Tackling the obstacles to achieving water and environment targets by 2030

The sixth Uganda Water and Environment Week 2023 (UWEWK2023) took place from March 12th to March 17th at the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) headquarters in Luzira-Kampala. 

The event's main theme was "Water and Environment for Climate-Resilient Development," aiming to address the challenges in managing water and environment resources in Uganda and contribute to the country's growth path towards the Parish Development Model (PDM), National Development Plan III (NDP3), Vision 2040, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The event included a systematic review of policy options, linkages, and knowledge gaps to achieve climate-resilient development. UWEWK2023 provided opportunities for sector actors and stakeholders from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies including academia, development and private sector partners, cultural institutions, civil society, and faith-based organizations, etc., to exchange knowledge and experiences, engage in dialogue, network, and foster new thinking. It also enabled benchmarking of best practices within the sector while developing solutions to the most pressing water and environment-related challenges facing the country. The main event was officially opened on 12th March 2023 by the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda- the RT Hon. Anita Annet Among, whose speech was read by Hon. Dr. Otimu Emmanuel Otaala, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. 

The event was closed on 17th March 2023 by Mr. Alfred Okot Okidi- the Permanent Secretary of MWE. This main event included mostly: keynote addresses, dialogues, debates, panel discussions, trainings, exhibitions, and side events on selected topics but mainly around the sub-themes to expound on the theme and the improved understanding of the linkages between climate resilience and economic growth amidst emerging challenges in the management and development of water and environment resources: Policy, Legal and Institutional Frameworks for Climate-Resilient Development; Climate Resilient Communities, Ecosystems and Infrastructure; Capacity and Partnerships for Climate-Resilient Development; and Innovative Financing Mechanisms. Similarly, UWEWK2023 allowed participants to contribute to Uganda's midterm review of the UN-International Decade for Action on “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018- 2028 called Water Action Decade for Water, and gain insights into the new innovations taking place at the WRI.  

IRC Uganda, a silver category partner of the UWEWK, contributed through support financing, conception and technical review, and co-convening of select sessions.  IRC Uganda was chief co-convenor of the Dialogue Session on Innovative financing mechanisms on Thursday 16 March 2023, and moderator for the Plenary on Capacity building and partnerships for climate resilient development, on Wednesday 15 March 2023. 

This main event was also hosted on National TVs, live-streamed on MWE social media platforms and online with a total of 2319 participants (Physical-1551 and Online-768), and was shared widely on social media especially on Twitter and WhatsApp while the pre-event activities included 320 kilometer walk from 28th February 2023 to10th March 2023 that was flagged off at the Oil and Gas development area at Kingfisher in Kikuube district to MWE-HQ in Luzira-Kampala. Other activities included: radio or TV talk shows, commemoration of UWEWK2023 in MWE Deconcentrated structures (6th to 11th March 2023), regional youth debates, marathons, football matches, awareness campaign, clean up exercises, environmental restoration activities, etc. IRC supported the Albertine Regional Water and Environment pre-event commemorations with co-financing and documentation of the activities in and around the Kabarole district. 

This report, compiled and published by the Water Resources Institute of the Ministry of Water and Environment, presents a summary of the main points derived from the national sessions to feed into and inform policy and action areas. 

See related information:  

A news report by the Daily Monitor Uganda - Uganda government launches water and environment week 2023  

[Event announcement] Uganda Water and Environment Week - 12-17 March 2023