Promote Renewable Energy To Save Environment

By Paul Kato

Uganda’s population is estimated to be 43.8 million people and growing at an average rate of 5.3% per year. The growing population is obviously exerting a lot of pressure on the existing natural resources in the quest for food, habitation, social, economic and environmental wellbeing. This is because of the failure by the government to promote renewable energy fully in the country especially in the rural areas.

Majority of the population in Uganda is poor experiencing hampered social and human development because they are not fully engaged in the use of renewable energy especially solar energy which is cheaper, affordable, clean, reliable and environmental friendly. The massive destruction of the environment, for instance, the forests and wetlands is like to continue on increased rate due to the failure by the government of Uganda to invest much in the renewable energy especially solar energy.

The per capita consumption of these energy sources in Uganda is still very small ranging from 5% to Zero especially in rural areas of Uganda. The supply and availability of renewable is crucial to the social and economic transformation and country development without degradation of the environment.

The country should know that when renewable energy is fully promoted in the country especially in the rural areas, it will be easy for the people to shift from agriculture, charcoal burning and use of firewood among other which tend to contribute too much pressure on the environment.

The environment needs to be conserved because of the increasingly climatic changes in the country. Today, various parties of the country, especially in the rural areas people, are suffering from different climatic changes like floods and prolonged drought among others because of the massive degradation of the environment due to a lot of pressure put by people carrying out agriculture and charcoal burning.

The country should invest much in the renewable energy to reduce the pressure put on the environment by individuals, veterans and senior government officials carrying out human activities like agriculture and charcoal burning.

Paul Kato-research associate

African Institute for Energy Governance.

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