Uganda Runs on Nature: Why Investing in the Environment Shouldn’t Wait

Over coffee and a breakfast that seemed determined to test both appetite and gravity, Uganda’s Environment and Climate Change Development Partners gathered at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel on Thursday, 2nd April 2026, to tackle a subject far heavier than anything on their plates.

Officially, it was a gathering of government officials, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) staff, and development partners to discuss Uganda’s environmental future. Unofficially, it could have passed for a “Who Really Loves Trees and Who Just Loves Coffee” summit. Participants carefully navigated their servings while exchanging polite smiles, quietly competing for the strongest spot on the free WiFi, and occasionally debating, between bites, just how far NEMA had come. I had the rare privilege of being one of the quiet participants strategically positioned between listening attentively and minding my plate. Amid the enjoyment, the purpose of the meeting was clear: Uganda’s environmental future is too important to be left to chance, and partnerships, formal or informal, are critical.

Against this backdrop of lightheartedness, the meeting delivered a serious message. Prof. James Okot-Okumu, Chairperson of the NEMA Board of Directors, and Dr. Barirega Akankwasah, Executive Director of the Authority, emphasised that Uganda’s economic growth, while impressive, cannot be sustained without environmental stewardship. Uganda’s population is young and dynamic, with roughly 75% under the age of 35, and the nation aims to achieve middle-income status by 2040. Yet, as Dr. Akankwasah reminded the audience, “without environmental sustainability, economic transformation will not be sustainable.”

Environmental Justice Court Coming

A major highlight of the discussion, and a symbolic marker of Uganda’s commitment, was the announcement that the country is on the verge of establishing a dedicated High Court division for environmental justice, expected to be operational by the end of 2026! This reflects a remarkable shift: environmental crimes are no longer peripheral issues in this country. NEMA records indicate that prosecutions have surged from 69 cases in 2021 to about 600 annually in 2025, a rise of more than 8 times, demonstrating a transition from environmental regulation on paper to compliance in practice.

Uganda’s Natural Wealth

The country’s wealth underpins its economy. Over 75% of the workforce depends on natural resources through agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, and mining, including the budding oil and gas sector. The country is home to more than 50% of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, making wildlife conservation central to tourism. Wetlands cover vast areas, providing water purification, flood control, and agricultural support, while about 15 to 18% of Uganda’s land surface is covered by lakes and rivers, including Lake Victoria. These ecosystems are the backbone of economic activity, yet they face mounting pressure from population growth; from roughly 46 million people today to a projected 70 million by 2040.

Globally, the stakes are clear: more than 50% of world Gross Domestic Product depends on nature, and climate-related disasters have increased by roughly 80% since the 1980s. According to ReliefWeb reports, in Sub-Saharan Africa, up to 65% of arable land is degraded, and Uganda loses hundreds of millions of shillings annually from environmental degradation, including impacts on infrastructure, agriculture, water systems, and public health.

Need for Preventive Action

Preventive action is consistently cheaper than remedial measures. It is said that investments in ecosystem restoration can yield returns of four to 10 dollars for every dollar spent. Maintaining wetlands and forest cover reduces flood risk, regulates water cycles, and supports agriculture – all far more cost-effectively than reactive engineering solutions.

Uganda has made significant progress. Forest cover, which had fallen to just 9% of land surface in 2015, is now on a positive trajectory thanks to afforestation, reforestation, and landscape restoration initiatives, public-private partnerships, and community programmes. Wildlife conservation is another success story: mountain gorillas have improved in IUCN conservation status from critically endangered to endangered, thanks to strong policies and community partnerships.

Sustaining Gains Through Partnerships

The Sheraton engagement emphasised that these gains, while significant, require ongoing investment. Environmental management cannot succeed through government action alone. Development partners bring technical expertise, financial resources, and global experience, helping Uganda scale up interventions, strengthen institutional capacity, and ensure that investments are strategic and impactful.

Prof. Okot-Okumu and Dr. Akankwasah made it clear that environmental sustainability is not a competing priority to development. It is the foundation. Uganda’s ambitious targets under the Fourth National Development Plan, including agro-industrialisation, tourism, mineral development, and science and technology, all depend directly on healthy ecosystems.

Speaker after speaker returned to the same point like a chorus they couldn’t resist: NEMA’s shift toward building strategic partnerships wasn’t just smart; it was transformative. It signaled a move from working in isolation to rallying allies with both the passion and the pockets to invest meaningfully in the environmental cause.

The general message was both simple and urgent: investing in Uganda’s environment is not charity; it is strategic. Natural resources are both an inheritance from the past and a trust for the future. Decisions made today – just like the one of having breakfast in the ambiance of Sheraton Kampala Hotel – on forests, wetlands, water, and wildlife will shape the country’s prosperity, resilience, and stability for decades to come.

In the end, the breakfast meeting successfully balanced the ceremony with the practice: speeches were delivered, contacts exchanged, photos taken, commitments reinforced, and yes, food was eaten responsibly. Most importantly, at precisely 11:20 a.m., Kampala time, just as the last sips of coffee were bravely negotiated, participants departed with a renewed sense of purpose: Uganda’s future runs on nature, and, unlike some meetings, investment in it cannot be deferred to the next agenda.

Mr. Lubuulwa is the Senior Public Relations Officer at NEMA.