DESTROYING THEIR HABITAT: Chimpanzees and their caretaker at Ngambwa Island, on Lake Victoria

I RECENTLY read in your paper that 20,000ha of the Kalangala Islands would ultimately become oil palm plantations. That translates to 200sqkm, or an area slightly bigger than Kampala District.

According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics Statistical Abstract 2004, Kalangala District comprises 9,068.3 sqkm, out of which 8,600 sqkm are open water, 0.3sqkm permanent wetlands and 468sqkm land. If 200sqkm are made into plantations, it means that 42.74% of the islands will be used for this purpose, while 57.26% will remain for the islanders and whatever wildlife that will survive.

Uganda is surely a gift from nature and we should do our best to make people come and experience it.

Replacing 200sqkm of natural island forest with a monoculture of cash crops, even if the plants resemble trees, will certainly not entice visitors. In that respect, it will be very counterproductive and create a negative image of Uganda as a country not caring too much about the environment if short-term profits can be made.

This country has a very good National Environment Statute and excellent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations, dated 1995 and 1998 respectively. The Kalangala oil palm project is of such a magnitude that I assume the EIA must comprise several volumes dealing with various effects on a great number of environmental topics.

What happens to the social fabric and indigenous culture; what does it mean to local climate that nearly half of the natural tree cover disappears to be replaced with palms of dubious qualities; what happens to the flora and fauna; what happens to the budding tourist industry; what will be the impact on Lake Victoria itself?

I may have slept in class, but I have not noticed any such EIA being mentioned in the press. If it exists, I blame the media for not giving it sufficient publicity.

“Branding” Uganda as a destination to visit will be to no avail if shortsighted projects like making nearly half of Kalangala a plantation are implemented.

It is now almost 100 years since Winston Churchill published the book on his long African voyage, where he declares that “Uganda is truly the Pearl of Africa”. We should make our best efforts to maintain that image.

Cato N. Lund

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