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NFA, partners agree on restoration of depleted forest reserves
NFA and WWF officials following the meeting on August 19, 2024. PHOTO/ COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Kihumuro explained that the group members are involved in planting trees and weeding them where they earn money that they save.
- According to the report, the restoration efforts led to the creation of more than 1,000 jobs and restored livelihoods of about 2,000 households.
The National Forestry Authority (NFA) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have pledged to strengthen collaboration in the conservation and restoration of Uganda’s forests.
NFA acting Managing Director Stuart Maniraguha highlighted that with support from WWF, they have been able to restore and conserve Bugoma, Kagombe, Ibambaaro, and Kitechura central forest reserves in Bunyoro Sub-region.
“We thank WWF for support to NFA in terms of equipment and capacity building but most importantly rehabilitation of eco-system. For many years, we have been receiving support from WWF for improvement of management of forest reserves within the Bugoma- Kagombe landscape. This has been ongoing for three years,” Mr Maniraguha said.
He was meeting senior WWF officials, who included Mr Ivan Tumuhimbise, the country director; and, Mr Flemming Voetmann, the vice president in charge of sustainability.
Mr Flemming reflected on the partnership, stating: "It has been a journey of two and a half years with NFA, I applaud the NFA leadership for its strategic and robust planning interventions in protecting and planting forest reserves in Uganda.”
He emphasized the need for deeper collaboration.
"We need to make more meaningful partnerships with NFA and implement more activities in Uganda," he said.
Mr Philip Kihumuro, the manager in charge of the natural forest regeneration finance carbon absorption (FRFCA) project in the Albertine region, said in the last three years, under the FRECAR project, they have so far restored 1,126 hectares of degraded forests in Kagombe Central Forest Reserve.
He said they have been able to achieve this through working with communities.
“So what we are doing is restoring degraded landscapes. We are restoring livelihoods for the communities, but also establishing a favourable policy environment to ensure that all our efforts anchor well within the country's commitments, both on biodiversity but also on the climate question,” Mr Kihumuro said.
He said the communities have been helped to start their own village saving associations where they save and later borrow from at low interest rates.
“We see within the three years, a total amount of closed $170,000 has gone through 4,039 groups that are within the communities. And this is a great impression to improve the lives of the people,” he said.
Kihumuro explained that the group members are involved in planting trees and weeding them where they earn money that they save.
“Close to $170,000 has gone through the 39 groups within the communities which goes a long way in improving their livelihoods. By earning something, the group members take pressure off the forests.”
According to the WWF report for 2023, the conservation body restored 3,439 hectares of forest cover in Rwenzori Mountains National Park and another 1,126 hectares in Kangombe Central Forest Reserve in Albertine Grabben and established 479.4 hectares of community woodlots to enhance carbon stocks within the forests.
According to the report, the restoration efforts led to the creation of more than 1,000 jobs and restored livelihoods of about 2,000 households.
The report indicates that 144 youths were trained in skills such as basket weaving, beekeeping, bamboo woven products, kitchenware production, and vermicomposting.
