Launched in Kampala on 9th July, this report from the National Association of Professional Environmentalists, NAPE (Uganda) and The Gaia Foundation (UK), reveals how mining is significantly threatening ecosystems and communities in Uganda. The Report warns that oil extraction, which is projected to begin in Uganda by 2017, would have destructive, widespread and long-term impacts on the Bunyoro region, which is celebrated for its rich biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Asuman Irumba, a member of the Custodians’ Coalition in Bunyoro, in the Albertine region, comments: ‘‘Sacred Natural Sites existed before our great grand fathers but oil activities could destroy them despite the spiritual significance of our sites. We shall not be intimidated and we shall not give up performing our rituals in our sites. We are who we are because of our Sacred Natural Sites.’’
The report, published with support from the African Biodiversity Network and Advocates for International Development, advocates for the recognition and protection of watersheds, food sovereignty areas, and sacred natural sites as No Go Areas for mining and extractive activities.
For an Executive Summary or the full report: http://nape.or.ug/mining-and-its-impacts-report/
