Refugees and enviromental security in Uganda

Abstract

Protection of refugees is a social and international obligation that should be adhered to. This protection, however, is coming at a cost for the host countries. One such cost is environmental security where because of the sheer number of refugees that are flocking to countries like Uganda, those are finding themselves confronted by the impact these numbers are having on the environment. A degraded environment is much likely affect the host community, sometimes making them hostile to the refugees. The impact also takes a toll on refugees themselves because they too have to breath polluted air, and use contaminated water. Yet again some countries are struggling to find ways to address the issue of environment security versus refugees’ protection. This paper explores the case of Uganda and the extent to which refugees’ influx has impacted on environment security and how refugees themselves have been influenced. It also covers the steps with the authorities, including government and the aid agencies are taking to address the question of restoring the environment.