THE National Forestry Authority is to ban timber harvesting in districts whose forests have been grossly deforested.
The move follows the release of the 2008 State of Environment Report that noted that the entire forest eco-system has disappeared in 23 districts. It warned that if nothing is done to reverse the rate of deforestation, Uganda will have no forests by 2050.
“We are working on new regulations which we shall submit to the minister.
In districts like Nakasongola, where the problem is intense, we are going to ban timber harvesting both within and outside the central forest reserves,” said Hudson Andrua, the director for natural forests.
Andrua welcomed the report, noting that it showed the gravity of the situation.
“Only 30% of the forests are protected but they are also under siege by encroachers and illegal pit sawyers. Those on private land are being cut down by charcoal burners,” he said.
Between 1990 and 2005 Uganda lost about 26.3% of its forest cover, or 1.3million hectares.
He challenged politicians to desist from supporting encroachers because of money and votes.
Andrua said they were also banning cultivation of crops in forest reserves.
