and academic production. The three scholars were convinced that after academic achievement the world outside the ivory tower needed graduates that can think critically and reason coherently towards making society and the environment better for human gratification. They reasoned between themselves and reached the conclusion that disciplinary education did not only narrow the thinking and reasoning of those exposed to it but restricted the opportunity to excel in critical thinking and reasoning, which are the ultimate aim of education. They were dismayed by the truism that the products of disciplinary education find it difficult to tick outside the boundaries of their disciplines; that when they provide solutions to problems that do not recognise the artificial boundaries between knowledges, their solutions become the new problems. They decided that the answer was a new and different medium of learning and innovating, which they characterised as “The Centre for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis” (CCTAA).For God and my country.

Further reading

Abirimu, Abraham (2024). Uganda’s Environmental Crossroads: Navigating Deforestation Towards a Sustainable Future. New Vision, 22nd May 2024  https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/ugandas-environmental-crossroads-navigating-d-NV_188520  Visited on 16 May 2025 at11:59 am EAT

Bamuturaki, Keneth (2024). Performance of Environmental Sustainability in Uganda: A Collective Community Engagement Approach Through Theatre for Development. The Black Theatre Review, 2 (2) March 2024. Researchgate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379334004_Performance_for_Environmental_Sustainability_in_Uganda_A_Collective_Community_Engagement_Approach_through_Theatre_for_Development Visited on 16 May 2025 at 13:37 pm EAT.

farmlandgrab.org (2017). The Future of Uganda is in Danger: Stop Land grabbing! farmlandgrab.org 8 January 2017 https://farmlandgrab.org/post/27776-the-future-of-uganda-is-in-danger-stop-land-grabbing Visited on 16 May 2025 at 11:5 am EAT.

Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability (2006). Uganda’s Fading Luster: Environmental Security in the Pearl of Africa: : A Pilot case Study by Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability. USAID, FESS and Partnership for African Environmental Sustainability (PAES). https://www.fess-global.org/Publications/Other/uganda_esaf_full_report.pdf Visited on 16 May 2025 at 13:23 pm EAT.

GRID-Arendal (2024). Shaping Malawi’s Environmental Future: A Collaborative Effort to Build Resilience and Sustainability through the State of the Environment and Outlook Report. October 3rd, 2024 https://news.grida.no/shaping-malawis-environmental-future Visited on 16 May 2025 at 15:57 pm EAT.

Kariuki Muigua (2021). Fostering Environmental Democracy and Biodiversity Conservation. September 2021. https://kmco.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Fostering-Environmental-Democracy-and-Biodiversity-Conservation1.pdf Visited on 14 May 2025 at 16:27 pm EAT

Kariuki Muigua and Paul N. Musyimi (2018). Enhancing Environmental Democracy in Kenya. https://kmco.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/072_Envtal_Dem_Kenya.pdf Visited on 14 May 2025 at 16:43 pm EAT.

Lee, Maria (2023). Environmental Democracy and Law on Public Participation. UCL Laws, June 22 2023, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4487188 Visited on 14 May 2025 at 08 26 am EAT.

Mahdi Kolahi (2023). Building a Sustainable Future: Mastering the Ten Essential Skills. IUCN, 07 August 2023. https://iucn.org/blog/202308/building-sustainable-future-mastering-ten-essential-skills Visited on 16 May 2025 at 14:54 pm EAT.

Mia Clement (2021). Constructing Sustainable Futures. Cherwell Archive, 31st October 2021, https://cherwell.org/2021/10/31/constructing-sustainable-futures/ Visited on 16: May 2025 at 15:03 pm EAT.

Mohammad Dastbaz,  Ian Strange,  Stephen Selkowitz (Editors)(2016). Buiding Sustainable Futures: Design and the Built Environment. Springer Nature Link, https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-19348-9 Visited on 16 May 2025 at 15:17 pm EAT.

Muhoozi, Mourice (2023). Agroecology can help to restore Uganda’s Lost Green Cover -Environmentalists. Watchdog News (2023). https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20230613/155121/agroecology-can-help-to-restore-ugandas-lost-green-cover-environmentalists.html Visited on 16 May 2025 at 13:53 pm EAT

Namugerwa, Leah (2019). Our Future is not Guaranteed: Uganda Climate Warrier. The Independent, September 19 2019 https://www.independent.co.ug/our-future-is-not-guaranteed-ugandan-climate-warrior/ Visited on 16 May 2025.

