Busia residents cut Busitema forest
OVER 354 hectares of Busitema forest reserve in Busia district is being depleted by people living in the neighbouring villages.
By Egessa Hajusu
OVER 354 hectares of Busitema forest reserve in Busia district is being depleted by people living in the neighbouring villages.
Cutting down poles for construction and trees for firewood and charcoal burning are the activities threatening the forest.
The forest has been encroached on in Wamusi, Butongi, Sidimbire and Bubulwa A and B villages in Bulumbi sub-county and in Hamasanja parish in Busitema sub-county.
In Bulumbi, 28 hectares of the forest have been destroyed, according to Stuart Maniragura, the National Forestry Authority (NFA) sector manager for Busia, Bugiri, Namayingo, Tororo and Butaleja districts.
He said the most affected trees are the alubizia species due to the good quality of charcoal it produces.
Maniragura, however, said although NFA is promoting community tree planting to reduce pressure on the reserve, the residents had not embraced the exercise due to the proximity of the forest.
He said NFA had teamed up with World Vision to sensitise the residents on alternative sources of energy like energy-saving stoves, saying this will reduce the use of firewood and charcoal.
Maniragura said the forestry authority had also embarked on rehabilitating the forest by replanting bathedavia (Indian Mvule) on the 28 hectares of trees that were cut down in Bulumbi. He added that 6,000 tree seedlings had been given to the communities.
The communities, Maniragura said, had also been sensitised on collaborative forest management.
However, some of the residents blamed their leaders for failing to guide them on the proper use of the forest.
OVER 354 hectares of Busitema forest reserve in Busia district is being depleted by people living in the neighbouring villages.
Cutting down poles for construction and trees for firewood and charcoal burning are the activities threatening the forest.
The forest has been encroached on in Wamusi, Butongi, Sidimbire and Bubulwa A and B villages in Bulumbi sub-county and in Hamasanja parish in Busitema sub-county.
In Bulumbi, 28 hectares of the forest have been destroyed, according to Stuart Maniragura, the National Forestry Authority (NFA) sector manager for Busia, Bugiri, Namayingo, Tororo and Butaleja districts.
He said the most affected trees are the alubizia species due to the good quality of charcoal it produces.
Maniragura, however, said although NFA is promoting community tree planting to reduce pressure on the reserve, the residents had not embraced the exercise due to the proximity of the forest.
He said NFA had teamed up with World Vision to sensitise the residents on alternative sources of energy like energy-saving stoves, saying this will reduce the use of firewood and charcoal.
Maniragura said the forestry authority had also embarked on rehabilitating the forest by replanting bathedavia (Indian Mvule) on the 28 hectares of trees that were cut down in Bulumbi. He added that 6,000 tree seedlings had been given to the communities.
The communities, Maniragura said, had also been sensitised on collaborative forest management.
However, some of the residents blamed their leaders for failing to guide them on the proper use of the forest.