UJCC, CSOs, residents plant trees to replace destroyed Bugoma forest

“Ask us who used to travel to Bugoma in the early 1990s. We could come in contact with real Mother Nature. The tall tree leaves trickled drops of water upon us. We used to penetrate through mist that used to paint our hair and eyelashes white as we felt the gentle, cool atmosphere making a walker enjoy the work of God.”

The canopy above shielded the walker against the sun and only one could feel the cool environment. The tall trees on either side of the gravel road provided an appealing avenue characterised by singing birds and unexpected views of any game crossing to the other side,” recalls Mr Wilberforce Isingoma, a resident of Kiganda Mpunda cell in Hoima city.

Such a feeling generated by the destruction of Bugoma forest in favour of economic agriculture has transcended a one man’s nostalgia to religious institutions and civil societies agitating for environmental protection.

A partnership between the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and residents neighbouring the destroyed forest has so far effected a campaign to plant indigenous trees in areas neighbouring the destroyed parts of Bugoma forest at Nyairongo village in Kaseeta parish, Kabwoya sub-county.

The Save Bugoma Campaign Focal Person who is also resident of Nyairongo village, Mr Hassan Mugyenyi, faults the government for its laxity to restore the depleted parts of Bugoma forest despite the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) ordering the replanting of the trees in the affected Bugoma central forest reserve.

Having realised the delay, Mr Mugyenyi says the residents decided to plant indigenous trees on their land to relatively avert the adverse effects of climate change that result from forest degradation, tasking the government to follow suit for the restoration of Bugoma forest.

Mr Abdullah Mbalebakyi, a resident of Nyairongo village says the area community is determined to replant indigenous trees so they can restore the old appealing environmental scenery attractive to both animal and human life in the area.

More than 2,000 indigenous trees including cordia Africana (mujugangoma), Ugandan red mahogany and musizi have so far been planted on individual private land, according to Ms Proscovia Nanyonjo, the Executive Director, Climate Action Network.

She is pleased that communities living adjacent to the destroyed Bugoma forest have expressed zeal to replant indigenous trees so that the once second largest forest in Uganda is restored to achieve the diverse benefits of the existence of forest cover.

Ms Nanyonjo adds that environment-based Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) aim to empower communities to join efforts in forest restoration as evidenced in their programme of planting four million trees across the country where forests have been depleted by environmentally insensitive people.

Mr Benon Tusingwire, the Executive Director of Navigators of Development Association (NAVODA), wants global government agencies to effectively focus on environmental protection through participating in conservation campaigns for a healthy green world accommodating biodiversity in its natural habitat.

The environmentalist cites forestry, finance, natural resources, planning, environment, economic development and water among other ministries, departments and agencies to combine efforts geared towards environmental protection in different countries of the globe.

The Executive Secretary UJCC, the Rt Rev Archimandrite Constantine Mbonabingi of the Orthodox Church, says

According to him, the partnership aims to restore the destroyed Bugoma forest, revealing that in collaboration with other organisations, they intend to plant 5,000 indigenous trees.

The clergy says by planting the trees, the beauty of the forest cover will be restored.