Inside Govt Shs500m plan to restore forest cover in East

The government has unveiled plans to plant 300,000 high-value trees in Eastern Uganda which has emerged as the region with the lowest forest cover, according to an official from the National Forestry Authority (NFA).

The NFA is mandated to manage central forest reserves on a sustainable basis and supply high-quality forest-related products and services to the government, local communities and the private sector.

The NFA Range Manager, Kyoga, which covers Busoga, Bugisu, Bukedi and Teso sub-regions, Mr Michael Kusuro, said Busoga’s forest cover currently stands at about 10 per cent, while the eastern region generally has the lowest forest cover compared to other regions.

“Western region has the highest forest cover, followed by northern and central regions. The east is low and the NFA wants to ensure that a balance among the regions is attained by trying to bring the east up,” Mr Kusuro said in an interview on Monday.

To partly achieve this balance, Mr Kusuro said 746 hectares of Namatale forest reserve in the Bugisu sub-region are currently undergoing restoration of its forest cover.

“We started in March with engagements and effective next month (May), we are going to plant 300,000 high-value trees consisting of Prunus Africana and Elgon Olive at a cost of about Shs500m,” he added.

Mr Kusuro says high-value trees are not about having good quality timber at the end of the day, but carbon absorption.

“Natural trees play a bigger role in carbon absorption and biodiversity conservation in general, including being a source of rivers and habitat for wildlife among other roles,” he noted.

According to Mr Kusuro, in 1992, the country’s forest cover stood at 24 per cent, but by 2015, it had declined to 8.8 per cent, and it currently stands at 14 per cent; therefore, current efforts by the NFA are to have it back to 24 per cent by 2030.

Ms Daisy Atukunda from One Acre Fund (OAF) which supports the government in the production of seedlings said since 2020, they have distributed about 1.7 million Grevillea Robusta tree seedlings to farmers in Kamuli, Jinja, Iganga and Bugweri districts, which has fully met their target.

The Government Relations Coordinator OAF, Ms Brenda Yariwo, said the project has 30 sites, with each site having 700 farmers, and each farmer receiving 30 tree seedlings.

“Distribution of the last batch of tree seedlings started on Monday in Mwira village, Nambale sub-county, Iganga District, and will continue up to Friday across other sites,” she explained.

The Iganga Natural Resources Officer, Mr Abdul Samanya, says trees have significantly reduced in the area because of deforestation aimed at providing land for sugarcane farming, and producing charcoal.

“There is a scarcity of good, strong timber which is used for construction; so, people have resorted to building using poles,” he said.

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