Will World Bank allow government to sell Mabira?
Aug 21, 2011
IN 2001, the Government entered an agreement with the World Bank to conserve and expand Mabira Forest. In the agreement, Mabira was to be expanded because it is a critical catchment area for the water bodies that water the Bujagali dam on River Nile. <b>Gerald Tenywa </b>traced the genesis of the ag
IN 2001, the Government entered an agreement with the World Bank to conserve and expand Mabira Forest. In the agreement, Mabira was to be expanded because it is a critical catchment area for the water bodies that water the Bujagali dam on River Nile. Gerald Tenywa traced the genesis of the agreement.
The hartebeest is a very forgetful animal. Even after seeing a lion on the prowl, it will flee but stop nearby and start grazing as if there is no looming danger.
The Government of Uganda may be behaving in a similar way. To get the World Bank loan to build Bujagali dam, Government signed a condition to conserve and expand the forest in order to address the negative implications of the dam on river Nile. Unfortunately, the Government is behaving like the hartebeest.
It is proposing to give away part of Mabira Forest to Mehtas SCOUL to expand sugar plantations.
“The Government of Uganda undertakes to conserve the present ecological system of Mabira Forest reserve on both banks of Kalagala falls,†reads part of the agreement, signed by the then energy minister, Syda Bumba and the World Bank country manager, Robert Blake.
Documents obtained by Saturday Vision, indicate that giving away part of the forest would violate the agreement. Keeping Mabira Forest intact was a requirement of the World Bank for approving the hydro-electricity power project at Bujagali Falls.
A three-year study on the environmental and social impact of the proposed dam found that the forest would reduce the negative impacts of the dam on the Upper Nile.
Four years ago, at the heat of a debate to sell part of Mabira for sugarcane growing, the World Bank country manager then, Grace Yabrudy, wrote to the head of the Wildlife Clubs of Uganda, Joel Musasizi, saying the energy minister had assured the Bank that the agreement still stood.
This week, Steven Shalita, the senior communication specialist at the World Bank, Uganda, confirmed that the agreement was still binding, but declined to comment further, saying the person responsible was out of the country.
On Wednesday, Musasizi insisted that the Government has a choice to either fail Bujagali dam by giving away part of Mabira forest or address issues affecting the economy.
“The President is faced with an economy that is not working and wants public attention shifted to Mabira,†says Musasizi.
In a recent statement, President Museveni accused the opposition, particularly Beatrice Anywar, the Kitgum Woman MP, for blocking the give-away of the forest.
According to Musasizi, Anywar is being used as a scape goat. “The problem is much bigger than Anywar or Mabira,†he says.
He added that the Agha Khan and Mehta group of companies had the key to solving the Mabira conflict. He said the two parties have a role to play because the Agha Khan is a major shareholder in Bujagali, through the Agha Khan Fund for Economic Development, while the Mehta family owns the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Lugazi (SCOUL).
“It is not in the interest of Aga Khan to lose Mabira forest because it is a catchment area for the Nile,†says Musasizi, adding that Mehta should adopt environmentally friendly methods because they depend on rain to grow their sugarcanes.
Godber Tumushabe, the head of Advocates for the Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) says the Government should keep its promise as per the agreement with the World Bank.
He also said the issue of degazzetting Mabira had been overly politicised and officials were afraid of advising politicians on the issue.
‘Degraded’ part has half the tree species in Mabira Forest
Researchers from Makerere University have discovered that the parts of Mabira Forest that have been described as degraded, contain 200 different tree species, including those of hard wood.
Gerald Eilu, a lecturer at the Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, says this is about half the number of plant species in Mabira Forest.
“The paper mulberry which is dominant in the allegedly degraded areas of the forest helps to nurse other hard wood species,†said Eilu.
“It is just a matter of time and we shall have all species in those areas that had suffered encroachment. We have to ensure that the forest is not disturbed again,†he added.
In addition to this, satellite images from the National Environment Management Authority and the United Nations Environment Programme show increased stocking of biomass in areas that suffered encroachment.
This comes after almost two decades of forest management. From the 1970s to the 1980s, the forest suffered severe encroachment untill 1989, when President Museveni ordered them to be evicted.
“The forest has recovered. The only problem is that people outside Mabira have turned their land into farmland and settlements,†said John Diisi, of the National Forestry Authority.
