Amidst an epic rise in heat waves across the country, Uganda’s Finance Minister Matia Kasaija has issued a stark warning: the government must allocate a special budget for climate change mitigation, or the nation faces an increasingly difficult future.
Kasaija’s remarks came during a meeting that gathered directors of climate finance in the national treasuries and ministries of finance and climate change from the East Africa region, sparking a regional dialogue on climate finance access and mobilization.
Climate change is not just real, but deadly, Kasaija emphasized, pointing out that people need to be educated about the dangers of ignorance and its destructive impact on the environment. The first step in tackling the issue, he argued, was to allocate funds to conserve the environment.
The urgency for action is underscored by the devastating effects of the heat wave, which is withering crops and causing widespread damage. Ms Dagmar Zwebe, the Country Representative of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), commented that climate change knows no borders, and the GGGI is supporting projects such as solar irrigation to reduce emissions.
However, Uganda, like many other countries in the region, is struggling to obtain the necessary funding for climate adaptation, with international public finance sources only providing $2.5 billion compared to the required $21.18 billion needed to implement updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
In light of this, UK donor aid representative Benjamin Smith emphasized the need for climate finance to be based on climate adaptation priorities.
The Uganda Climate Change Act, 2021, empowers the Finance Minister to provide for climate change financing in consultation with his Water and Environment counterpart. With the effects of climate change becoming increasingly apparent, it is crucial for the government to take bold action and allocate a special budget to mitigate its impact on Uganda’s future.
The post Uganda Climate Change Crisis: Special Budget Needed, says Finance Minister Kasaija appeared first on The Ankole Times.
