KAMPALA- As we celebrate the Environment day there is a lot that we need to ponder about in regards to restoring our natural habitats and forest cover that are facing a lot of pressure due to various human factors.
This year around, Tree Adoption Uganda (TAU) has organized the third edition of the Run4 Climate which at the same time will double as part of their 10th year anniversary since it was founded and will tag under the theme “fostering a culture of environmental stewardship and restoration”.
The previous runs have grown by leaps and bounds to the extent that the numbers of participants have doubled from a humble 300 in 2020 to over 700 in 2022 it is expected to grow even better.
In an interaction with Simon Peter OKoth, Project Field Officer at TAU, he stressed that the Run4Climate is about creating awareness among various stakeholders, raising funds to restore 200 acres of land by tree growing, waste management and also giving an opportunity for organizations to network as well as making synergies.
“The Run4Climate welcomes all stakeholders such as students, government, environment players, Non Government Organizations, indigenous communities , international actors and many others and it provides an opportunity for exposure, exchange of views, experiences as well as benchmarking amongst the people” Says Okoth.
He also urged all people out there to come and participate since climate change affects everyone whether they are young or adults and should prepare their running kits come Sunday, June 18, at Makerere University Rugby Grounds for a paltry fee of UGX. 20,000 geared towards a noble global cause.
However, in Uganda the matter of Climate Change needs radical measures more education, awareness and mind set change approaches because it has a lot of impact and has led to global warming, erratic rains, varied seasons, food insecurity, hunger, drought and other forward and backward linkages to the agricultural sector which is employs over 70 percent and the majority being in subsistence farming.
Additionally , with the efforts of TAU and its partners especially from the Run4Climate over 60, 000 trees have been planted in Bududa, Nakaseke, Nakasongola and other areas though there is a long way to go since over 122,000 hectares of forest cover is lost annually according to National Forest Authority Reports 2019.
The run has had notable names like Nalongo Judith Heard, Canary Mugume, Vanesa Nakate among others spreading the word of restoration.
Apart from the Run, there will also be a blood donation drive, HIV/ AIDS testing, exhibitions, entertainment and other fun activities.
