ENVIRONMENT TERRORISM, GLOBAL WARMING AND GENDER

Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analyst
Dishma-Inc.
P.O. Box 8885,
Kampala-Uganda
Tel. +256392614655/+256752542504
dishma.imhs@gmail.com
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com

An estimated 10 million people are at risk of severe drought in East Africa in East Africa. Over the years UNEP has warned of the effects of potential climate change, deforestation, and the loss of grasslands and wetlands (DeCapua, J. 2011).

The single cause of global warming today is man’s insensitive activities –including destruction of nature for survival and curiosity, and perpetuation of violence in struggle for remaining yet scarce natural resources that by far destroys life –including man himself or herself.

While we would rely on the fact that history judges people accordingly, on the part of any individual destroying the environment, it judges everyone –regardless of whether they are environment terrorists or not.

This makes conflict eminent when man’s own intentions lead to global warming, when global warming claims the already scarce resources and, ultimately, when the scarce natural resources lead to conflict.

However, experts have argued that, behind the debates on global warming are greater ill-intentions. “Some elites have created this debate, but the intended purpose is to say there are too many people on the planet unsustainably and these guys have a depopulation project going on; AIDS, bird flu, SARS and others tools yet to be unleashed. They are actually saying the 3rd world who are still using wood and charcoal, are contributing very much to global warming since they produce carbon dioxide (CO2) in great quantities, but good scientists are saying its CO2 that is needed by plants and, of course, its removed from the environment, and the amount of CO2 have never increased. There are also econ issues which haven’t been digested.” –Simon Nantamu (PhD), Global Health, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

Women in Uganda represent 80% of the agricultural labor force, responsible for 80% of food crop production, and 60% cash crop production. Such important contribution from women is undermined by armed conflict. As a result, an estimated 2.3 million children get chronically malnourished –a condition that also affects their brains (Wandera and Mashoo, 2011).

The United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 recognizes that women and girls are most affected by armed conflict and, thus, calls for their participation in decision making.

During that time, they are not in position to gather food for the family, let alone the failure to contribute to the countries economic development. On top of the lack of incomes from agricultural produce, inflation becomes the order of the day –which worsens the poverty situation at household level.

The districts of Kampala, Iganga, Mayuge, Jinja, and Nairobi were put into perspective by way of observations, focused group discussions with community members mindful of gender, stories and cases, and review of data from other individuals and organizations that have worked or lived there –in line with the questions that related to the above objectives, and visited Nairobi (Kenya) the following year for further assessment and comparison with its neighbor –Uganda.
Lifestyle choices towards management of natural resources depicted food availability and a healthy population to manage them, and young people exhibited most aggression towards the environment; modernization in Uganda was understood in terms of tarmac roads, high administrative and commercial building, highest corporate life and, not at all, in terms of development of the natural environment of which humanity was part or which sustained life systems.

In just one year 4/5 days in the coolest month (July) in Kenya were as warm as Uganda unlike the previous year –and famine now threatens life on the African continent and in particular East Africa –with children and women most endangered; features of flooded areas were seasoned during the last five years, along with broken sewerage systems that went on to contaminate food and other human environments, denying affected population access to main roads, and without electricity and, most recently, has been a threat of lightening that killed an estimated 40 people in Uganda.

In conclusion, selfish and egocentric yet destructive behaviors towards nature and nature fighting back in terms of generate conditions for infectious diseases and “wild” rains, scramble for scarce resources, famine migrations and violence.

The situation is now endangering the whole continent –Africa. “As humans get lost in what makes them be below the most stupid animal those who are armed with skills to help them become well acquainted with their issues and try to help them rise above that animal.” Fred Charles Oweyegha-Afunaduula, National Association of Professional Environmentalists, Kampala, Uganda.