SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation:
Clean water and sanitation is a basic human right that necessitates a clean and healthy environment. Unfortunately, man – that is us – humans; have decided that for a quick gain we will destroy the environment.
We elected leaders who do not care and then we blame them when we do not like what they are doing. Everyone states “it is the government” in every country in the world, forgetting our own personal input to either protect the environment or destroy it.
Safety and Health Officers/Managers can play a crucial role in protecting our environment. For example companies along the shores of Lake Victoria can stop the dumping of waste straight into the lake and ensure that what enters the lake is within NEMA limits or above NEMA limits. This unfortunately does not always happen. Pollutants enter the lake daily and destroy the natural habitat of that environment. Fines are all very well, but usually the damage has already been made.
Safety and health can assist local government to manage these issues as it is a Safety, Health and Environment Officer/Managers role to protect the environment. When people ask about what is the role of a Safety, Health and Environment Officer, they often think it is just about PPP [Personal Protective Equipment] and forget that these officers have a broad responsibility the can help companies to be productive and develop rather than having law suit after law suit.
Accessing clean water and having good sanitation is a basic that must be there. For the thousands of people accessing water from Lake Victoria it means that the water entering must be clean, that utensils used must be clean, that after boiling the water containers must be clean and the utensils used to access the water is also clean and not forgetting hand hygiene.
The NWSC tries it level best and the water they take from the lake was so polluted that they had to extend the intake pipe from inner Murchison Bay to outer Murchison Bay. Pollution is a man-made problem and one we must also address if we are to have a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren.
To achieve this Uganda needs Safety, Health and Environment. Can you be instrumental in making this happen, if yes contact EISMAT at
info@eismat.ac.ug/ 0705 336 066.
