Uganda upholding Kyoto with first of its kind program

Uganda will create a solid waste composting program aimed at reducing methane emissions. The program will target nine municipalities in Uganda: Soroti, Mbale, Mukono, Jinja, Fort Portal, Kasese, Mbarara and Kabale.

The solid waste composting program is registered under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Uganda is the first nation to register an activity under CDM, and the solid waste composting program will be the first of its kind in the world. These are major accomplishments for a developing nation.

CDM is a program within Kyoto that defines a strategy for how to achieve an emissions reduction target. Programs like CDM are intended to offset emissions and stimulate further emission-reduction strategies. The Kyoto Protocol holds CDM as 1 of its 3 mechanisms for achieving this:

1. Emissions trading
2. Clean development mechanism
3. Joint implementation

These mechanisms are intended to be cost-effective while also stimulating further investments in green technology for energy and emissions solutions. The composting facilities in Uganda will trap methane emissions equivalent to 750,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the next decade. Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide and remains in the atmosphere for nine years to 15 years.

At present, Uganda deposits waste into landfills. This activity produces other negative environmental impacts like further methane production and contamination of ground water and wetlands areas. The composting program will alleviate some of these impacts by reusing solid waste. It is a first step, but hopefully other African nations will begin developing solid waste composting programs of their own.

Full article at Ecoseed