Environmental Conservation awareness by Laudato SI Centre, Comboni

Laudato Si Centre, Comboni Ltd together with Catholic Workers Movement organized a workshop on environmental conservation awareness. The one day workshop was inspired by Laudato si Document “Creation in Cosmo”, which was presented by Mr. Fred Lali, Environmental consultant and Mr. Mathias Mulumba Wangi a supervisor at ELUM Uganda at Namugongo Spirituality Centre.

The main reason for the workshop was to enlighten members of Laudato Si, Students and the religious about environmental conservation awareness.

Mr. Fred Lali started his presentation by thanking Laudato Si especially the Late Br. Cosmos for organizing the workshop, which was attended by students, the religious and well wishers with interest of the Environment. He continued by explaining the meaning of Environment being ‘the surrounding things and conditions affecting the plants and animals by Thomas Carlyle (1828)’

The components of the environmnent include: biosphere, where man lives atmosphere (air), lithosphere (rocks) and hydrosphere (water) he explained.

Mr. Lali sited the factors causing Environmental Degradation being: transportation, emissions, industrial processes, deforestation and agricultural practices, etc. These factors contribute to pollution, climate change, habitat destruction, which can have long-term impacts on the environment and human health. One way to mitigate these effects is by promoting sustainable practices, such as using renewable energy sources and reducing waste.

Mr. Lali also gave examples of how we have destroyed the environment in Uganda like: Mabira Give- Away “Saga” (2007), Tree cutting, wetlands encroachment around Cities, Unsustainable horticultural farming with fertilizers, Kitezi Landfills (Waste dumping) and other unmanaged garbage dumping sites, etc

Solutions to Environmental Degradation
Sensitisation is a very important aspect to reduce damages to be the Environment. The communities have to taught the dangers of destroying the environment like cutting trees meaning degradation on nature. Others include Implementation of International, Regional, National and policies/laws.

The use of renewable energy sources include: bio-digester (Wastes), Wind Energy, PV Solar energy, Biogas/biomethane, etc Community Tree Planting Drive is another way to reduce environmental degradation. The best trees to plant include: Fuelwood Spp (Acasia siamea, Eucalyptus spp, Gmelina arborea, Markhamia lutea, Grivelia robusta) Timber Spp: Masopsis emimii (Musizi), Pines Spp, Eucalyptus grandis, Ficus Spp (Mutuba), Muvule, Mahagony, etc

Poles: Eucalytus clones, grandis, etc Following the Pope’s appeal, the Catholic Church has been involved in various environmental initiatives, such as planting trees and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Mr. Lali believes that Religions, Politicians, Countries and authorities of all sorts MUST discuss and dialogue on the State of Mother Nature. He concluded the morning sesssion by demostrating the best way of how to plant trees.

While the afternoon session was directed by Mathias Mulumba Wangi how works with Ecological Land Use Management (ELUM) Uganda an organization that is concerned with the way we use and manage our land. He also works at the Comboni Spiritual Centre with the production team, working the gardens, producing what is consumed at the centre.

Mr. Mulumba also talked about Regenerative farming; which focuses on topsoil regeneration, improving the water cycle, supporting biosequestration, increasing resilience to climate change, and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil.

He then shared about sustainable Energy Utility to restore the environment to the way it used to be. Sustainability simply put is something we use today without compromising the future. Being on the production team, working the gardens, the session went practical taking the participants to the projects being carried out at the spirituality center.