PROPOSAL FOR GEF FUNDING
National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment for Global Environmental Management
(NCSA)
Country name: Uganda
Project Title: National Self-Assessment of Capacity Building Needs for Global Environmental Management
GEF Implementing Agency: United Nations Environment Programme
GEF Operational Focal Point: Mrs. M. Muduuli, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Government of Uganda.
National Executing Agency: National Environmental Management Authority
Country Eligibility: Uganda is eligible for funding under paragraph 9(b) of the Instrument and meets all other eligibility requirements for GEF funding.
Convention participation:
Convention / Date of Ratification / Accession / National Focal PointUNCBD / 8th September 1993 / Dr. B. H. Ogwang, NEMA
UNFCCC / 8th September 1993 / Mr. P. Ggwage, Dept. of Meteorology, Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment
UNCCD / 25th June 1997 / Mr. S. Muwaya, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
GEF Financing: $130,000
Government Contribution: $5,800 (plus in kind equivalent of $10,000)
Estimated Total Budget: $138,800
Estimated Starting Date: October 2002
Duration: 12 months
LIST OF ACRONYMS
DWD - Directorate of Water Development
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organisation
FD - Forestry Department
GEF - Global Environment Facility
GoU - Government of Uganda
LVMP - Lake Victoria Management Project
LSSP - Land Sector Strategic Plan
MAAIF - Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
MoFPED - Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development
MUIENR - Makerere University Institute of Environment and Natural Resources
MUK - Makerere University, Kampala
MWLE - Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment
NAP - National Action Programme
NBSAP - National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
NCSA - National Capacity Self Assessment
NEMA - National Environment Management Authority
NFA - National Forestry Authority
PEAP - Poverty Eradication Action Plan
PMA - Plan for the Modernisation of Agriculture
PRSP - Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
UNCBD - United Nations Convention on Biodiversity
UNCCD - United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
UNCST - Uganda National Council for Science and Technology
UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
UNEP - United National Environment Programme
UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UWA - Uganda Wildlife Authority
WRMD - Water Resources Management Department
WSSD - World Summit on Sustainable Development
I. Background, Context and Related Work
Sustainable Development Context
1. Uganda lies between the two arms of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, and is crossed by the equator. It covers an area of 241,139 sq. km, 17% of which is made up of swamps and open fresh water bodies, and 12% of forest reserves and game parks. The southern part of the country is dominated by the second largest water body in the world, Lake Victoria, from where the river Nile starts its journey. Uganda’s rich natural history and breathtaking landscapes have earned it the tribute of “Pearl of Africa” by the war-time British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Indeed, Uganda rich ecosystems – ranging from wetlands, to tropical savannah, and rainforests – are home to 11% of the world’s bird species and 7% of mammal species. Uganda’s Constitution (1995) clearly recognises the right of all Ugandans ‘to a healthy and clean environment’.
2. It is widely accepted that economic growth cannot continue to occur at the expense of natural ecosystems on which all economic activities ultimately depend. Wise natural resources management must be a crucial component of Uganda’s development strategy in order not to fall into the trap of short-sighted and unsustainable economic growth. In 1997 Uganda launched a Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP), as a comprehensive development framework to achieve sustainable, rapid and broad-based economic growth. The PEAP provides a national vision and overall goals for the economic and social transformation of Uganda in the medium term. It is an effort to operationalise the National Vision 2025, to turn Uganda into a prosperous, harmonious and beautiful country. The PEAP process promises to deliver substantial improvements to Uganda’s poorest people over the coming years together with the elaboration of sector and local government plans that are more strongly oriented towards poverty reduction goals.
3. Uganda is committed to reducing absolute poverty to 10% or less by the year 2017, down from the current level of 35%. It has been estimated that to achieve this ambitious target Uganda’s economy will have to consistently grow at a minimum of 7% p.a., and that these growth gains need to be evenly distributed in order to achieve equality. Although this rate of growth maybe feasible, it is also necessary to ensure that it is sustainable by not trading off long-term sustained poverty eradication and economic development for short term improvements gained at the expense of the environment, and ultimately environmental degradation and a much weakened resource base.
4. In a country where over 80% of the population live in rural areas, growing at a rate of over 3% pa, and which depends heavily on natural resources for livelihoods, environmental sustainability is a priority. It is recognised as being of paramount importance for the GoU to have a clear strategy for the management of the country’s natural resources, and that the strategy is directly included in the poverty reducing activities. Implementing the various conventions to manage the global environment is an important part of this strategy.
Environmental Institution and Environmental Governance
5. The environment sector is comprised of many sub-sectors and institutions attached to different ministries. In addition there are a variety of project-level initiatives aimed at improving natural resource use and the quality of the environment, as well as many private non-governmental initiatives with the same aim. The many actors are all working towards the same goal of sustainable exploitation of natural resources for the development of Uganda and improvements to the quality of life of its people.
6. A comprehensive plan for the environment sector is in the process of being developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment (MWLE), and active participation and support from all relevant institutions. At the same time each sub-sector has its own plan which, by virtue of fitting within the PEAP framework and tackling particular aspects of the poverty-environment two-ways link, play crucial roles in the fight against poverty and the strive towards sustainable development.
7. The key responsibility for environmental management is vested in the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), as the principal agency responsible for co-ordination, monitoring and supervision of all matters related to the environment in Uganda. The mission of NEMA is to ensure the sustainable socio-economic development of Uganda by promoting sound management of the environment and the prudent use of natural resources in the country. The main objective of NEMA is to create and establish an efficient mechanism for environmental management in Uganda, in order to promote and ensure sound environmental planning and integration of environmental concerns into the national socio-economic development process.
