WWF, NFA partner with community to conserve
environment
By Moses Kyaiswa
Kagadi
The
National Forestry Authority (NFA) with support from the ‘’Jane Good All
Institute and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Uganda are engaging the
community in an ambitious cover restoration drive of the heavily degraded Kagombe
and Bugoma Forest Reserves in one of the Uganda’s most fragile and
Biodiversity-rich areas.
The
Bugoma-Kagome landscape also covers five districts including Kagadi, Kikuube,
Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo and Kibaale.
The
forest reserves have been degraded for agricultural land use, illegal timber
logging, charcoal burning and human settlement.
Degraded Kakombe forest
Last
year, the National Forestry Authority (NFA) with support from the ‘’Jane Good
All Institute” agreed with community members to jointly conserve and protect
Kangombe central forest reserve in meeting presided over by the Board
Chairperson NFA, Dr. Eng Christopher Ebal.
Similarly
the ambitious 20-year-project worth (about sh14bn) has also been launched supported
by the World Wide Fund for Nature Uganda with funding from VELUX Group,
Denmark.
The
project was launched last year by area Member of Parliament and the finance
minister, Matia Kasaija, and the state minister of environment Beatrice Anywar
aiming at regenerating/restoration of the most deforested natural forests.
State minister of environment Beatrice Anywar launching restoration of Kagombe forest reserve
Minister
Anywar calls upon the community to work together with the implementers of the
project and ensure that the degraded parts of Kagombe and Bugoma forest
reserves are restored adding that this can also be applied to restore forests
in the country.
According
to Mr. David Duli, WWF-Uganda, Country Director unsustainable agricultural use
alone has led to over 70% reduction of the forest area in the Kagombe region,
while more than half has been lost in Bugoma.
Duli
says Kagombe Forest Reserve was one of the important biodiversity reach sites
in Uganda before it was encroached in 2021.
In
an interview with the encroachers, told our reporter that they encroached on
the forest reserves due to lack of enough land for cultivations.
However,
regrets for destroying the forest saying they are facing number of challenges
ranging from limited herbal medicine and rainfall.
Meanwhile
leaders say are optimistic that with the NFA’s effort the forests will
rejuvenate adding that that are committed to engaging locals in tree planting
with the major purpose of conservation.
About
“Good All Institute”
James
Byamukama, the Executive Director of ’Jane Good All Institute‘’ said they
intend to restore 1800 hectares of the destroyed forest cover.
He
asked local communities to support the drive so as to restore God’s Creation of
both Natural Vegetation and Wild life.
Byamukama
says that such collaborative measures are the way to go to bring the community
into conservation and protection of the forests in Uganda.
Government
leaders
Tumusiime
Benjamin, the deputy Kagadi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) welcomed the
intervention of NFA and its Partners for their deliberate move towards
restoring forest reserves.
He
warned the locals against encroaching on the central forest reserves.
Deputy RDC Kagadi urging communities to participate in the forest restoration
The
Kagadi district chairperson, Ndibwami B
Yosia says that allowing communities to participate in the management of the
reserves will help bring an end to the rampant illegal logging activities
whereby the timber dealers pay some money to the people who aid them into the
forests.
Wetland
conservation
President Yoweri Museveni is calling upon communities living
around rivers and lakes to leave protection zones of 100 metres and 200 metres
respectively.
The president said this will protect the integrity of these
fragile ecosystems, keep the water clean and protect against silting.
Museveni
is warning the general public and investors against encroaching on wetlands
President Museven launching wetland conservation
He
says the structures constructed in wetlands block water, which can lead to
severe floods threatening that government shall undertake studies to foster
environment conservation because of the increasing industrialization in the
country.
He
tasked political leaders and enforcement teams mandated with ensuring good
environmental practices to block investors from constructing more factories in
wetlands.