CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Bishop Dr Constanine Rupiny plants a tree at Alokolum Major Seminary.
 
By Achomo Proscovia
Gulu City
 
In a resounding call for environmental action, top Catholic Church leaders in Gulu ecclesiastical province have urged communities across Northern Uganda to prioritize tree planting as a mean of combating the worsening effects of climate change and environmental degradation.
 
This comes at a time when the country is grappling with severe ecological challenges including rampant deforestation, unpredictable rainfall, and loss of biodiversity.
 
Speaking at the Commissioning of Major Seminarians at Uganda Martyrs National Major Seminary Alokolum recently, Rt Rev Dr. Constantine Rupiny, Bishop Ordinary of Nebbi Catholic Diocese underscored the urgency of ecological preservation.
“We should plant trees in our institutions and families so that our Mother Earth remains truly a mother,” he said. “If we continue to destroy her, the consequences will be severe for all of us,” Bishop Rupiny added.
 
Bishop Rupiny’s statement reflects the Church’s broader theological stance on environmental care, anchored in Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si”, which calls on humanity to see nature as a gift that must be nurtured, not exploited.
 
Emphasizing on the same call, Most Rev. Rapheal P’Mony Wokorach, Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese, added a local dimension to global concern. Addressing faithful in Holy Rosary Parish, Gulu City, he reminded the public that environmental protection is a shared responsibility, not a government task alone.
 
“The dream of making Gulu City green is not just a vision-it is our responsibility. We experience rain because we have been keeping nature well. To maintain this balance, we must plant trees, whether fruit trees or those for wood, this season or the next. Let us do this in our homes, compounds, and workplaces, so that our dream of a green Gulu City becomes a reality,” said Archbishop Wokorach.
 
The Archbishop stressed that the opportunity presented by the current rainy season should not go to waste. “Planting a tree today is a pledge to future generations. We must ensure we have something good to handover to our children and grandchildren,” he said.
 
Uganda is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of environmental degradation. According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the country loses an estimated 122,000 hectares of forest cover annually, largely due to deforestation for charcoal production, agriculture, and settlement expansion.
 
This has contributed to rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, floods, and prolonged droughts, which continue to threaten agriculture water security-particularly in Northern Uganda.
 
A 2023 report by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) shows that over 70% of Ugandans rely on wood fuel for cooking, exacerbating deforestation and air pollution. These environmental pressures not only undermine livelihoods but also pose long-term risks to public health, biodiversity, and food production.
 
The Catholic Church is calling on all Ugandans, individuals, schools, faith-based institutions, businesses, and local leaders to make tree planting a part of everyday life.
 
By turning compounds, schools, workplaces, and communities into green spaces, each person can contribute to reversing deforestation and building a healthier and more sustainable Uganda.