Lira, Uganda: In a bold bid to integrate green infrastructure into its fast-growing urban landscape, Lira City is steadily transforming into a climate-smart city. As part of a special feature, DailyExpress caught up with Mr. Leonard Otika, the Lira City Environment Officer, to discuss the city’s greening efforts, the challenges faced, and what lies ahead.
Q: Lira City is undergoing significant transformation. How is climate-smart urban development being incorporated into the city’s planning?
Otika: The city is making commendable efforts in landscaping and greening. In this financial year alone, we planted a total of 7,635 assorted flowers, mainly Chogam green and yellow, along road verges, roundabouts, and other green spaces. We also planted 1,973 trees including mahogany, teak, neem, ashok, and evergreen species using funds from the Uganda Road Fund, local revenue, and road rehabilitation funds.
Under USMID Additional Financing, we planted 1,528 more trees, covering 28,321 square meters across locations such as Children’s Playground, Coronation Park, and roads like Aber, Note Ber, Olwol, Boundary, and Obangakene.
Q: That’s impressive. Can you give us an idea of how much these greening projects have cost the city?
Otika: Under the Uganda Road Fund, we spent UGX 3.6 million, and another UGX 1.6 million came from local revenue. The USMID component, being a World Bank project, is more substantial, between UGX 100 million and 150 million, given the scale of work and green focus.
Q: Why is this greening exercise so important for a city like Lira?
Otika: Green spaces improve the city’s aesthetic appeal and provide recreational value. More importantly, they serve critical climate functions, acting as carbon sinks to absorb emissions from vehicles, regulate urban temperature, and generally combat climate change. They also positively impact mental health and create beautiful, functional spaces like Mayor’s Garden, which has become a model recreational zone.
Q: What challenges are you facing in maintaining these green spaces?
Otika: Theft is a big problem, trees like ashok and palm are stolen, especially along Oyam and Boundary Roads. We also face issues with stray animals, particularly along Kwania Road, damaging the trees at night. Weather variability during dry seasons and termites also pose threats, but we mitigate these with early planting, termite spraying, and regular sensitization.
Q: What is being done to ensure these trees and green zones are protected?
Otika: For termites, we use a pesticide called Thermidor. Stray animals are impounded, and we continually sensitize the community to keep livestock out of the Central Business District. These efforts have led to a noticeable reduction in damage.
Q: What support is needed to fully achieve a climate-smart city?
Otika: Attitudinal change is key. People must embrace walking and cycling to reduce vehicle emissions. Infrastructure must support this shift, with features like walkways and bike lanes. Planning and budgeting processes should prioritize environmental conservation, not treat it as an afterthought.
For example, under USMID, greening is integral to road development, not separate. Parks like Coronation and Mayor’s Garden exist because we integrated the green agenda into physical infrastructure development.
Q: Since Lira was elevated to city status, has the Natural Resources Department received any direct funding from the central government?
Otika: None. I’ve been in office since 2016 and we’ve never received central government grants specifically for natural resources. We rely heavily on local revenue, which is limited and competitive. Most of our activities piggyback on other departments like Uganda Road Fund or sectors under the Ugift program. We are advocating for inclusion of natural resources funding in the upcoming National Development Plan IV (2024–2025).
Q: What’s the tree-planting target for the 2024–2025 financial year?
Otika: The number will drop significantly because USMID has ended. We’re still waiting for the new Road Fund committee to be elected and allocate resources. Once that’s done, we’ll determine the tree-planting and maintenance budget.
Q: Do private residents and businesses in Lira have a role to play in this transformation?
Otika: Absolutely. We are promoting public-private partnerships and enforcing the Physical Planning Act which mandates developers to allocate at least 15% of their land for landscaping. Many private individuals are now involved in nursery bed operations, sensitization, and tree planting on private property, including schools like Ayago and Burlobo.
Q: There have been concerns about industrial waste. What’s being done to ensure it doesn’t harm the environment?
Otika: Waste management is a shared responsibility. We’ve had issues with factories like Mount Meru and Kwano regarding effluent discharge during rains. Their treatment plants sometimes overflow. We’re in discussions with them to expand their systems and adopt recycling methods, like reusing treated water for cooling and steaming processes. This not only reduces waste but also cuts costs on water from National Water and Sewerage Corporation.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative anews platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp for realtime updates.
