YUMBE DISTRICT EMBARKS ON ENVIRONMENT RESTORATION PROGRAM

BY ROBERT ELEMA

YUMBE

Over 30 years ago, Yumbe district was endowed with several animal species and trees. But as the population increases and the quest to expand homes, the animal species were poached, the trees cut down for wood fuel, charcoal, log business and timber for construction purposes.

Now with the increasing depletion due to urbanization, the district has embarked on a program to restore the environment.

Speaking to Radio Pacis on Wednesday, Mr Salim Andiga, a landlord from Romogi Sub-county said the area used to be home for wild animals but they are no more because of human activities like poaching and destruction of their habitat that has made the animals disappear from the area.

‘’We had various animal species like the Elephants, Kobs, Antelopes, Warthogs among others but as we head towards the restoration of the areas in Romogi Sub-county, the idea of keeping the wild life in areas like Queen Elizabeth National Park should be done in the district,” he said.

Equally, Ms Grace Neima, a refugee in Bidibidi zone two settlement said, across all the five zones where the refugees have settled, a lot of depletion of the environment has occurred because the refugees had to clear the areas for cultivation, wood fuel and construction.

“The partners have tried to plant trees in the settlement but because we didn’t put much interest in how to maintain the trees, many of them did not survive. There is a need to sensitize the community and implement the best practices to grow trees,” she said.

She said since Yumbe’s weather situation is unique, considerations should be made by partners implementing the restoration program at the right time to avoid wastage of resources.

Mr Michael Nabugere, the Bidibidi settlement commandant in the office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said the demand for wood fuel and construction materials in the settlement has exerted a lot of pressure in the refugee settlement so, they need alternatives of planting fast growing species to provide for the wood fuel needs of the people.

‘’We observed that, the restoration sites we went to see for example in Kibale National Forest Reserve, there’s something that has been going on for more than 20 years. Here, many partners have been bringing the restoration projects and they plan for one season (1-2years) and this can’t have an impact,” he said.

Expert’s views

A Warden for Ecological Monitoring and Research at Queen Elizabeth National Park, Joseph Arinaitwe said restoration becomes more effective when the team handling restoration has a better perspective of how the situation was before the degradation occurred.

He said the team has to know what type of plant species were in the area and what requires them to maintain them healthy and if need be, they should include Wildlife when the area is fully restored.

“Restoration is a process and the area has to be protected so that there are no disturbances from humans. Competition among the plants is one of the major issues, some plants that are not natives or they may be natives and so suppress others. They should be separated from planting time,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Richard Kigenyi, Warden for Forest Restoration at Kibale National Park said implementation of the restoration program requires a collaborative effort among the leaders, landlords and the community because the community may easily encroach the area and destroy the trees planted.

‘’With the presence of the refugees in Bidibidi refugee settlement, a lot of trees have been cut for firewood, charcoal, poles among others. Before commencement of the planned restoration program, rigorous sensitization should be done for both the refugees and the host community,” he added.

The Yumbe district chairperson for natural resources, Mr Hakim Banduga, said the high population of about one million people both the refugees and the host community put a lot of pressure on the natural resources.

‘In areas like in Kijani Forest in Amuru district, the communities offer land and engage in restoration activities where different tree species are planted so, if such interventions are brought to Yumbe, it will be helpful,’’ he said.

FAO’s intervention

FAO and UNHCR have supported the Bidibidi forest landscape management plan 2023-2028 to inform and structure implementation by partners and effective monitoring by the key stakeholders and above all to support fund mobilization for restoration needs in Bidibidi.

Ms Nelly Bedijo, Forestry Programme Associate at Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said FAO is piloting restoration of 100 hectares in Romogi sub-county under the forest landscape management plan using certified forest contractors.

She said the land was voluntarily contributed by landlords who have appreciated environmental values and benefits that forest restoration can reinstate.

’The 2019 biophysical and socio-economic assessments by FAO & UNHCR indicate that close to 929 hectares of high yielding woodlots is required to meet the annual fuelwood demand alone in Bidibidi refugee settlement,” she said.

Looking at the statistics, Ms Nelly said: “Considering an average consumption of 1.6 kg per person per day by refugees and 2.2 kg of wood fuel per person per day by the host community requires a lot of effort to safeguard the environment.”

She said FAO will continue to support capacity development through practical field-based courses, provision of cutting-edge tools and personal protective equipment (PPE) to reinforce knowledge, skills and capacity for effective community restoration.