SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT PROJECT

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM

It is estimated that over 70% of natural forests are on private land (NFA data). Forested area outside protected areas is at 123,127 hectares (Environment Alert report 2006). Under the Mailo land tenure system, which is most widespread in Mubende, it is rather hard to staunch deforestation. Most private natural forest owners perceive forests as of low economic value. They feel that the very existence of the trees is a denial to their economic survival. Non-fruit trees are not always priced in land compensations!
In Mubende, the threats of deforestation by charcoal burning, Timber production, farm encroachment and fires, are real. After steady and massive environment abuse, rainfall is getting scarce. Dry lands, such as those in the cattle corridors, are seeing depreciating productivity. As the population grows, encroachment into Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASALS) for agriculture is intense and inevitable.
People have been forced to learn to grow crops under conditions of scarce, unreliable rains plus erode-able soils that are prone to surface sealing and capping. These people need assistance to manage the productivity of these dry lands if they are to be kept from invading other ecologically sensitive places.
Therefore, attitude change on water harvesting technology for: human, animal and crop survival and productivity plus attitude change on treated human waste use, is called for.
School going children who have very impressionable minds and can be pick up new cultural and social tendencies rather quickly from practices around schools are the new vastly available target.
The Government’s programme of Universal Primary Education has flooded primary schools with big numbers of pupils. The school population is so big that the pupil: latrine stance is at 120:1 well above the recommended 40:1. Latrines are filling up so fast and so often that even the efforts to maintain the former ratio is impossible.
Many school compounds are faced with highly erode-able soils prone to surface capping and sealing. Many cannot keep their woodlots and grass patches green. Thus, they are very appropriate laboratories to exhibit water harvesting and management technologies, eco-san and human waste re-use technologies and other best environment practices.

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