Schools’ demand for firewood killing the environment

Piles of logs lie under a tree in the school compound. As I draw closer, a man is sweating profusely while splitting some of the logs. Before he takes his break, he has split 20 logs that will be used to cook lunch at this school. He says his work at the school involves splitting logs and that every after three days, more wood is brought in.
Nicholas Twijukye is the head cook of a secondary school in Kampala. He reveals that he would need three trucks of firewood every week to meet the fuel demands at the school.

He estimates that a big truck often carries up to 500 or 600 of such logs, while a smaller truck carries about 250 logs. The latter costs the school between Shs300,000 and Shs400,000 and the former Shs700,000. This is a routine that happens in most schools in the country, most of which still use firewood.
According to the Ministry of Education, Uganda has at least 22,500 primary schools (government-owned and private) and at least 2,000 secondary schools.

The loss
Gilbert Kadilo, the communications officer at National Forestry Authority (NFA), reveals that Uganda loses about 92,000 hectares of trees as a result of deforestation annually. A NEMA report released in 2009 revealed that Uganda loses about 6,000 hectares of forests every 30 days and if there is no action taken, by 2050, Uganda’s per capita forest cover will be zero.
Twenty eight districts were cited to have lost their entire forest eco system and 19 others were reported to have a forest cover lower than one per cent.
Firewood continues to contribute to the high deforestation rate in the country, which National Management Environmental Authority (NEMA) points out as a major threat to the climate, among other effects.

Other effects
According to the 2010 Global Forest Resources Assessment, deforestation releases nearly a billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere per year, though the numbers are not as high as the ones recorded in the previous decade.
Currently, Uganda is among the countries experiencing unstable weather conditions. Officials from the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) have issued several advisories, warning that the heaviest rains in 50 years, known as El Nino, are expected until early next year.
Already, different areas have experienced flooding due to the downpour, that has also caused damage to infrastructure and mobility has been limited in some areas, especially in the east and north.
Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) executive director Allen Kagina recently revealed that the rain has cost the country Shs57 billion in maintaining the road network across the country.

“We have been using firewood ever since this school was established in 2OOO. This has enabled us survive as an institution because we spend less on firewood, thus can maximise our profits as a private school,” says Peter Okello, a deputy head teacher at a private secondary.
“The wood we use doesn’t come from one place. It depends on where we are tipped on the already cut trees. However, it is got from far places deep in the villages and at times, when it is scarce due to competition; we go upcountry to look for wood. It is really a struggle to get this firewood you see here,” Twijukye reveals.

Twijukye adds that their current supply areas include Mityana, Mubende and areas of Mukono.
Okello, just like Twijukye, says his school uses three trucks in a week and that this wood is got from upcountry. They have people who keep patrolling different places looking for wood and as soon as it is found, they let them know.
He admits that there are days when they fail to get firewood because its demand is really high.
“Wood is on a very high demand and accessing it is not easy. We keep networking with people in far places to secure it for us.

Solomon Mwanje, the foods master at St Standard High school in Namungona, says after realising the scarcity of wood in 2011, they embarked on solar system, which is fairly cheaper because it stores more energy, which could be used for so long. He reveals that it cost them around Shs9m to connect this solar system.
Frank Muramuzi, the executive director of the National Association of the Professional Environmentalists, advises schools to take advantage of their school farms to get this biogas.

Kadilo reveals that as National Forestry Authority, they are emphasising institutions like schools to invest in other means instead of relying on firewood because they could get stranded when the trees are no more. He says they have initiated a programme of supplying seedlings to whoever wants to plant trees, though some schools have not yet embraced the idea.
He, however, says because of the limited resources, they cannot satisfy everyone by giving them these seedlings.
“Planting of trees shouldn’t only be left to institutions but it should be every one’s role. There is no reason why people should be stopped from conserving their land,” says Kadilo.

Ministry of education speaks out
Patrick Muida, the spokesperson Ministry of Education, admits that many schools depend on firewood for cooking and that this affects the environment. However, he notes that as a ministry, they are carrying out sensitisation to ensure that schools embrace the use of renewable energy like biogas, adding that by doing so, they could even spend less compared to the firewood expenses.

“We are happy that many schools are now heeding to our advice by using biogas energy. All Schools ought to embark on this type of energy because it is cheaper than the firewood, which is at times scarce due to competition. Schools that continue using firewood could find themselves in trouble, especially when the law takes its course on them,” Muida warns.
Biogas is made by decomposition of organic matter such as sewage, animal byproducts and solid waste from agricultural and other industries. The primary sources of biogas are landfills, livestock operations and waste water treatment plants.

The law about deforestation
Users aware. While most of the schools Saturday Monitor visited were eager to reveal details of their operations, they were not keen on being identified, given the legislation against deforestation.
The law. According to the National Forestry and Tree planting Act, 8/2003 Sec32 (1), No person shall, except for forestry purposes and in accordance with a management plan or in accordance with a license granted under this act, in a forest reserve or community forest; (a) cut, take, work or remove forest produce. (2) Any person who contravenes this section commits an offence and is liable, on conviction to a fine not exceeding thirty currency points or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both.
Enforcement. However, with little or no enforcement, many trees continue to be cut. It is a common sight to see a truck full of logs making its to a school. But even then, major users of firewood are already facing hardships in accessibility.