This, he said, meant more pressure was being exerted on Mabira Forest. As part of the management plan to conserve Mabira, the communities are being supported through organised groups to plant trees on their land.
They are also being encouraged to take on bee keeping and making handicrafts to improve their livelihood, so that they can appreciate the conservation of the forest.
The hartebeest is a very forgetful animal. Even after seeing a lion on the prowl, it will flee but stop nearby and start grazing as if there is no looming danger.
The Government of Uganda may be behaving in a similar way. To get the World Bank loan to build Bujagali dam, Government signed a condition to conserve and expand the forest in order to address the negative implications of the dam on river Nile. Unfortunately, the Government is behaving like the hartebeest.
It is proposing to give away part of Mabira Forest to Mehtas SCOUL to expand sugar plantations.
“The Government of Uganda undertakes to conserve the present ecological system of Mabira Forest reserve on both banks of Kalagala falls,†reads part of the agreement, signed by the then energy minister, Syda Bumba and the World Bank country manager, Robert Blake.
Documents obtained by Saturday Vision, indicate that giving away part of the forest would violate the agreement. Keeping Mabira Forest intact was a requirement of the World Bank for approving the hydro-electricity power project at Bujagali Falls.
A three-year study on the environmental and social impact of the proposed dam found that the forest would reduce the negative impacts of the dam on the Upper Nile.
Four years ago, at the heat of a debate to sell part of Mabira for sugarcane growing, the World Bank country manager then, Grace Yabrudy, wrote to the head of the Wildlife Clubs of Uganda, Joel Musasizi, saying the energy minister had assured the Bank that the agreement still stood.
This week, Steven Shalita, the senior communication specialist at the World Bank, Uganda, confirmed that the agreement was still binding, but declined to comment further, saying the person responsible was out of the country.
On Wednesday, Musasizi insisted that the Government has a choice to either fail Bujagali dam by giving away part of Mabira forest or address issues affecting the economy.
“The President is faced with an economy that is not working and wants public attention shifted to Mabira,†says Musasizi.
In a recent statement, President Museveni accused the opposition, particularly Beatrice Anywar, the Kitgum Woman MP, for blocking the give-away of the forest.
According to Musasizi, Anywar is being used as a scape goat. “The problem is much bigger than Anywar or Mabira,†he says.
He added that the Agha Khan and Mehta group of companies had the key to solving the Mabira conflict. He said the two parties have a role to play because the Agha Khan is a major shareholder in Bujagali, through the Agha Khan Fund for Economic Development, while the Mehta family owns the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Lugazi (SCOUL).
“It is not in the interest of Aga Khan to lose Mabira forest because it is a catchment area for the Nile,†says Musasizi, adding that Mehta should adopt environmentally friendly methods because they depend on rain to grow their sugarcanes.
Godber Tumushabe, the head of Advocates for the Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) says the Government should keep its promise as per the agreement with the World Bank.
He also said the issue of degazzetting Mabira had been overly politicised and officials were afraid of advising politicians on the issue.
‘Degraded’ part has half the tree species in Mabira Forest
Researchers from Makerere University have discovered that the parts of Mabira Forest that have been described as degraded, contain 200 different tree species, including those of hard wood.
Gerald Eilu, a lecturer at the Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, says this is about half the number of plant species in Mabira Forest.
“The paper mulberry which is dominant in the allegedly degraded areas of the forest helps to nurse other hard wood species,†said Eilu.
“It is just a matter of time and we shall have all species in those areas that had suffered encroachment. We have to ensure that the forest is not disturbed again,†he added.
In addition to this, satellite images from the National Environment Management Authority and the United Nations Environment Programme show increased stocking of biomass in areas that suffered encroachment.
This comes after almost two decades of forest management. From the 1970s to the 1980s, the forest suffered severe encroachment untill 1989, when President Museveni ordered them to be evicted.
“The forest has recovered. The only problem is that people outside Mabira have turned their land into farmland and settlements,†said John Diisi, of the National Forestry Authority.
This, he said, meant more pressure was being exerted on Mabira Forest. As part of the management plan to conserve Mabira, the communities are being supported through organised groups to plant trees on their land.
They are also being encouraged to take on bee keeping and making handicrafts to improve their livelihood, so that they can appreciate the conservation of the forest.