Forest conservation now turning deadly
Feb 05, 2009
January 14 started like a normal working day for the National Forestry Authority (NFA) officers, Alfred Ezati, a forest supervisor and Emmanuel Asiimwe, a patrolman at the Masaka field office. This, until they got reports that the shrill sound of the drea
By Moses Watasa
January 14 started like a normal working day for the National Forestry Authority (NFA) officers, Alfred Ezati, a forest supervisor and Emmanuel Asiimwe, a patrolman at the Masaka field office. This, until they got reports that the shrill sound of the dreaded chain-saw had been detected in Jubia forest reserve along the shores of Lake Victoria and that illegal operators were felling trees. By 10:00am, the duo was riding to the forest to verify the reports.
The superstitious would probably say destiny was beckoning them. The trip turned tragic and was their last to the forest. The diabolical hacking-to-death of Alfred Ezati and Emmanuel Asiimwe by illegal timber loggers has left us sobbing, speechless and soul-searching.
As the news filtered through, an environment reporter inquired: “How did this situation get this bad? Won’t other NFA officers be murdered?†“NFA is operating in a fluid, complex and often dangerous conditions,†I told him.
NFA manages 506 forest reserves, belonging to the government and thus Ugandans. For sustainable management, the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003 spells out prohibited activities in forest reserves, including unauthorised extraction of timber.
Since forest reserves are public forests, NFA is an overseer, conserving them for Uganda and for posterity. So if they were not cold-blooded hoodlums, the murderers of Alfred Ezati and Emmanuel Asiimwe would realise they killed their ‘custodian’ and transgressed against government because these were public officers on duty.
The danger lurking over NFA’s staff lies in how a growing population, fused with raw business interests and local politics clashing with the quest for conservation.
This, coupled with depletion of trees on private land is heightening sinister timber-extraction on protected areas and forest reserves. The demand for wood out-strips supply by about 18 %, therefore, NFA faces a monstrous task to keep illegal loggers at bay.
Today, over 300,000 hostile encroachers occupy forest reserves. Emboldened by local politicians, encroachers have declared no-go areas for NFA in parts of south-Busoga reserves.
In Bugoma reserves, Hoima district, a sense of security for staff returned after the deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces to back-up NFA.
To address this situation, the Government should encourage Ugandans to plant trees. Broadening subsidies to the private sector for establishment of commercial timber plantations could also be considered. A component on consistently addressing encroachment in an orderly way is also necessary.
In the short-run, the Government should beef-up security for NFA staff. This could be through creating an ‘environment force’ appended to NFA or as proposed by board chairman, Baguma Isoke, by training and arming staff in dangerous environs.
As we mourn our fallen colleagues, we also celebrate their extraordinary commitment to duty and their contribution the forestry sector. We hope their spilt blood invokes a quick solution that prevents further murder of NFA staff.
The writer is the public relations manager of the
National Forestry Authority
- Send a topical opinion with your picture to guestwriter@newvision.co.ug. We take 600 words only
January 14 started like a normal working day for the National Forestry Authority (NFA) officers, Alfred Ezati, a forest supervisor and Emmanuel Asiimwe, a patrolman at the Masaka field office. This, until they got reports that the shrill sound of the dreaded chain-saw had been detected in Jubia forest reserve along the shores of Lake Victoria and that illegal operators were felling trees. By 10:00am, the duo was riding to the forest to verify the reports.
The superstitious would probably say destiny was beckoning them. The trip turned tragic and was their last to the forest. The diabolical hacking-to-death of Alfred Ezati and Emmanuel Asiimwe by illegal timber loggers has left us sobbing, speechless and soul-searching.
As the news filtered through, an environment reporter inquired: “How did this situation get this bad? Won’t other NFA officers be murdered?†“NFA is operating in a fluid, complex and often dangerous conditions,†I told him.
NFA manages 506 forest reserves, belonging to the government and thus Ugandans. For sustainable management, the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003 spells out prohibited activities in forest reserves, including unauthorised extraction of timber.
Since forest reserves are public forests, NFA is an overseer, conserving them for Uganda and for posterity. So if they were not cold-blooded hoodlums, the murderers of Alfred Ezati and Emmanuel Asiimwe would realise they killed their ‘custodian’ and transgressed against government because these were public officers on duty.
The danger lurking over NFA’s staff lies in how a growing population, fused with raw business interests and local politics clashing with the quest for conservation.
This, coupled with depletion of trees on private land is heightening sinister timber-extraction on protected areas and forest reserves. The demand for wood out-strips supply by about 18 %, therefore, NFA faces a monstrous task to keep illegal loggers at bay.
Today, over 300,000 hostile encroachers occupy forest reserves. Emboldened by local politicians, encroachers have declared no-go areas for NFA in parts of south-Busoga reserves.
In Bugoma reserves, Hoima district, a sense of security for staff returned after the deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces to back-up NFA.
To address this situation, the Government should encourage Ugandans to plant trees. Broadening subsidies to the private sector for establishment of commercial timber plantations could also be considered. A component on consistently addressing encroachment in an orderly way is also necessary.
In the short-run, the Government should beef-up security for NFA staff. This could be through creating an ‘environment force’ appended to NFA or as proposed by board chairman, Baguma Isoke, by training and arming staff in dangerous environs.
As we mourn our fallen colleagues, we also celebrate their extraordinary commitment to duty and their contribution the forestry sector. We hope their spilt blood invokes a quick solution that prevents further murder of NFA staff.
The writer is the public relations manager of the
National Forestry Authority
- Send a topical opinion with your picture to guestwriter@newvision.co.ug. We take 600 words only