Isaiah Owiunji
Programme Coordinator, Energy, Climate and Extractives Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature, Uganda
The old adage is clear: “knowledge is power” and as human beings we live in a knowledge era. Our work and our lives are centred on the creation, communication, and application of knowledge. What sets us apart as individuals and nations in levels of development is the differences in accumulation and application of knowledge in our places of work, manipulation of the environment and in improvement of our everyday lives.
Knowledge is very important element for our development in Uganda since it can be manipulated to create competitive advantage for our country to develop its industries, the rich natural resources and the people. As Uganda strives to achieve middle income status, knowledge will be crucial to develop its natural capital, create values, unique products and empower its people.
The creation of relevant knowledge, its management and accumulation will be critical in Uganda’s development agenda. For instance, the application of knowledge, innovation and ICT will be one of the key factors in ensuring balance between petroleum development and the key protected areas in the Albertine Graben in Uganda. Similarly, practical and relevant knowledge will be required to develop systems, strategies, practices, methods and technologies to help Uganda solve the challenges of low energy access and heavy dependence on biomass which leads to degradation of its beautiful environment and nature – a cornerstone for its tourism industry.