The European Union (EU) has promised to keep helping Uganda recover its lost forest cover.

The commitment was made during the signing of the new Forest Partnership Roadmap between Uganda and the EU at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Thursday.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja signed the roadmap on behalf of Uganda while Guillaume Chartrain, deputy EU Ambassador signed on behalf of the EU.

According to Chartrain, this is in fulfilment of the promise made by the European Union during COP26 in Glasgow to partner nations in their efforts to protect, restore, and sustainably manage forests globally and respect the Paris Agreement goals.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja during the signing of the Forest Partnership Roadmap at the Prime Minister's Office boardroom. (Photo by Jeff Andrew Lule)

The EU and the government signed the forest partnership in November last year on the sidelines of the 27th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Egypt.

In addition to boosting the role of forests in the bio-economy and fostering the trade flows of wood material, Chartrian emphasized that with the partnerships in place, they saw themselves accomplishing the goals of the European Green Deal and the Global Gateway, the EU's strategy for sustainable connectivity.

He pointed out that the Ugandan government, through the Ministry of Water and Environment, and the EU delegation in Kampala, had put in a significant amount of work to make this agreement a concrete reality and to define the specifics.

“Together, we have laid the groundwork for commercial forestry in Uganda, leading to years of collective effort to identify and implement inclusive solutions that strike a balance between different land uses, reduce deforestation, forest degradation, and conversion of natural ecosystems,” Chartrain added.

He noted that it is a concrete example of the EU and Team Europe's conviction that in supporting engaged partners, it is possible to combine development and investments with protection of the biodiversity and curbing climate change.

“Together, we strive to ensure sustainable forest management by improving forest governance and fostering a conducive business environment. We aim to stimulate the forest bio-economy, creating jobs and socioeconomic development through sustainable forest-related value chains and market access,” he added.

He added that the roadmap has been carefully constructed around several key objectives including sustainable forest management, fostering job creation through the forest value chains, curbing deforestation, and facilitating trade in legal and sustainable wood products between partner countries and the EU.

Prime Minister Nabbanja noted that the forest partnership roadmap is very important as the country struggles to end deforestation, adding that the five-year roadmap is a commitment to the government's objective to stop and reverse forest loss and degradation.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and the Deputy European Union Ambassador to Uganda Guillaume Chartrain pausing for a photo after endorsing the Forest Partnership Roadmap. (Photo by Jeff Andrew Lule)

She said it disgusting that widespread deforestation is still practised throughout the nation while the timber is exported just to be imported once more as finished furniture items at exorbitant prices.

She said the president ordered that only factories processing timber within the country for plywood boards, furniture and other products should be allowed to operate, and must have a sustainable harvesting plan that “when a tree is cut, two or three are planted as a practice to sustainably protect and conserve the environment.

She wondered why the National Forest Authority (NFA) has to wait for the EU to embark on forest restoration.

The state minister for water and environment, Beatrice Anywar stated that by meeting the partnership's goals, the government will be able to realize the goals set forth in the various development strategies, including the ten-year restoration plan for 2021 to 2031.

She said this will deepen cooperation in the field of protection, restoration and sustainable use of forests.