The Rubanda District Woman Member of Parliament Evelyne Ninsiima Kikafunda has called for stronger parliamentary action to protect Uganda’s mountain, freshwater and other ecosystems as the country works towards achieving the global 30 per cent conservation target by 2030.
While making a presentation on “The Role of Parliamentary Leadership to Protect Mountain and Ocean Ecosystems and Achieve the 30% Goal by 2030” during the 153rd IPU Assembly in the Committee of Sustainable Development at the Arusha International Conference Centre in Arusha, Tanzania, Kikafunda said nature does not recognise political boundaries drawn on maps, making regional and international cooperation critical in protecting shared ecosystems.
She said Uganda’s mountains, including the Rwenzori and Mount Elgon, are important water towers, biodiversity centres and sources of livelihoods for millions of people.
“Our mountains are not simply landscapes. They are water towers, biodiversity centres and sources of life. Protecting them means protecting culture, water, energy and communities far beyond the mountains themselves and for future generations,” she said.
Kikafunda said Uganda already has a constitutional foundation for environmental protection, noting that the Constitution provides for the protection, preservation and sustainable management of the environment.
She urged Parliament to prioritise the protection of freshwater ecosystems while ensuring that communities living around protected areas are supported to pursue sustainable livelihoods.
Kikafunda also called for adequate, predictable and sustainable financing for conservation, saying the 30 percent goal by 2030 target can only be achieved if biodiversity conservation is treated as a development priority.
“If we are serious about achieving 30 Percent by 2030, conservation must be treated as a development priority, backed by resources,” she said.
She further urged Parliament to strengthen oversight to ensure that protected areas are not merely created on paper but are effectively managed, ecologically connected and beneficial to surrounding communities.
The legislator also called for meaningful participation of local communities, indigenous peoples, women and youth in conservation programmes, saying their knowledge, rights and experiences should inform environmental policies.
Kikafunda said Uganda’s responsibility for environmental conservation extends beyond its borders because the country shares major water systems, including Lake Victoria and the River Nile, with neighbouring countries.
She urged lawmakers to strengthen parliamentary, national and regional cooperation in protecting ecosystems, noting that rivers, lakes and mountains transcend national boundaries.
