GULU: At least 40 Environmental officers from Acholi, Lango, West Nile sub-region and part of Karamoja were equipped on capacity building in handling environmental issues.
Gulu Resident District commissioner Major Santos Okot Lapolo said the issues of environmental management are the future of the world and that depends on environmental officers.
Lapolo also said without political leadership and support, there is nothing that can be done to curb deforestation. He blamed the destruction of natural resources on poor management.
According to Lapolo government has put a legal framework and decentralisation has been done but implementation has not been affected, he said.
He warned environmental officers that connive with the public to stop illegal dealing in forest products.
Forest degradation in Northern Uganda is so bad that environmental officers need to up their game in sensitizing the community.
However, officers stressed that their efforts are being derailed by high profile officers who threaten them.
They cited an incident in Pader district where an environmental officer was threatened with death and had to resign.
He cautioned NEMA to put their foot on the ground since divided loyalty is the root cause of the problem.
He implored the environment officers to move away from their desk and go on the ground to sensitive communities.
Environmental officers were challenged to form a regional network that involves all the civil societies so as to share information in their respective districts.
Aidan J. Asekenye, the Principal Environment Education Officer for NEMA ratified collaboration among the officers if they are to solve illegal forest practices.
She added that if they want to realize much progress they need to join forces as a region.
Gulu District Vice chairperson Simon Peter Oola said he has witnessed increased levels of destruction to the forest cover.
He called upon environment officers and the community at large to embrace nature and protect their surroundings since the environment has no boundary.
Simon Oola appealed for more manpower of environmental police officers as three are not enough to cover the whole region.
He also lobbied for an increase in budget allocation for natural resources to enable officers to run their day to day activities.
He urged technocrats in NEMA to be whistleblowers and sensitize communities about deforestation, waste management and build a strong cluster for coordination.
WILFRED OKOT
Reporting from Gulu, Northern Uganda.
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