UGANDA: Lira Diocese Steps Up Efforts to Promote Green Environment
Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok of Lira diocese flanked by deacons and priests waiting to receive offertory
Fr. Isaac Ojok
The Catholic Diocese of Lira, Uganda, is implementing various initiatives and drives that are aimed at conserving and promoting green environment in Lango sub- region in north-central Uganda.
The initiatives being implemented include tree planting whereby Christians are encouraged to plant more trees in their homesteads to combat global warming and its adverse effects in a move to have a healthy environment.
The campaign drive of tree planting has also been taken to schools, churches and other institutions with support and supervision from responsible persons and other stake holders so as to have green growth in friendly environment.
Rt. Rev Sanctus Lino Wanok, the Bishop of Lira Diocese has recently been conducting mass community sensitization on radio and churches as a reminder for the people to know their roles and responsibilities in environmental protection.
Additionally, the Prelate has been sensitizing the public to refrain from human activities with adverse effects like tree cutting for charcoal burning.
In line with the initiative of the Bishop, artistic monuments containing messages on environmental protection have been erected along the roads leading to offices, learning institutions and residential places.
On the monument, the public are being asked and encouraged to love, protect and offer care to environmental features so that the population can enjoy the beauty of nature.
According to Bishop Wanok, there is need for the public to desist from bush burning and that “fire vigilante” be formed in villages to control unnecessary burning of pastures and other valuable features.
He further discouraged the population from dumping polythene materials on the land to protect the mother earth from suffocation.
Bishop Wanok implored all families in Lira diocese to collect all used plastic materials that are scattered on land in points designated in the respective homes so that such materials can be taken for recycling by the technology.
In his observation, there is a common practice especially in the city and other towns of burning items which can cause pollution in the atmosphere an exercise which he warns is harmful to environment, hence the reason for campaign drive.
On soil erosion, the bishop noted that it is the responsibility of every one to control soil erosion in a bid to improve the quality and the fertility of the soil.
At the moment, the government of the Republic of Uganda through various agencies and other Civil Society Organizations operating in the country have also been conducting campaigns on environmental protection especially wetlands to ensure that effects of global warming are controlled.
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