The Minister of State for Environment, Hon. Beatrice Atim Anywar, has called for more aggressive measures to combat the growing climate crisis.
Speaking at a side event during the Post-COP29 forum at the ongoing Uganda Water and Environment Week (UWEWK 2025) in Luzira, Kampala, the minister emphasized the urgency of scaling up climate action.
“We need bolder action in combating the climate crisis. It’s high time we took COP seriously and scaled up our interventions,” Hon. Anywar stated.
UWEWK, since its inception in 2018, has served as a crucial platform for knowledge exchange, advocacy, and dialogue aimed at improving Uganda’s water and environmental resources.
This year’s event is themed: ‘Water and Environment Resource for Enhanced Resilience and Improved Income and Livelihoods.’ The forum provided an opportunity for stakeholders to take stock of discussions from COP29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where Uganda focused on key negotiation areas such as adaptation, loss and damage, mitigation, climate finance, technology development and transfer, capacity building, gender and climate change, agriculture, and legal compliance.
Minister Anywar reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing climate challenges despite financial constraints and the disproportionate burden placed on developing countries.
“We are aware of the injustices happening to us developing countries. Africa is endowed with natural biodiversity that helps clean up the mess from industrialized countries,” she noted. She further highlighted that while COP29 led to renewed commitments toward the long-standing $100 billion annual climate finance target, the most significant outcome was the “Baku Climate Unity Pact.”
This pact sets a new global climate finance goal, aiming to raise at least $1.3 trillion per year for developing nations and ensuring developed countries mobilize at least $300 billion by 2035. However, she acknowledged that these commitments still fall short of the actual financial needs for climate adaptation and mitigation.
Hon. Buyika Lawrence Songa, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change, stressed the importance of staying on course with the targets set at COP29. “This is crucial for reflecting on what we set out to achieve in Azerbaijan.
We need to adjust our strategies and ensure transparency in financing to maximize the impact of our interventions,” he stated. Meanwhile, Ole Dahl Rasmussen, Co-chair of the Environment and Climate Change Donor Partner Group, reaffirmed donors’ commitment to supporting Uganda’s climate action initiatives.
“We are generally satisfied with the outcomes of COP29, particularly the new climate finance goal. While there is still much work to be done, we are committed to ensuring Uganda can effectively access and utilize these funds,” Rasmussen said.
Commissioner for Climate Change, Margaret Athieno Mwebesa, who also serves as Uganda’s UNFCCC national focal person, emphasized Uganda’s readiness to engage in carbon trading under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
“There were significant breakthroughs at COP29, particularly regarding carbon trading regulations. Uganda is well-positioned to benefit from its natural wealth, and we must come together to capitalize on this opportunity,” she stated.
UWEWK is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Water and Environment through the Water Resources Institute. Since 2018, it has become a flagship program for advocacy, information sharing, and collaboration on water and environmental issues.
The event contributes to Uganda’s National Development Plan, Vision 2040, and international frameworks such as the 2030 Agenda and Africa Agenda 2063. The 2025 edition was officially opened on March 17th by Hon. Dr. Justine Lumumba, representing the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa.
The ceremony was attended by top government officials, civil society representatives, development partners, academia, and the private sector. With renewed commitments and an increasing urgency for action, Uganda’s leaders and partners are poised to implement practical solutions for a more sustainable future.