Umweltbundesamt
Experts from all over the world discussed the requirements for the protection and sustainable management of soils in Africa and worldwide during the workshop “Legal instruments for the effective protection and sustainable management of soils”.
The international workshop was jointly organised by the German Environment Agency (Dr. Harald Ginzky), the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation – Climate Policy and Energy Security Program for Sub-Saharan Africa (CLESAP) (Prof. Oliver Ruppel), Markerere University (Prof. Emmanuel Kasimbazi) and Kampala International University (Ms. Hadijah Yayha). About fifty experts from Africa and all parts of the world discussed the scientific aspects and legal management concepts for an effective protection and sustainable management of soils in Africa and worldwide. The workshop in Kampala, Uganda was opened by the managing ambassador, Mrs. Petra Kochendörfer of the German Embassy, and Mr. Vincent Ssempijja, Minister of Agriculture in Uganda.
The program of the workshop can be found here.
The protection and management of soils is a precondition for sustainable development and for the survival of humanity. Soil degradation causes, especially in Africa, hunger, poverty, migration and, in some cases, even wars. Although the effects of inadequate protection and management of soils are of transboundary nature, the necessary measures must be implemented locally and regionally. This requires an interdisciplinary approach taking into account scientific, social, cultural, political, financial and also legal requirements.
The Workshop highlighted four key aspects:
In the workshop, experts from Africa exchanged views on the topics above. Participants from non-African countries and international organizations (UNCCD, FAO, ASP, IUCN, GIZ) brought their specific expertise into the very constructive debate.
The following results should be highlighted:
National soil legislation are often basically sufficient in Africa. However, due to a lack of resources, the implementation and enforcement are inadequate.
Clarity concerning land tenure and ownership is also essential for the protection and sustainable management of soils. Modern concepts of individualized titles of ownership often collide with traditional notions of collective rights.
It is highly controversial whether further international regulations on soil protection for Africa or worldwide are necessary. Soil protection challenges could – in any case - be addressed by individual states via the “nationally determined contributions” under the Paris Convention.
A complete overview of the results is documented in the outcome document.
The workshop stressed the need for effective soil protection in Africa and worldwide. The workshop has been a great success as it raised substantially the awareness on this topic. The participants strongly recommended to continue the discussion with further activities such as collaborations, interdisciplinary workshops and awareness-raising measures.
Von links: Jacqueline Amongin (Parlament Uganda); Dr Harald Ginzky (Umweltbundesamt); Vincent Frerrio Bamulangaki Ssempijja, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (Government of Uganda); Prof. Dr. Oliver Ruppel, Direktor des Regionalprogramm "Climate Policy and Energy Security in Subsahara Africa" der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
