The executive director of the National Forestry Authority, Stuart Maniraguha, has ordered the district leadership of Kikuube, to deny clearance permits to charcoal traders operating in the district, who he says are posing a serious risk to forests there.
This is as the government focuses on expanding green cover to about 24% by 2040.
Today, the authority has penned a partnership with Diamond Trust Bank, the entities have set a target to restore some 20,000 trees in the degraded Kasonke Central Forest Reserve, in Masaka District.
This also follows President Yoweri Museveni’s executive order, banning the commercial production of charcoal.
The partnership will also empower surrounding communities by educating them through community-based groups that will participate in afforestation programs.
This will happen through training programs covering topics like tree nursery management, sustainable resource utilization techniques and forest conservation.
This partnership will kick off the bank’s environmental sustainability campaign dubbed the DTB Green Initiative.
Through this campaign, the bank aims to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by forming partnerships for sustainability.
A key goal of this initiative is to plant 1,000,000 trees by 2030.
“By planting trees, we help mitigate the effects of climate change reducing the amount of carbon dioxide from the air and storing it in the trees and soil,” stated Cassias Kajungu, Head of Sustainability at DTB.
To date, DTB has planted 4,440 trees by forming partnerships for sustainability.
“It is important for us to be involved and engaged in preserving our community to improve the quality of life in communities where we operate and to mitigate climate change. The best way to defend against the effects of climate change is to prevent rather than treat, and ensure a future-proof plan for many generations to come.”
The acting Executive Director-National Forestry Authority Mr. Stuart Maniraguha said “The Authority is strategically engaging in meaningful partnership to contribute to Uganda’s Vision of increasing forest cover to 24% by 2040. Together with DTB we shall restore degraded parts Kasonke CFR. The forest is of high biodiversity which is traversed by the Kasonke stream which pours directly into L. Victoria. The reserve provides a catchment for both the stream and lake which the people of Bulayi and sanji villages depend on for both domestic and production”.