Greening Uganda's COVID-19 recovery: walking the talk

This research paper by the Green Economy Coalition examines the gap between planned green recovery goals and actual financial implementation in Uganda following the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that while national budgets initially prioritized natural capital, actual financial releases have been sidelined in favor of short-term economic multipliers, necessitating fiscal reforms and better valuation of ecological services to ensure a sustainable recovery.

• Uganda experienced a decline in key natural capital indicators between 2013/14 and 2019/20, with forest coverage falling from 15 percent to 12 percent and wetland coverage decreasing from 10 percent to 8.9 percent. Additionally, air quality in Kampala City reached dangerous levels, with Particulate Matter (PM2.5) estimated at 162μg/m3, which is six times the World Health Organization's recommended limit of 25μg/m3.
• Despite the inclusion of natural capital sustainability in Uganda's COVID-19 recovery budgets for financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22, actual financial allocations have not matched these plans. Green interventions are often deprioritized during budget revisions because they are perceived to have a limited multiplier effect on immediate economic recovery compared to other interventions.
• Budgetary credibility for green recovery in Uganda was further undermined by a second wave of COVID-19 and revenue shortfalls. First quarter budget disbursements for the 2021/22 financial year saw a 40 percent cut in actual financial releases, and the first quarter of the same year registered a revenue shortfall of approximately US$140.3 million (10 percent below target).
• To achieve a genuine green recovery, the author proposes several pathways: implementing fiscal reforms for the accurate pricing of ecological goods, strengthening partnerships with non-state actors like the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, integrating natural capital accounting into national systems, and redesigning natural capital projects to provide immediate economic benefits such as job creation and food security.

APA

Werikhe, A. (2021). Greening Uganda's COVID-19 recovery: walking the talk. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/greening-ugandas-covid-19-recovery-walking-the-talk

Chicago

Werikhe, Aron. Greening Uganda's COVID-19 recovery: walking the talk. Green Economy Coalition, 2021. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/greening-ugandas-covid-19-recovery-walking-the-talk.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Werikhe |first1=Aron |title=Greening Uganda's COVID-19 recovery: walking the talk |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=15 December 2021 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/greening-ugandas-covid-19-recovery-walking-the-talk |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{werikhe2021greening, author = {Werikhe, Aron}, title = {{Greening Uganda's COVID-19 recovery: walking the talk}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/greening-ugandas-covid-19-recovery-walking-the-talk}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }