By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with The Observer
Published on 2024-01-24 04:10:41
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is on the brink of earning substantial revenues from the sale of softwood trees that were planted 15 years ago as part of a restoration initiative for the then-degraded Kapkwata forest, situated within the Mt Elgon national park in eastern Uganda.
Samual Amanya, the UWA chief warden responsible for the Mt Elgon conservation area, has revealed that the wildlife agency expects to earn up to Shs 7 billion through the sale of the matured softwood trees within the regenerated Kapkwata forest. To achieve this, UWA initiated a tree planting project and engaged 180 former park encroachers to care for these trees during their early stages of growth, spanning three to five years.
During a recent guided tour of the Mt Elgon national park, Amanya disclosed that approximately 250 hectares of softwood trees are now ready for harvest, and UWA has begun selling them to private timber traders. The revenue generated from this endeavor will be partially allocated to support local communities in establishing alternative income-generating activities, ultimately strengthening relations and reducing encroachment issues.
Kapkwata forest, located in Kween district, had suffered deforestation due to encroachment by local farmers seeking farmland and timber loggers. In a bid to restore the forest, UWA launched a “taungya” tree-planting project, where the agency planted 10 square kilometers of trees and allowed farmers to cultivate short-term crops while tending to the trees.
Over the past 15 years, the 250 hectares of softwood trees planted during this project have matured. Bashir Hangi, UWA’s communications and public relations manager, explained that the agency plants both natural and softwood trees. Softwood trees can be sold to generate revenue and provide resources to communities, thereby reducing pressure on natural forests and allowing communities to access resources like firewood. Cuttings from softwood trees are distributed to local communities.
The 180 farmers involved in the taungya project have reaped substantial harvests by rotating short-term crops such as maize, barley, cabbages, and Irish potatoes over three-to-five-year cycles. This success has empowered these farmers to establish other businesses and supplement their incomes.
Moses Chelengat, a local council leader and beneficiary of the project, used his half-acre allocation to cultivate maize, resulting in a substantial yield that he sold to establish a retail shop in the Kwanyiny trading center. He commended the program and urged UWA to expand it to benefit more people, emphasizing the importance of educating communities about forest conservation.
Amanya has announced plans to engage between 300 and 500 additional farmers in the next phase of the taungya program. It’s noteworthy that the recently tarmacked road between Kapchorwa and Suam on the Uganda-Kenya border has improved transportation and market access for farmers in this region.
The success of the taungya arrangement has pleased UWA officials, who view it as a potential game-changer in diffusing hostilities between park authorities and local communities. Over the years, the Mt Elgon national park area, spanning more than 15 districts in the Bugisu, Sebei, and Karamoja regions, has experienced violent clashes between UWA rangers and local communities over encroachment and poaching, resulting in loss of life, destruction of crops, and property damage.
For instance, UWA statistics show that the agency has lost 15 rangers in confrontations with park land encroachers since 2003.
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