In showing commitment to the Bonn Challenge set by international practitioners in a global effort to restore 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded land by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030, under the African Restoration Initiative African countries have pledged to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
Uganda, a landlocked country located in East Africa divided by the Equator, has an abundance of natural resources including vast forests whose total area was estimated to be 1,277,684 hectares in 2019 after its forest cover had decreased from 24% (or 4.9 million hectares) in 1990 to 9% (1.83 million hectares) in 2018, a loss of 3 million hectares in just 25 years.
Globally, Uganda is among the countries with the highest rate of deforestation and studies show that if the current trend continues, there will be no trees remaining in 40 years.
See also: Seven alarming facts about deforestation and statistics by region
Although the country has lost more than a quarter of its forest cover since 1990, Uganda was among the countries that pledged support to the African Union mandate towards the Bonn Challenge. The government has promised to restore 2.5 million hectares of forest by 2030 as part of the AFR100 reforestation program.
In an attempt to uphold this pledge, Uganda has involved many specialists. The United States-based non-profit Wild Forests & Fauna is part of the broader effort to restore forest landscapes in the climate change-vulnerable tropics through native species restoration under the Native Seeds Project with the aim of restoring Northern Uganda’s tree cover.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has also provided assistance, helping to evaluate the possibilities for restoration throughout the nation. This included determining the best restoration options through the use of the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM). Together with the development of creative tools such as the Africa Tree Finder Application (in collaboration with ICRAF) and an interactive radio series to promote FLR, IUCN has also directly funded innovative grassroots FLR financing mechanisms such as the Community Conservation Environment Fund and the ECOTRUST Trees for Global Benefit program.
Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL), through its Water of Life initiative, has signed a partnership with Rotary Uganda to jointly restore 200 hectares of forest reserves within Lake Victoria water catchment areas. Many organizations, companies, and individuals have supported this conservation and restoration process.
However, the strategies to reach the government’s stated target have not been well implemented. It is estimated that no institution in Uganda has restored 100,000 hectares as part of the 2.5 million that has been promised.
So far only about 3,500 ha of degraded natural forests have been restored, roughly 5,400 ha of the 60,000 ha set aside for commercial tree plantations have been developed, and 950 km of external boundaries have been resurveyed.
How bad is it?
According to the Forest Reference Level submitted by Uganda in 2017, deforestation continues to occur at a rate of approximately 50,147 hectares annually, contributing to emissions equivalent to 8,253,982 tons of CO2. If this rate continues, it is estimated that a significant portion of Uganda’s forested area could disappear within the coming century.
Furthermore, a report by the National Forestry Authority and the Ministry of Water and Environment Forestry Sector has highlighted that if the current high rate of deforestation in Uganda continues, the country’s forests could be entirely depleted by the year 2040.
See also: Forests can save our planet. But can we protect the forests?
It is estimated that the current rate of deforestation in Uganda is among the highest in the world, and the consequences of this destruction are wide-ranging and severe. The loss of forest cover has caused significant damage to the country’s biodiversity, leading to the loss of species and habitats. Moreover, the destruction of forests has serious implications for climate change, as trees play a critical role in regulating the global climate by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide.
Main drivers of deforestation
According to environmentalist, Mayina Paul, the desire for land is the primary and most visible reason contributing to deforestation in Uganda.
“Uganda’s population has been rapidly expanding as a developing country. This expansion has put a strain on existing land resources and raised demand for agricultural land, which is frequently located in forested areas.”
He pointed out that the government itself has been encouraging people to clear forests for agricultural purposes in order to boost food production and “make Uganda self-sufficient”.
“While economic factors drive deforestation in Uganda, it is crucial to highlight that the country has been hit by a number of natural calamities, including droughts and floods. These have resulted in significant human and property losses, as well as food shortages for millions of people.”
According to a World Resources Institute report, farming is a major cause of deforestation in Uganda, accounting for more than half of all deforestation. People destroy forests and convert the area to agricultural land as they move to more rural regions and develop farms. Other causes of deforestation in Uganda include illegal logging and charcoal production. Charcoal production is of particular concern as it is the main source of energy for many rural households. Charcoal production is illegal in Uganda but it remains widespread due to the lack of enforcement by the government. Illegal logging is also an ongoing problem in Uganda with large-scale logging operations taking place in the forests of the country.
Measures by Uganda’s government
Tom Obong Okello, Executive Director of the Uganda National Forestry Authority, told DevelopmentAid that the government has passed legislation prohibiting deforestation for any purpose other than food production. It has also been seeking to strengthen the enforcement of these regulations and to crack down on illegal logging and charcoal manufacture. Furthermore, the government has established a number of forestry reserves, protected areas, and wildlife sanctuaries to conserve the country’s forests and biodiversity.
The government is also investing in sustainable forestry practices that can help to reduce deforestation while still providing economic benefits, such as agroforestry which involves growing trees in conjunction with crops, and community forestry which involves local communities in forest management and co-management.
