The government of Uganda in addressing its development challenges places great
importance on environmental safeguards as evidenced in the numerous policies and laws
instituted to guide the sustainable use of natural resources. Important of these is the National
Environment Management Policy under which environmental management issues are based
with further guidance from other legal frameworks including the Environment Impact
Assessment (EIA) guidelines and other tools developed by the National Environment
Management Authority (NEMA) and the World Bank.
These Guidelines serve as an administrative directive to guide environmental management
in Local governments as they carry out development projects to ensure integration of
environmental, social and climate change concerns in all stages of project development and
at all levels including City, District, Municipal and Lower Local governments, with the full
participation of the people as means of: - minimizing environmental and social risks and
impacts; to specify appropriate roles and responsibilities and outlining the necessary
reporting procedures, for managing and monitoring environmental concerns including
compliance to the law for environment and climate change aspects in different Local
Governments; and provides a framework within which due diligence obligations can be met
and environmental damage can be mitigated. Application of the guideline will require
tailoring them to particular site conditions and making adjustments if the measures listed are
unsuitable to the site.
The guidelines are in line with the legal provisions in the National Environment Act, 2019,
which requires that before the commencement of construction works/project
implementation, different sectors are required to adhere with the following environmental
and social safeguard requirements:- conduct Environment, Social and Climate Change
Screening; prepare the necessary Environmental Safeguards documents/ instruments (such
as Project Briefs, Environment and Social Management Plans, Environment and Social
Impact Assessments) based on the results of the Screening exercise and commensurate with
the potential risks and impacts; Integrate Environment, Social, Health and Safety (ESHS)
requirements into the designs, BoQs, bidding and contract documents; implement the
mitigations measures in the instruments; conduct monitoring and reporting during project
implementation and project completion and Closure; implement decommissioning and
restoration plans; acquisition and management of auxiliary structures stockpiles, borrow
pits, quarries and camps; waste generation; conservation of biodiversity and cultural sites;
storm water management; site stabilization and erosion control; management of
agrochemicals; water source protection; climate change mitigation and adaptation;
grievance redress mechanism; and social health and safety and stakeholder engagement.