Uganda’s economy is highly dependent on its natural resources. Therefore, it is critical that the country pursues a green growth path in its economic development.

In 2017, Uganda developed the Uganda Green Growth Development Strategy 2017/18 – 2030/31 to operationalize the broad green growth principles emphasized in the global Agenda 2030, the Uganda Vision 2040, and the Uganda National Development Plan. The strategy seeks to achieve inclusive, low-emission economic growth that prioritizes the efficient and sustainable use of natural, human, and physical capital.

The Strategy prioritizes five investment areas to improve livelihoods, food and nutrition security, decent green jobs, as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation:

• agriculture
• natural capital management
• green cities (urban development)
• transportation
• energy

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The Green Growth Report as monitoring instrument

Since the inception of the UGGDS in 2017, there has been no progress monitoring to track the implementation of Uganda’s green growth strategy and its implementation roadmap. To bridge this gap, Uganda’s National Planning Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Environment, and with the support of GIZ’s Natural Resources Stewardship Programme, developed the country’s first-ever Green Growth Report for the year 2020, entitled: “Stimulating resource use efficiency in manufacturing and waste management for sustainable development”. Because of the COVID-19 restrictions only recently lifted, the report will be released during Uganda Water and Environment Week in March 2022.

The report reflects Uganda’s progress towards meeting its green growth strategy targets between 2017 and 2020. It will be followed by a series of subsequent monitoring reports that will track the country’s progress towards a transformed economy on a green growth path.  

Measuring progress

Economic, environmental, and social indices were used to track progress. Among the economic metrics were the value-cost ratio, gross margins, and costs from increased resource use efficiency and/or extended waste value chains. Greenhouse gas emissions and reductions (t COe/year) as well as waste accumulation are examples of environmental indicators, whereas social indicators include, among others, job creation, gender equality, and occupational health and safety.

The report highlights Uganda’s progress in implementing sustainable waste management practices, particularly green industrial practices (resource use efficiency). This is consistent with Uganda’s National Development Plan (III), which emphasizes “sustainable industrialization for inclusive growth, job creation, and wealth creation”.

Furthermore, the report highlights the status of systemic human rights inclusion, as well as gender equality in manufacturing and waste management. Using national and international compliance standards, the decency and inclusiveness of waste-to-wealth jobs were assessed in terms of occupational health and safety requirements, as well as the elimination of child labor.

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Validation Meeting

On November 22nd 2021, a group of stakeholders from different public, private and civil society organizations met to validate the findings of the green growth report. The key take-aways of the meeting were:

• In terms of monetary returns, market-driven green inventions were the most successful. Some social enterprises with a focus on community involvement have also achieved notable success.
• Various approaches to environmental sustainability are being used, with similar results. This demonstrates the importance of standard reporting on water productivity and/or efficiency, energy efficiency, biomass efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste management, as well as guidelines for rating environmental indicators.
• In manufacturing facilities, greater gender awareness is required. Women and young people should be encouraged to take part in green growth initiatives. Better gender inclusivity can lead to more sustainable green growth outcomes.

Looking Ahead

This green growth report is the first step in what we believe will be a game-changer in monitoring Uganda’s green growth progress and providing evidence for initiatives and ideas that will steer economic growth in a clear and unwavering direction along a green growth path. As a result of the report, policy concerns and lessons learned have been identified, documented, and reported on as ways to strengthen the activities required to achieve sustainable manufacturing under NDP III.

It takes time to make a meaningful and long-term transition to a green economy. Uganda is committed to making steady progress.

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NatuReS supports the development of health and safety guidelines for solid waste handlers in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area and Gulu City

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the introduction of control and prevention measures such as wearing face masks, mandatory quarantine at home or in a hotel, the composition of municipal waste has changed in Uganda. Municipal waste, which is collected from households, commerce and trade, office buildings, institutions and small businesses, as well as yard and garden waste and street sweepings, now includes infectious waste. This puts particularly solid waste handlers at an increased risk of infection, which has made the continuous provision of solid waste management services difficult.

However, waste that is not being collected ends up polluting water and soil, representing a risk to the health of communities, or blocking drainage channels, which increases the risk of flooding in cities. A continuous, safely carried out, waste management service is therefore essential for cities, also and particularly in pandemic times.

Protecting natural resources by guaranteeing for continued waste mangement

It is against this background, that local governments in Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) and Gulu City in Northern Uganda, with the support of GIZ’s Natural Resources Stewardship Programme, developed solid waste safety and handling guidelines.

The guidelines aim at supporting solid waste regulators, companies and individuals in GMKA and Gulu City in improving the health and safety of solid waste handlers. Specifically, they will contribute to (i) improved working conditions for solid waste handlers; (ii) safeguarded jobs due to the reduced risk of Covid-19 infections at work; (iii) increased awareness about Covid-19 and adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), and (iv) behavior change towards improved management of solid waste.

Health and safety guidelines for waste handlers

The guidelines include a code of conduct for waste handlers, Covid-19 SOPs for solid waste handlers, exaplaining the role of waste handlers’ associations, and a section on Covid-19 prevention and control.

The fight against the pandemic requires concerted efforts, and NatuReS is committed to continuing its support to partners during this challenging period. Protecting natural resources requires a continued safe and reliable waste management. The guidelines are an important aspect of guaranteeing such a continued service, while protecting waste handlers and their income.

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