Greenwatch In Action

Activity 1: Fourth Judicial Training on Climate Justice (April 2022)

Activity 2: Journalists’ Training on the environment and Climate Reporting (July 2022)

Activity 3:  In February 2022, the Greenwatch team paid a visit to the Mawero Mining Host community, in Busia district

Activity 4:  International clean-up day of The River Nile

• Greenwatch celebrates 25 years.
• Greenwatch won the court case on access to information. Ugandans are entitled to access Oil agreements under Article 41(1) of the Constitution of Uganda.
• With support from IAP foundation and ELAW, Greenwatch implemented the project: Safeguarding host communities along the East African Crude Oil pipeline development areas against environmental degradation towards improved resource governance and sustainable livelihoods.
• Greenwatch conducted the second annual judicial training on climate justice with the theme: “Climate justice: Ensuring a more fair and equitable society.” The training workshop was officiated by Honorable Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo-The chief justice of Uganda.

Convened and facilitated a regional symposium on Public interest environmental litigation in east Africa.

• Held a workshop on Climate change adaptation and biodiversity management workshop.
• Developed a community based guide for monitoring impacts of oil and gas activities on the environment.

• Convened and facilitated training workshops on enforcement of environmental laws for police investigators, state prosecutors, district environmental officers and chief magistrates in Uganda.
• Conducted a judicial symposium on international environmental law.

• Greenwatch developed training materials for the Magistrates’ Court.
• Greenwatch conducted the 3rd training of Judges in environmental law and procedure in Uganda. Greenwatch also developed training material for the advanced course and developed training materials for Court of Appeal and Supreme Court Judges.

Filed the first ever lawsuit on access to environmental information in Uganda to compel the government make public a Power Purchase Agreement in respect to a proposed hydro-electric Power Plant at Bujagali on the River Nile (See judgments)

• Developed training materials for lawyers and judicial officers. This was done in conjunction with the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and World Resources Institute (WRI),
• Participated in Civil Litigation for enforcement of E.I.A. in respect of hydro-electric power project on the River Nile (NAPE VS AES Nile Power Ltd High Court Misc. cause No. 26 of 1999).
• Participated in the Public hearing of AES Nile Power hydro-electric project after Court had ruled the E.I.A was mandating before commencement of the project. Greenwatch continued participating in meetings, rallies, public lectures on environmental aspects of the project including petitioning the World Bank Inspection Panel from 1999 - 2003. This civil society action saved the environment from degradation and Uganda from implementing a very badly negotiated agreement.

• Together with other environmental Non-Government Organisations fought to stop government and Aquatics Unlimited (a US based corporation) from spraying Lake Victoria (the world's second largest fresh water lake) with deadly herbicides. The spraying was not done as NEMA refused to pass the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) after a heated public hearing in which Greenwatch and other NGOs helped influence NEMA's decision.
• Participation as a major stakeholder in a symposium for lawyers in Public Interest Litigation

• Appraised the National Environmental Bill that was passed in May 1995 as National Environment Statute. The recommendations found their way into the 1995 Constitution of Uganda. Notably the Right to a clean and healthy environment, Article 39; The Public Trust doctrine, Article 234; and the principle of sustainable development is one of the National Directive principles of State policy.
• Participated as one of the key Stakeholders in the first Regional Symposium for environmental law in East Africa held at Jinja-Uganda.