International Day of Forests: Are we celebrating or mourning?
The 41,142 hectare forest land was gazetted as a central forest reserve in 1932 and had remained intact until fairly recently. PHOTOS | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The removal of critical resources has made life even harder for local populations, who now face increasing difficulty accessing clean water, nutritious food and traditional medicine.
On the International Day of Forests, we celebrate the vital role forests play in supporting life on Earth. This year’s theme, "Forests and Food," highlights how deeply forests are connected to global food security. However, as we reflect on their importance, we must also confront the growing threat they face.
Deforestation driven by activities like oil pipeline construction and agricultural expansion is rapidly depleting these essential ecosystems. As we observe this day, we must ask ourselves: Are we truly celebrating the life-giving force of forests, or mourning their destruction?
In Uganda, Bugoma Forest, one of the country’s largest and most biodiverse rainforests, has become a focal point of deforestation due to the encroachment of agricultural activities and oil projects.
In recent years, the forest has been cleared to make way for commercial farming. According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Bugoma Forest is home to around 5,000 chimpanzees and its destruction threatens both the species and the livelihoods of the 100,000 people living in the surrounding areas who depend on its resources. Uganda has already lost approximately 45 percent of its forest cover since the 1990s and ongoing deforestation continues to exacerbate environmental degradation.
The situation has worsened with the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a project that has led to further encroachment into the forest. As the pipeline cuts through Uganda’s rich landscapes, it has exacerbated deforestation and disrupted the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
The removal of critical resources has made life even harder for local populations, who now face increasing difficulty accessing clean water, nutritious food and traditional medicine.
The environmental toll of the Eacop project, compounded by ongoing agricultural expansion leaves these communities vulnerable to further climate impacts and food insecurity.
In addition to oil pipeline projects, industrial agriculture has also played a significant role in forest degradation. According to a report by the FAO, about 80 percent of global deforestation is driven by agricultural expansion.
In Uganda, where about 60 percent of the population is employed in agriculture, the rapid conversion of forests for farming has had severe consequences.
As forests are cleared for farming and the so-called development projects like East African Crude Oil pipeline, local biodiversity is lost and soil health is depleted.
The degradation of forests has a direct impact on the environment, leading to extreme weather events such as flooding and droughts in most parts of Uganda which has resulted into displacement of people, death and food insecurity. This year’s theme, “Forests and Food,” should be a call to action.
The destruction of forests is not only an environmental issue, it is a human rights issue. The communities most affected by deforestation are often the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women, indigenous groups and rural populations. These communities are often excluded from decision-making processes around land use and conservation, leaving them powerless to protect their homes and livelihoods. The loss of forests exacerbates social inequality as those who rely on these ecosystems are the ones who suffer the most.
On this International Day of Forests, we must not only recognise the importance of forests but also acknowledge the devastating impact their destruction is having on food security and local communities. Rather than celebrating their loss, we must commit to protecting and restoring these vital ecosystems.
This means halting the expansion of oil pipelines, curbing unsustainable agricultural practices and promoting conservation efforts that prioritise the rights and needs of local communities.
Therefore, the question remains, are we truly celebrating forests on this special day or are we mourning their loss? If we are to secure a sustainable future for ourselves and generations to come, it is time to shift the narrative from destruction to restoration.
We must protect our forests, not only for the sake of biodiversity but also for the future of food security, climate resilience, and the well-being of the most vulnerable communities around the world
Caroline Kinkuhaire, Gender and Advocacy Officer, Youth For Green Communities (YGC), [email protected]
