World Environment Day is always commemorated every 5th of June. This year the theme is “Only One Earth”, which was the motto for the 1972 Stockholm conference. It reminds us of actions we can take to sustainably use the earth given the rising impact of climate change that is affecting every living organism on the planet. Scientists estimate that there are at least 8 million species of plants and animals living on the earth today, including humans. These species live together in what we call an ecosystem. An ecosystem can be as large as a desert or as small as a pond, containing both living and non-living things like rocks, sand, and humidity. All of these depend on each other like a jigsaw puzzle. For instance, a change in temperature will have an effect on both animals and plants.
World Environment Day is always commemorated every 5th of June. This year the theme is “Only One Earth”, which was the motto for the 1972 Stockholm conference. It reminds us of actions we can take to sustainably use the earth given the rising impact of climate change that is affecting every living organism on the planet. Scientists estimate that there are at least 8 million species of plants and animals living on the earth today, including humans. These species live together in what we call an ecosystem. An ecosystem can be as large as a desert or as small as a pond, containing both living and non-living things like rocks, sand, and humidity. All of these depend on each other like a jigsaw puzzle. For instance, a change in temperature will have an effect on both animals and plants.
We live in a connected ecosystem. However, due to the growth of the human population, we are seeing encroachment on it, which in turn has limited the ability of the ecosystem to deliver vital services to humanity. In 1972, the UN General Assembly designated 5th June as World Environment Day (WED). The day is aimed at creating awareness on the problems facing our environment such as air and plastic pollution, deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, sustainable consumption, rise in sea level, and food security, among others. World Environment Day helps to drive change in consumption patterns as well as in national and international environment policies.
In the refugee context, Uganda continues to be the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, with a refugee population of approximately 1,500,000. Palabek refugee settlement alone hosts over 63,000 refugees and 14 asylum seekers (UNCHR data as of Feb 2022). While forest degradation is not new in Uganda, the increased influx of refugees may pose a threat as refugees and hosts will have an increased demand for firewood, timber, and charcoal. The ecosystem has the potential to provide both hosts and refugees with opportunities and safety nets for alleviating poverty, but there is a need to sensitize both communities on sustainable methods of harnessing nature while preserving it for future generations.
The reduction of food rations for refugees has forced them to supplement their income and food by encroaching on the environment to secure their subsistence needs. The Refugee Law Project, with funding support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is working towards restoring the degraded landscape within the districts of Adjumani, Kiryandongo, and Lamwo. This is being done through growing assorted trees of nutritional and environmental value in partnership with schools and institutions in and around refugee host communities. Over the last four years, RLP has grown over 207 acres of woodlots established and managed under its supervision. This has enabled communities to tackle some of the ecological challenges affecting them.
As we commemorate WED, we are reminded that if we do not protect the natural resources we have, then we are bound to lose everything, including our lives. The earth is the only home that humans have, and it sustains and nourishes us. Unfortunately, many of us have embraced a path of self-destruction by destroying key aspects of the earth that are important for human survival. This year’s theme hence reminds us that we need to take care of the only home we have through ecosystem restoration.
One approach is to promote Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). Although several initiatives have been practiced by different actors, there is need to build on the capacity of local landowners on how they can allow FMNR. This is a low-cost, sustainable landscape restoration technique that aims to improve the productivity of agricultural lands while increasing tree cover and biodiversity. It allows proper site-species matching and conservation of indigenous tree species, which have several benefits for communities in terms of fuelwood, medicine, and shade. Because this approach is low-cost and does not require seedlings (which are scarce and expensive for refugees), it can be promoted effectively in settlements where high costs often discourage refugee participation in restoration activities.
There is also need to promote enrichment planting of both natural and artificial forests. Population increase has put immense pressure on natural resources. Forests cover 31% of the Earth’s surface, yet 32 million acres of forest are lost annually. About 300 million people live in forests and depend on them for food, medicine, and water, yet very few are concerned about the impact of human activities on these forests. Enrichment planting is necessary to allow forests to regain lost ecosystems.
Another key measure is to involve local communities in restoration decision-making and activities. Natural resources are at the heart of rural communities’ social, political, and economic life, as they provide primary sources of livelihoods, nutrition, and employment. However, restoration activities often ignore indigenous knowledge from locals, even though they understand best how the ecosystem has been lost and what challenges affect restoration. Excluding locals has caused many initiatives to fail, as communities do not feel ownership of projects. Farmers remain pivotal to successful land restoration, and local actors possess deep knowledge of their environments. Tapping into this knowledge is key to the long-term success of restoration projects.
Securing land tenure rights is also critical to achieving restoration neutrality. Many of the world’s estimated 2.5 billion indigenous people, Afro-descendants, and local communities lack secure land rights. At the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP15), discussions highlighted the importance of land rights in tackling degradation. RLP has encountered these challenges with schools and institutions it partners with in landscape restoration, as most sites lack land titles. This affects the progress of restoration activities. From the SRHR–EP project that RLP is currently implementing, there is evidence that land rights are a critical mechanism for enabling communities to find, implement, and scale appropriate solutions. Tenure security also increases people’s motivation to protect and restore land over the long term.
Enhancing youth and women’s rights is also vital for gender-equitable restoration. Women and youth play a critical role in managing natural resources, yet they are often the most affected by climate change. In Lamwo, for example, women in settlements walk not less than 8 km to find firewood, spending 6–9 hours away from home on collection days. They face constraints in implementing restoration practices because they do not enjoy the same rights and resources as men, due to entrenched gender norms. Limited access to and control over land further hinders their engagement. These inequalities stem not only from formal policies but also from customary rules shaped by ethnicity, village traditions, and social structures.
Women and youth also suffer unequal access to assets such as fertilizer, tools, improved seeds, and formal education, all of which hinder their ability to adopt innovative restoration practices. There is a need to understand what motivates them to invest in restoration, what obstacles they face, and how restoration activities affect their living conditions. This would guide stakeholders in working effectively with women and youth as key partners.
Managing native bush encroachment is another challenge. In East Africa, bush encroachment is largely driven by overgrazing, rampant wildfires, changes in rainfall patterns, and increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Addressing this requires high-level technical restoration practices.
Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and waste are all evidence that the earth is “coded red.” The only way out of this dilemma is to transform our economies and societies to become inclusive, fair, and more connected to nature. This means shifting from harming the planet to healing it. This year’s theme “Only One Earth” calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect, and restore our planet. Everyone must take action to restore the only earth we have.
