Uganda: Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement Project

World Environment Day Celebrations

World Environment Day was initiated by the UN General Assembly in 1972. The day is commemorated worldwide on June 5^th in a bid to preserve and conserve the environment that we live in. the theme this year was “Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect flora and fauna, and save the Earth”. In Kiryandongo Settlement the day was celebrated within the camp with the overall objective of planting trees.

As the world commemorates environmental day, the Camp Commandant stressed that we should be our brothers’ keepers to see to it that people stop cutting down trees for charcoal and be able to embrace new technologies of energy that are environmentally friendly. Everyone must fight climate change to protect trees within the Settlement. Everyone should keep their efforts to increase tree planting.

The RWCII chairman challenged the refugee community on how community should be able to protect the environment they live in so that the climatic conditions are favourable. He went ahead to also share with the refugee community good habits of keeping the environment safe:

• Tree planting
• Energy saving stoves

It was at this point that he noted their concerns including:

• Lack of proper technologies on how to save energy as there is need to introduce more energy saving stoves in the Settlement
• There should be a policy of every home to plant tree
• Fruits should be encouraged to be planted

Therefore at the end of the day, RMF and the team in Kiryandongo ended up planting trees in the Settlement with the first being the Camp Commandant leading by example.

The Settlement Commandant holds a mango tree that he had been assigned to plant in respect of the Environmental Day