All forest reserves must be protected

Apr 29, 2007

TWO more forest reserves, Wantai and Katabalalu, both in Mpigi district, have been wiped out by encroachers and illegal loggers. A third of Buvuma forest has also been significantly destroyed.

TWO more forest reserves, Wantai and Katabalalu, both in Mpigi district, have been wiped out by encroachers and illegal loggers. A third of Buvuma forest has also been significantly destroyed.

These aren’t the only forests that have been destroyed by encroachers and illegal loggers. Uganda’s forests are disappearing at an alarming rate of 2% per year, the highest in the world. Six thousand hectares of trees are being cut down every month, 72,000 hectares in 2006. At this pace, Uganda’s forests will have gone in 50 years. Seventy percent of the 506 forest reserves in the country are at risk destruction.

Encroachment in the central forest reserves is on the rise. The number of people building houses, farming and grazing their livestock in the protected forests went up from 180,000 to 220,000 between 2005 and 2006, an increase of 23%.

A heated public debate has been raging over the past few weeks over the planned giveaway of part of Mabira forest reserve to the Lugazi-based Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited. Obviously the public is against the planned giveaway of part of Mabira forest.

Unfortunately, similar public concern for other forest reserves is lacking. The massive destruction of the forest reserves and the wetlands shows lack of public concern for the protection of the environment in general.

The environmentalists, religious leaders, political leaders at all levels should carry out a national campaign to sensitise the public on grave dangers of destroying the forests reserves, not just Mabira forest. All the 506 forest reserves must be protected.

Government should provide more resources to the National Forestry Authority to execute its mandate. Due to inadequate funding, the NFA is currently grossly understaffed and poorly equipped.

The NFA faces big challenges and require big funding. Government must also support the NFA to evict encroachers from the forest reserves.

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