Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision (Kampala) - November 8, 2005
Cyprian Musoke, Kampala
The report titled, Linking Environment to Human Development; A Deliberate Choice, was released yesterday.
It attributes the progress to improvement in literacy levels and life expectancy from 43 years in 2000 to 45.7 years in 2004.
The annual UNDP-sponsored report said human development and better natural resource management should be merged in eradicating poverty, hunger and illiteracy.
It said Uganda had registered a strong economic growth coupled with a fall in Ugandans living in absolute poverty from 56% in 1992 to 38% in 2004.
Literacy rates have gone up from 65% in 1997 to 70% in 2003, with more than 68% of the population aged 10 years and above literate. It attributed this to Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Functional Adult Literacy (FAL).
The joint efforts of government and development partners had resulted into a significant reduction in HIV/AIDS prevalence from 18.5% in 1992 to 6.2% in 2004.
There was more equal distribution of income and house-hold consumption expenditure in rural areas rose from sh109,400 in 2000 to sh113,300 in 2003.
"Whereas Uganda has abundant natural resources with which it can contribute to human development, the natural capital (environment) is on the decline.
Climate change and environmental degradation have led to food shortages and increased pressure on water and pasture, especially in north-eastern Uganda," the UN said.
It points out that the population growth rate of 3.4% was exerting pressure on the environment, and that HIV/AIDS was retarding human development.
"In short, Uganda should start to be concerned that its current development is not sustainable because it is based on mining the natural capital. If this trend is not checked, the current generation will be leaving an ecological debt to future generations," the report said.
The 92-page report launched yesterday by the state minister for general duties (Office of the Prime minister), Mondo Kagonyera, ranks the central region as having the highest human development index (HDI) of 0.547, followed by the west (0.487), east (0.450), and the north trailing at 0.418.
The index indicates the degree of empowerment needed to achieve full human development. It ranges from zero to one, and reflects better levels of human development when it is closer to one.
It said unemployment in urban areas was a major cause of poverty, and called for the disbanding of IDP camps to enable their occupants to engage in productive activities.
"Uganda needs to quickly re-settle and rehabilitate the population in northern Uganda, mainly confined in camps. The disruption of economic activities, education and health service delivery shows in the region's human development, the lowest in the country," the UNDP report said.
The northern and western regions have the highest percentage of malnourished children. Poor health conditions in the north coupled with a decade-long insurgency have retarded provision of health services.
The report said acute food shortages and the limited means to acquire enough food were some of the causes of malnourishment in children.
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