Ugandan youth groups urged on climate action as deforestation crisis deepens

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Ugandan youth groups have been urged to spearhead native tree restoration amid accelerating climate change, with environmentalists warning that deforestation has stripped the country of 90% of its original forest cover since 1990.

Uganda’s forest cover has been on a decline in the past two decades.

Global Forest Watch says between 2000 and 2020, Uganda lost over 23% of its tree cover in both natural and planted forests and an average of 20.8 metric tons (mt) of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere annually. In total, 438 mt of carbon dioxide was emitted in the same period.

This ecological collapse directly fuels the climate crisis, where greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO₂) from human activities, trap heat in the atmosphere, raising global temperatures. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms human influence has caused 1.1°C of warming since pre-industrial times, intensifying Uganda’s long dry spells, floods, and crop failures.

IPCC is a United Nations body that provides governments with comprehensive scientific assessments of climate change, its impacts, and potential future risks, serving as a crucial input for international climate policy.

Godwin Mayanja, the national co-ordinator of Climate YES Uganda, has urged the youth to restore threatened native species like Prunus africana (Entaseesa), Warburgia ugandensis (Mukuzannume), mahogany, and Milicia excelsa (Muvule).

L-R: Godwin Mayanja, the National Coordinator Climate YES UG, Paul Kagga East Africa Representative Climate, George Gift Aribo CTK youth leader and Fr. John Muwanga CTK Chaplain. (Photo by Jovita Mirembe)

"When these trees are cut for fuel, we lose vital carbon sinks while releasing stored CO₂," Mayanja says, correcting a common misconception: "It’s not the cooking process itself but deforestation that cripples ecosystems and amplifies climate change." 

Climate YES, a global ecumenical movement of Christian youth partnering with faith-based non-governmental organisations, offers funding through church networks to launch replanting projects, acknowledging youth’s financial constraints.

Mayanja urges communities to adopt renewable energy (solar, wind, hydropower, and sustainable biomass) to break dependence on charcoal. Such transitions could create 12 million green jobs globally by 2030 (IRENA), while cutting Uganda’s emissions. 

Paul Kagga, the East Africa co-ordinator for Climate YES, linked deforestation to collapsing agriculture: "Pre-1990s, farmers grew crops without chemicals or irrigation. Now, erratic rains force costly inputs, threatening food security as climate chaos intensifies."

His team, according to him, has planted 500 native trees in Masulita and 300 fruit trees in Mwererwe Parish, proof that restoration can rebuild resilience.

George Gift Aribo of Christ the King Church emphasised youth’s power to shape policy: "Through social media campaigns and community advocacy, we can demand laws that protect forests."

He condemned industrial waste dumping that poisons air and water, elevating cancer and respiratory risks. With 100 youth mobilised at Kampala’s August 30, 2025, gathering, Aribo pledged concrete action, saying, “We’ll pressure leaders to enforce anti-deforestation policies and scale renewable energy.”