Tropical heat will worsen as Uganda experiences extreme weather in 10 years if no immediate action is taken. The country could lose all its forest cover in less than 30 years.

The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) attributes the declining forests to human practices like agriculture, rapid urbanization and a fast growing population.

By 1990 Uganda's forest cover was at 5 million hectares but has reduced to 3.5 million hectares now.

According to a report, central and northern regions are the most affected. Mayuge posses the highest deforestation rate with a 99.8% loss of forest cover since 1990, this is followed by Wakiso at 86%. In the north, Amuru has the highest forest cover at 3.3%. In the west and eastern parts of the country the forest cover is high in Kabarole at 22.6% and 33.3% in Bukwo.

Districts which are at risk of losing total cover are Mukono, Mayuge, Wakiso, Masindi, Hoima, Mubende, Kibale and Mityana.

Aryamanya Mugisha, NEMA's executive director warns of worse times, if remedial measures are not put in place to counter the trend.

"38% of forest cover will be gone if the current trend of deforestation is not checked. We are already tending towards desertification-like conditions, imagine what will happen in the next 15 years," he said.

"Its difficult enough to replace the forests, so why cut more?" he adds.
Currently there are 698 gazetted forest reserves in the country. Increased damage to wetlands has affected the water level. Its estimated 8% of original wetland area has been compromised for other purposes. "This has resulted into loss of bio-diversity especially for species that thrive in wet habitats for breeding," says a report by NEMA.

James Senyonga, abrick layer in Kalango swamp-Busega, argues he can not find alternative occupation. "The bricks I make out of clay have a better price than the normal ones from elsewhere, the income I get from this work has been helpful since I can not find any other job that pays as much now," he says.
The districts which have lost significant areas of their wetlands include Jinja, Mayuge, Kabale, Kisoro and Iganga.

District land boards have been accused of issuing illegal leases and land titles in wetlands.

Maurice Ogwang, an administrative officer at NEMA, says when people are issued with land titles, they abuse the resources and become defiant to laws.

"Despite several laws such as the National Environment Act that is aimed to conserve wetlands, districts have continued to give a way the resources on the pretext of development," he said.

Ogwang said the public only realizes the extreme impacts of degrading the environment when calamities such as floods or drought manifest.

He added:" dire environmental effects of climate change are now being faced in Uganda, these are caused by continuous degradation of the environment."

Due to the high population, the National Forestry Authority (NFA) estimates over 300,000 illegal settlers have encroached on forest reserves country wide.

NFA's public relations manager Moses Watasa says the "bibanja" (plots) holders in the reserves still claim ownership making it difficult to evict them.

"Holding bibanja within forest reserves is not legal and humans are not part of the bio-diversity, besides forest reserves are defined as conservation areas," he said.

Watasa adds:"NFA's top priority is to resolve encroachment, to yield high ecological and economical value from the tree planting exercise."

In the central region Kampala registers one of the lowest forest covers at 0.2%, due to increased urbanization and a fast growing population brought about by rural-urban migration. Demand for housing in urban areas towns and cities, pile pressure on forests which provide timber for construction of residential dwellings and commercial centres.
 
The National Forestry Authority (NFA) and NEMA are implementing policies to ensure bear land especially hills are planted to restore the dwindling forest cover. High temperatures due to global warming will hasten the loss of forest cover given the increasing levels of moisture.

 

Written by Timothy Kihumuro

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