THE LOUD CRY OF NATURE: IS IT AN ISSUE OF FAILED

ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE OR A NATURAL LOSS OF

BIODIVERSITY

By: Patrick Byakagaba

OUTLINE• Definition of concepts• Link between Environmental Ethics and Governance• Ethical approaches dominating valuation of the

natural environment • Principles of Good Environmental Governance• Requirements for Effective Environmental

Governance• Environmental Governance in Uganda• Other causes of Biodiversity Loss in Uganda• Conclusion

ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE

• Environmental Governance comprises the rules, practices, policies and institutions that shape how humans interact with the environment

• It concerns how the decisions are made, with a particular emphasis on the need for citizens, interest groups, and communities generally, to participate and have their voices heard in making environmental decisions

Link between Environmental Ethics and Governance

• Environmental ethics is about how we ought to act towards the environment

• There are many different perspectives on what represents "right"

• It is critical to understand some of these views, in order to understand the behaviour of various actors in relation to environment management

• The environmental ethics espoused by a country will shape her environmental governance principles

Ethical approaches dominating valuation of the natural

environment Allan Marshal’s views

Libertarian extension-This approach suggests a commitment to extend

equal rights to all members of a community -The broader definition of community is applied

here i.e. Non-humans as well as humans-This approach argues for the recognition of the

intrinsic value of the all organisms in the environment

- Any body who does not appreciate the value of other organisms would be perceived as not being environmentally conscious.

Ethical approaches dominating valuation of the natural

environment Ecologic extension/deep

ecology/biocentrism• Ecologic extension places emphasis on the recognition

of the fundamental interdependence of all biotic (and some abiotic) entities and their essential diversity

• It is considered to be based on science

• It argues for intrinsic value inherent in collective ecological entities like ecosystems or the global environment as a whole entity.

• The planet is characterized as a unified, holistic entity with ethical worth of which the human race is of no particular significance in the long run.

Ethical approaches dominating valuation of the natural

environment Conservation Approach• It focuses only on the worth of the environment in

terms of its utility or usefulness to humans

• argues for the conservation of the environment on the basis that it has extrinsic value – critical to the welfare of human beings

• Most of the Rio- principles were generated based on this approach

Ethical approaches dominating valuation of the natural

environment Applied Theology• Christianity and Islam teach that the earth

was created by God and man is supposed to be accountable to God in the way earth resources are used

• The earth is perceived to be valuable to God and therefore man is expected to use it in a way that would please God

Ethical approaches dominating valuation of the natural

environment Anthropocentrism • Places humans at the centre of the

universe • Humans are the measure of all value

• Therefore, everything else in existence is evaluated in terms of its utility for humans.

Principles of Good Environmental Governance

Derived from the Rio Conference• Intergenerational equity

• Sustainable use

• Precaution

• Polluter pays

• Good neighbourliness

• Equity and fairness

Principles Cont’

• Making Decisions at the Appropriate Level • Integrating the Environment into all Decisions

• Transparency

• Accountability

• Access to Information, Participation, and Redress

Pimm, S. L., Russell, G. J., Gittleman, J. L. & Brooks, T. M. The future of biodiversity. 1995. Science 269, 347–350

Requirements for Effective Environmental Governance

• Environmental laws should be clear, even-handed, implementable and enforceable

• Environmental information should be shared with the public

• Affected stakeholders should be afforded opportunities to participate in environmental decision-making

• Environmental decision-makers, both public and private, should be accountable for their decisions

• Roles and lines of authority for environmental protection should be clear, coordinated, and designed to produce efficient and non-duplicative program delivery

• Affected stakeholders should have access to fair and responsive dispute resolution procedures

Environmental Governance in Uganda

• Uganda is a signatory to the Rio declaration and therefore it espouses the Rio Principles of Sustainable development in its Policy and Legal framework

• In practice environmental governance is shaped by anthropocentrism

• Responsible agencies and Departments of Government, CSO’s are driven by Ecologic extension approach of environmental ethics which usually is not well understood and appreciated by ordinary people

• There is no shared vision for good environmental governance among various actors at National level

Environmental Governance in Uganda

- Environmental Governance on paper is predominantly shaped by global discourses with little or no national influence and this is often perceived alien hence weakly implemented

- Environment governance in Uganda is not hinged on any clear well defined environmental ethics philosophy

- Loss of Biodiversity in Uganda is mainly due to habitat loss which is related to poor environmental governance

Other causes of Biodiversity Loss in Uganda

• High Population growth• Land degradation/habitat fragmentation• Lack of suitable technology to diversify and have

efficient and effective use of Biodiversity• International and National Policies• Poverty and lack of diversified economies• Market Pressures create incentives for activities

that can lead to biodiversity loss• Weak and uncoordinated Government

Institutions• Disempowered populace • Corruption • Poor funding and lack of prioritization

Conclusion and Way forward

Biodiversity loss in Uganda is: • mainly due to poor/weak environmental governance• Lack of a shared Ideological purpose for

sustainable environment management• Resigned citizenry• Failure to appreciate the intrinsic value of other

non-human components of the environment• Human alteration of habitatsWay forward: Improve environmental governance

mainly by eliminating political corruption and building consensus on the purpose for biodiversity conservation

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