Uganda’s government arrangement to curb the rampant degradation of the environment in refugee settlement camps across the country have been finalised, senior government officials have revealed.

According to Daily monitor,  under the arrangements, refugees are being wooed to participate in tree planting and making of charcoal briquettes for fuel and using materials that do not stress the environment, as one of the activities to mark the World Refugee Day commemorated on June 22. The day is dedicated to environment protection as a measure to curb the negative impact of climate change.

The Kyaka II Refugee Settlement commandant, Mr Robert Baryamwesiga, stated last week that they have received more than 80,000 new refugees since December 2017, which has worsened degradation of the green belts to pave way for cultivation and extraction of materials for building and fuel.

Kyaka II Settlement area in Kyegegwa District, measuring 74 square miles hosting more than 100,000 people, has been laid bare of trees due to settlements and cultivation for subsistence farming while Nakivale in Isingiro District hosts 109,820 refugees on a 71.9 square miles land.

 Baryamwesiga said apart from briquettes, energy-saving stoves are being constructed around the camp and refugees are undergoing a series of trainings on how to construct them but due to rural attitude, the refugees are still using the three-stone fire stoves.

“In any refugee influx, the environment is the first victim. To mitigate the damage, we look at minimising the cutting of trees for construction by giving them construction poles. We do the sensitisation and have marked out wetlands to ensure they do not encroach on them,” he said.

Adding  that most of the refugees come from rural settings and the type of houses that they construct are mostly mud and wattle, which calls for cutting a lot of trees for poles and reeds but they are now promoting the use of unburnt bricks to minimise pressure on plantations.