BY DAVID MAFABI
FINCA Uganda in partnership with National Forestry Authority (NFA) have embarked on a forest restoration initiative worth Shs 100,000,000 for 60 hectares of forest land.
This corporate social responsibility program is in commemoration FINCA’s 30th anniversary in Uganda.
The forest restoration initiative will cover a period of five (5) years while the restoration planting will be spread to ten central forest reserves across the country.
The first restoration planting is being launched in Bajo Central Forest Reserve (CFR) in Bbaale constituency – Kayunga district and Bajo CFR covers a total of 3,373 ha.
Bajjo CFR was gazzetted in 1932 as a catchment area for R. Ssezibwa and R. Nile that are a water catchment for L. Victoria. Bajo CFR also serves industrial private planting.
The function graced by the Minister of State for Finance Mr Amos Lugoolobi and Ntenjeru Member of Parliament, The FINCA Board Chair-Olive Lumonya, the Executive Director National Forestry Authority, FINCA International Board Representatives- Mr Alejandero Jacubowicz and Keith Sand bloom, As well as the FINCA Uganda management committee, NFA staff and communities adjacent to Bajo CFR.
While speaking at the launch of the initiative, the Board Chair- Ms Olive Lumonya said, “At FINCA, we are cognizant of the need to preserve the environment for the present and future generations. At the end of this 5 year period, we should have restored over 60 hectares of forest cover”
“FINCA believes in conserving the environment and its sustainability. This is also depicted in our logo, symbolized as a tree nurturing another” Ms Lumonya said.
She revealed that part of FINCA’s core values is to support growth in all its ramifications and that having trees in our environment adds so much value such as absorbing carbon dioxide which is hazardous to human health, creating shade and being productive, generally.
Mr Lugolobi, the minister of state for finance implored all Ugandans to embrace conservation of the environment.
“You are a Ugandan first and these are Uganda’s resources that we must conserve. We need a mind-set change among communities, to help the population gain positive and favorable attitudes towards tree growing and forest protection, while adopting non-wood sources of fuel” Mr Lugolobi said.
The executive director of NFA Mr Tom Obong Okello expressed his appreciation to FINCA for the restoration initiative.
“When we see a private company like FINCA choosing to invest in tree growing then then know that as country we have a collective responsibility to restore our degraded landscape and it is because of such initiates coupled with NFA forest restoration programs, plantation establishment and strict protection of the forests that we have recently seen an increase in forest cover from 9% of the total land cover in Uganda in 2015 to 13.4% in 2019 National Biomass Report.” Mr Okello said.
He explained that at NFA they believe if all citizens/companies/agencies embraced such tree planting efforts Uganda with her National Development Plan III that targets to forest cover up to 15% and the Uganda Vision 2040 that targets restoring forest cover to 24% of the total land cover like it was in 1990, this would minimize on the environmental disasters that we are witnessing today like the recent flash floods in Mbale district.
This restoration drive comes at a time when efforts are needed to restore Uganda’s forest cover for a better Uganda with tree growing as one of the mitigation measures to the effects of climate change. Ends
State of degradation
Forest cover. A 2017 Joint Water and Environment Sector Review Report put the country’s forest cover at 9 per cent, representing a 3 per cent drop in just two years. “The major challenge for forest management in Uganda is deforestation,” reads part of the report.
Most affected. The same report listed Mabira forest, part of the 506 reserves under NFA, to have lost thousands of hectares of land “degraded or under stocked”.
Importance of forests
Forests act as habitat for animals, birds, water catchments, source of firewood and also influence rainfall formation.