NAWAD (2021). Reimagining the Future Beyond Extractives: A paper with and for the Ecofeminist movement in Uganda to outline potential for transformative change. NAWAD, November 2021 https://nawad.co.ug/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Reimagining-the-Future-Beyond-Extractives-African-Ecofeminism-and-Extractives-Final-2021-Reformatted-1.pdf Visited on 16 May 2025 at 13:01 pm EAT

Omagor, Markson (2022). Museveni; Government is ready for environmental restoration. East News Uganda, August 18 2022 https://eastnews.co.ug/2022/08/18/8896-2/ Visited on 16 May 2025 at 14:02 pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2024). Is the Future of Freedom of The Press in Jeopardy in Uganda Again? Uganda Today, 20 September 2024 https://ugandatoday.co.ug/is-the-future-of-freedom-of-the-press-in-jeopardy-in-uganda-again/ Visited on 16 May 2025 at 13:43 pm EAT

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2023). Does Environmental Justice Matter anymore in Uganda? The Kampal Report, May 30 2023, https://www.thekampalareport.com/talk-back/opinions/2023053027503/oweyegha-afunaduula-does-environmental-justice-matter-anymore-in-uganda.html Visited on 16 May 2025 at 12:51 pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2023). Is it Right to Academicise the Environment, its Leadership and Management? Uganda Radio Network, August 6 2023. https://ugandaradionetwork.com/s/is-it-right-to-academicize-the-environment-its-leadership-and-management/ Visited on 16 May 2025 at 14:15pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2025). Environmental Militarism. MUWADO, 14 May 2025 https://muwado.com/environmental-militarism/?v=2a0617accf8b Visited on 15 May 2025  at 13:06 pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2025). Environmental Sabotage on the Rise as Accountability of Power Declines. MUWADO, 08 May 2025. https://muwado.com/environmental-sabotage-on-the-rise-in-uganda-as-accountability-of-power-declines/?v=2a0617accf8b Visited on 15 May 2025 at 13:14 pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2025). Environmental Impact Assessment as Sustainability deception: Bujagali Dam in Perspective. Center for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis, tnd News, 9th May 2025.  https://tndnewsuganda.com/2025/05/09/environmental-impact-assessment-as-sustainability-deception-bujagali-dam-in-perspective/ Visited on 14 May 2025 at 13:00 pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2024). Why the Environment Continues to Decay and Collapse Despite Enormous Knowledge, Awareness and Concern. MUWADO, March 25 2024. https://muwado.com/why-the-environment-continues-to-decay-and-collapse-despite-enormous-knowledge-awareness-and-concern/?v=2a0617accf8b Visited on 14 May 2025 at 13:09 pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2023). Does Environmental Justice Matter Anymore in Uganda? The Kampal Report, May 30 2023. https://www.thekampalareport.com/talk-back/opinions/2023053027503/oweyegha-afunaduula-does-environmental-justice-matter-anymore-in-uganda.html Visited on 15 May 2025 at 13:18 pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2023). Uganda in a State of Corporate Environmental Corruption and Decision-Making. UNN Times, June 27 2023. https://www.unntimes.com/uganda-in-a-state-of-corporate-environmental-corruption-and-decision-making/ Visited on 15 May 2025 at 13:25 pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2006). Politics of Oil, Business and “Destroying” Our Environs. The Monitor, 31 October 2006, https://allafrica.com/stories/200610301225.html  Visited on 15 May 2025 at 12:31 pm EAT.

Oweyegha-Afunaduula, F.C., Martin Musumba and Frank Muramuzi (2020). The Threat of Environmental Corruption Via Huge Dam Projects. International Rivers, 22 February 2020. https://riverresourcehub.org/resources/the-threat-of-environmental-corruption-via-huge-dam-projects-2034/ Visited on 15 May 2025 at 13:45 pm EAT.

Shore, Anita (2024). Green Futures: Environmental Careers. Curtin University, 15 March, 2024 https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/advice/green-futures-environmental-careers/ Visited on 16 May 2025 at 16:23 pm EAT.

Slow Food (2017).  The GMO Bill puts the future of Uganda under threat: Slow food offers a different way forward. Slow Food, 19 December 2017 Visited on 16 May 2025 at 12:57 pm EAT.

Su Connect (2021). Uganda: The Future Lies in Renewable Energy. Sun Connect, 05 February 2021 https://sun-connect.org/uganda-the-future-lies-in-renewable-energy/ Visited on 16 May 2025 at 12:56 pm EAT

The Uganda National Academy of Sciences (2023). Owning Our Futures.  APPROACHES TO REALIZE COMMUNITY ACTION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN UGANDA The Uganda National Academy of Sciences, 2023 https://unas.org.ug/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Community-Action-for-Climate-Change-Adaptation-in-Uganda.pdf Visited on 16 May 2025 at 13:13 pm EAT.

Tukwatanite, Bonnita (2023). Deforestation in Uganda: Causes and Recommendations. Illuminem, May 27 2023 https://illuminem.com/illuminemvoices/deforestation-in-uganda-causes-and-recommendations Visited at 1240 pm EAT

Tumushabe, Godber, Arthur Bainomugisha; with Irene Makumbi (2002). Consolidating environmental democracy in Uganda through access to justice, information and participation. Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, 2002. Kampala, Uganda. Stanford University Libraries.

Weh Ludwig and Allie E.S. Wist (Editors)(2024). Environmental Futures: Advancing Images of human-nature relationships. World Futures Review (Special Issue)

Weh, L., Weil, C., de Haan, G., Leinfelder, R. (2023, forthcoming). Ecosystem scenarios as environmental futures – implications for participatory framework designs integrating social capital formation and natural capital preservation. Journal of Futures Studies.