By Sr. Josephine Kamau, DM
From degraded forests to flooded villages, from poisoned water to barren farmland, environmental destruction hits the poor the hardest. The cry of the earth is heard through the suffering of the poor, the voiceless, the vulnerable.
This cry is echoing through Uganda—not from the animals or the trees, though they too are wounded. It’s the cry of people; of mothers standing by flooded homes; of farmers staring at cracked soil; of children walking miles for clean water.
They say:
“We didn’t cut the trees, but now we can’t grow our food.”
Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, I am reminded that caring for creation is not just about protecting nature—it is about protecting people.
Environmental justice means giving every person, regardless of background, a fair voice and fair treatment in environmental decisions. But in Uganda, this justice is often denied.
When a forest is cleared for profit, a community loses its rainfall, its shade, its medicine, its life. When a river is poisoned, it’s not just fish that die its children who fall ill. When land is grabbed, it’s not the wealthy who go hungry, it’s the poor who lose everything.
Environmental degradation is not random. It is caused by greed, corruption, weak enforcement of strong laws, and by silence in the face of injustice. Big companies are going unchecked and unpunished for their ecological crimes. We need to remember that “Justice delayed is nature destroyed”.
In Uganda, we have good Laws and policies on environmental protection like The National Environment Act which lacks implementation. One wonders, where is action, where is accountability when corporations pollute or displace entire villages sometimes in the name of improving the economy and creating jobs for the people?
God gave us the land as stewards, not as destroyers. When we hurt nature, we sin against God, our children, and our children’s children who will be there in the future suffering the consequences of our actions today.
What Can we do?
There is hope. Across Uganda, ordinary people are rising with extraordinary courage to protect our home and to protect their life. They plant trees, clean rivers, go to streets and in court, speak out and create awareness through ecological education. And so can we!
We can:
- Speak out against unjust land evictions.
- Support reforestation and clean water projects.
- Reject corruption in environmental schemes.
- Teach children and youth about ecological values.
- Choose renewable energy and better waste systems.
- And most importantly, reduce or reject plastics which produce a big percentage of global warming
Participate in environmental activities like;
- Youth-led tree-planting drives.
- Community clean-up campaigns.
- Environmental litigation and advocacy.
- Local innovations in sustainable farming.
No action is too small. Every voice matters as St. Francis reminds us:
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” St. Francis of Assisi.
Environmental justice is possible if we all take part. The cry of the poor and the cry of the earth are one voice. And that voice is calling for action.
Call to Action
Pope Francis teaches us that we must view ecological and social issues together. He calls this “integral ecology”. He says: “The cry of the Earth is the cry of the poor.” We cannot solve poverty without caring for nature. And we cannot protect nature without fighting poverty.
Environmental protection is about justice, faith, community, dignity and our future. We must rise together, to respond to the cry. We must respond to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. We must remember that when the earth suffers, the poor suffer first and worst because environmental justice is not just about trees, it’s about people, their dignity and survival. Let us listen, act and be stewards of both creation and community. The time is now!