8. NEMA is affiliated to the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment (MWLE), which was created after the restructuring of government ministries in 1998, bringing together directorates/departments that were formerly in different ministries. The mission of the MWLE is to promote and ensure the rational and sustainable utilisation, development, effective management, and safeguarding, of water resources, land and the environment, for social welfare and economic development. Under the MWLE are the following institutions/departments responsible for environmental management:
9. Forestry – the Forestry Department (FD) has largely been responsible for the management of forest resources in Uganda to date. The sub-sector is now being restructured following Government decision to divest the Forestry Department into a National Forestry Authority (NFA) to provide effective management of Central Forest Reserves and national forestry support services.
10. Meteorology - the Meteorology Department is responsible for the maintenance of a well-developed weather and climate monitoring system to provide necessary information and advice to different sectors of the economy. The department also undertakes research in climate and climate change issues in order to provide a basis for Government's participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the related adaptation measures, other protocols and mechanisms.
11. Lands – A Land Sector Strategic Plan (LSSP) has been developed through a participatory consultative process. The main objective of the LSSP is to enhance the contribution of the land sector to PEAP, Plan for the Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA), and other government policies and programmes. Implementation of the LSSP will ensure that the population has security of tenure protected by law, particularly for vulnerable groups, as well as a vibrant land market, affordable services that are responsive to the needs to the people, and land resources that are used in a sustainable manner.
12. Wetlands – wetlands are managed in Uganda through a 10 years Wetlands Sector Strategic Plan, whose mission is to ensure that the “contribution of Uganda’s wetlands to human welfare and the health of the environment is increased”. Wetland management in Uganda is very important for biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilisation. One site has been listed in the Ramsar Convention, and other sites have been proposed.
13. Water Resources - water and sanitation issues in Uganda are dealt with by the Directorate of Water Development (DWD), under the MWLE. DWD is responsible for managing water resources, co-ordinating and regulating all sector activities and providing support services to local governments and other service providers. The Water Resources Management Department (WRMD) is one of the two Departments of the DWD, and is the lead focal institution for the International Water Conventions.
14. Implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification is vested in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). The mission of the agricultural sector in Uganda is the transformation of subsistence farmers to commercial producers through increased agricultural productivity, thereby ensuring food security and self-sufficiency, availability of raw materials for agricultural processing, and production for the export market.
15. Issues related to wildlife are dealt with by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), within the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry. Energy and mineral issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.
Environmental Programmes and Projects
Biodiversity
16. The Focal Point for the Convention on Biological Diversity is in the National Environmental Management Authority. Uganda obtained funds from the GEF to undertake the preparation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in accordance with Article 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The activities of the NBSAP are now complete and the document is going through the formal approval process. The NBSAP has identified priority plans for the conservation and sustainable use of Uganda’s biodiversity, as well as the sharing of benefits from its genetic resources. Capacity building has also been identified as an important activity especially in such areas as information technology, biotechnology, bio-prospecting and research.
17. Uganda also completed the preparation of the First National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity in January 1998, and submitted it to the Secretariat in March 1998. The First National Report highlighted issues of collaboration and partnership among stakeholders; the identification, monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity resources; case studies and national experiences on various issues of biodiversity; and measures that are already in place to fulfil the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Similar findings were also highlighted in the Second National Report, which was submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity in May 2001. Through UNEP Uganda is one of 12 countries that has an 'Implementation Phase of Biosafety' project.
Desertification
18. In November 1994 the Government of Uganda signed the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and ratified it in June 1997. The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries was designated the lead agency. A focal point was appointed and a multi-stakeholder steering committee with representatives of government departments, NGO’s and UNDP were established in 1997 to spearhead the implementation of the CCD.
19. The CCD calls upon affected parties to formulate and implement National Action Plans (NAPs) as the central element in a strategy to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. A case study on the magnitude, causes and effects of desertification in Uganda was carried out in 1993 and a high-level awareness workshop for policy and decision makers held in 1995 prepared the ground for the implementation of the convention in Uganda.
20. In 1998 Uganda’s NAP was formulated through a participatory and consultative process which involved a number of activities targeted at various stakeholder groups. They included NGO networking and co-ordination activities for effective participation in the NAP process; planning and team building meetings and workshops for national and district leaders; district and sub-county level consultation meetings and workshops in selected districts; national and district consultation meetings and workshops on the establishment of a Uganda National Fund to Combat Desertification; and consultation workshops for Members of Parliament, and the academic and research community.
21. As an integral part of the process to formulate the NAP, pilot projects aimed at generating lessons and experiences for the NAP process were also implemented. Pilot projects included: local level initiatives supported through a National NGO Coordinating Committee on Desertification; District Steering Committees to combat desertification; and District based NGOs in 5 districts, namely Kotido, Moroto, Pallisa, Kamuli, Mbarara and Nakasongola. A project on promoting farmer innovation in drylands under rain-fed agriculture was also conducted in the districts of Soroti, Katakwi and Kumi.
22. The main thrust of the initial phase of the NAP process was the First National Forum which identified the following major problems areas that the NAP should address: Insufficient water supplies; poor farming practices; poverty; poor information exchange; insufficient data on desertification; negative cultural beliefs and traditions; inappropriate land policy and tenure systems; insecurity (especially in Karamoja region); ignorance or high illiteracy among dryland communities; inappropriate economic policies; limitation in the use of alternative energy sources; and weak enforcement of laws. The forum also identified NAP Priority Programme Areas to address the above constraints.