CHOGM summit to Discuss climate change

The Commonwealth Heads of government’s summit November to focus on Climate change and global warming as one of the key issues that will be deliberated upon in Kampala Uganda. Commonwealth heads are expected to sign a plan of action that will tackle climate change in the 53 member states. The Commonwealth Foundation, an intergovernmental body of the Commonwealth nations as well as civil society organizations in member states, is spearheading the initiative to develop a comprehensive plan of action, which will be debated by the Commonwealth heads as well this year.The foundation aims at motivating governments and mobilizing the civil society and other stakeholders to focus on the problems facing vulnerable people as a consequence of climate change, and the need to ensure long-term sustainable development for all people in Commonwealth states.  The Director of the foundation, Dr Mark Collins, told participants at a climate change workshop in Kampala last year that the effects of climate change on poor economies must not be underestimated as its penalty could be devastating on agricultural production, health and energy. The Director added that without strong and immediate action, climate change will bring massive destruction to human settlements, infrastructure and agriculture, loss of biodiversity and permanent damage to ecosystems.

The climate change agenda was set at the 2005 Commonwealth summit in Malta citing it as a direct threat to sustainable development. According to a 2007 report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change, the warming of the climate system is evident from observations of increase in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, as well as rising global mean sea level.Following projections of the UN report, the glaciers of Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains, Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro and of Kenya’s eponymous mountain may disappear, and the Great Lakes basin climate models predict changes in annual stream flow and lake levels, with the possibility of more frequent flooding in the region.
The Kampala declaration on climate change will aim at the provision of scientific and technological support in the development of adaptation strategies and in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and promote best practice in creating awareness of the growing dangers of climate change.

CHOGM has given Uganda the opportunity to showcase the country’s rich cultural and historical uniqueness.  There are several unique cultural practices in Uganda that can help pastel tourism in Uganda. Cultural practices like Imbalu in eastern Uganda, the history of Kakungulu, the Source of the Nile, the institution of Kyabazinga, which has never been exploited, will be designed to make them profitable. The summit not only will it help showcase the nation, but will also eminent for environmental issues since both climatic change and global warming to be looked at.