Travel News, African Safari Updates

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.

National Forest Authority in another land row with the internally displaced people (IDP) living in Omee Upper Camp in Wiceri Central Forest Reserve in Amuru. Armed with spears, pangas, arrows and bows and axes, the IDPs chased away the forestry authority officials, whom they accused of grabbing their land.

The army, the Police and local authorities intervened and quelled the riot. The security team, lead by the officer in charge of the district Police station, Charles Okullu, advised the National Forestry Authority (NFA) officials to suspend the exercise. The IDPs, who placed big logs across the road, vowed to set ablaze the NFA vehicles if they attempted to reach the camp.

Te NFA Ranger Manager Aswa alleged, the authority officials simply wanted to establish the number people living in the reserve and that they were not going to evict anybody now. The manager appealed to people not to look at NFA as land grabbers.

The LC3 chairman of Pabbo sub-county, Christopher Ojera, accused NFA officials of inciting people against the Government. He added that NFA should first sensitise the area

Its few days a go that again National Forest Authority had a similar incident in Western part of the country with Mpanga School. One wonders where Uganda is heading. A year can not elapse without land paddles either between the government and the locals or the locals themselves

A piece of land estimated to be 0.4hectors National Forestry Authority (NFA) claims to be their, has emerged paddle between the NFA and Mpanga Secondary School in Fort Portal. Mpanga School, which was started in the 1960s, wants to construct classroom blocks and laboratories to accommodate the increasing number of students, especially those under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme, in this piece of land but these plans have been frustrated by NFA claiming that the land is one of the forest reserves in Uganda meant for Uganda tours and safaris.

The headmaster of the School, Mr. Turyaguma Baramu threatened that the school will pull out of the USE programme since the existing classroom blocks cannot handle the large number of students without land for expansion. The school has 1,462 students, of which 509 are admitted under the USE programme, paying sh29,420 per term. Currently, the school has 19 classrooms on the O’Level block and five on the A’Level block. It also has two laboratories and a library that can accommodate only 200 students yet the number of students is yet to increase due to USE.

The Prime Minister, Professor Apolo Nsibambi, recently said that if NFA felt strongly about the land, they should compensate the school and give them alternative land. Nsibambi also directed that NFA should stop its evictions and gave a go-ahead for the school to construct classroom blocks on the land.

However, the headmaster alleged that when they started grading the land, Samwiri Rwabwogo, NFA’s law enforcement coordinator, led a group of armed men who beat the driver of the grader claiming that the school was advised to get an occupational permit to allow them use the forest reserve, but they did not pay attention to.
The parents’ representative, Silvester Kimara, said: “If NFA insists that the forest reserve is theirs, then the school will not admit more students under the USE programme.
The students’ leaders say it is unfortunate that the school and NFA are engaged in unnecessary conflicts. “We are perturbed that the Government institutions are fighting each other and wasting time. A year has not yet elapsed since the introduction of USE; must forest reserves be destroyed in the names of USE and its constructions? Who knows?

The business community in Africa must invest in businesses that are not harmful but friendly and in harmony with the environment, Rwandan President Paul Kagame advised.

The president said that this would be the only way the African continents would achieve economic prosperity. Africa is blessed with all the kinds of natural flora and fauna hat when managed well development can be achieved. Ranging from Birds, animals and plants promoting Africa safaris ands tours can greatly play a vital role in the continents prosperity.

The Rwandan Head of state made comments during the official opening of the three day environmental journalists workshop in June held at Kigali Serena Hotel in Kigali Rwanda. The conference financed by European Union (EU) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNDP) brought together journalists from 16 African countries under the umbrella body African Network of Environmental Journalists.

During the his key note president Kagame said that African governments in partnership with private sectors have a big role to play in ensuring that the much needed investments and precious environment are in mutual understanding. this  conference attended by several officials including the Rwandan Cabinet, the chief justice president, the senate and speaker among others

Rwanda and Uganda today is widely known for its endangered mountain gorillas which attracts a thousands of visitor in these country hence rising a lot of revenue the countries and development. Ugandan Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone is estimated to be having around 300 gorillas out of 760 that lives in Africa and the number is still on the increase. While the rest is being shared among the remaining three national parks of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga National Park of Uganda. This is all development and prosperity in Africa due to gorilla tours and gorilla safaris in these countries.

Nations to discuss trade in wild species, the fate of hundreds of endangered species hanging in the balance representatives from 171 nations that kicked off a critical two weeks meeting in Hague on how best to regulate the global commerce in wild flora and fauna is coming to an end. The meeting that attracted 2500 delegates of the convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Flora and Fauna and CITES voted on dozens of proposals seeking to strengthen and weaken trade protection for wildlife ranging from Elephants, and Leopards to Orchids and Cactus threatened by over population around the world.

These animals among others has been poached around the world including Uganda where elephants and other wild animals are been killed in need for creating space for man like around Queen Elizabeth National Park. Whether legal or illegal wild flora and fauna trade for live specimen or it’s by products like Ivory, Coral Jewelry, Tiger bone, Medicine and Exotic woo furniture generates tens of billions dollars as revenue every year. A middle ground for safeguarding wildlife and protecting the livelihood of local populations who exploit it economically is rarely easy lamented experts. The Communications Director for the International Fund for Wild Animals said that what they are trying to do is to include consideration for peoples livelihood into all future deliberations for all wild life and people to have equal benefits.

Ugandan wetlands ranging from enormous inland seas to the mysterious marshy expanse of Lake Kyoga are one of the areas of Birds in Uganda. The impressively scenic Lake Victoria Albert and Edward are the renowned areas for water birds contributing a lot the country’s birds and bird safaris as well in Uganda. The Mountain ringed Lake Bunyonyi is one of Uganda’s most rapidly developing wetland destination with some of the birding activities in the country. Lake Bunyonyo’s steep sided shores with over 26 small dotted Islands the deepest in East Africa and the second deepest in Africa with rustic hotels and campsites are one of the places for a must visit to have a Memorable Tour in Uganda.

The semiprecious stone in Lake Victoria known as Ssesse archipelago with around 84 islands both large and dotted with local villages also contributes a lot to bird safaris in Uganda. Ssesse Islands all well watered with forests has a variety of birds’ species that can’t be missed out for bird watchers.

Ssese Islands consists of many natural islands that have not been tampered by mankind for while. The Islands are virgin fascinating and secure for all walks of tourists who would like to escape from modern ego life and attend to natural environment free from pollution and where one can breathe fresh air that has not been contaminated. Ssesse Island is a unique sport fishing ground, with one of its small Island like the Bugala Island which has a stretch of white sand beaches and rich forest give visitors a life time memorable experience. Forest nature walks; bird watching, lady bird watching, swimming in fresh waters, sunbathing and sport fishing are among the tourism activities.