Kabale District commences the development of District Forest Development plan.

Alex Byakatonda

Communications officer-Kabale

Kabale District local government in partnership with Ministry of water and environment, and World-Wide Fund For Nature Uganda, have commenced plans to develop the district Forest Development plan.

According to Senior Forestry officer-Kabale, Adios Kyomukama, the 5year plan, intends to focus to identify the problems or challenges affecting the forestry sector and devise strategic objectives to address the identified problems among other objectives.

The National Forestry and Tree planting Regulations Act 2016, states that the district shall prepare a district Forest Development plan focusing on local forest reserves, community and private forests and any other category of forests in the district. Section 8, also states that districts are supposed to develop, Forest development plans for purposes of planning the development of forests, mainstreaming forestry in district development planning and involving other interested parties in the forest management.

Speaking at the stakeholders, planning meeting for the development of the Forest plan held at Kirigime hotel in Kabale Municipality this week, the Kabale District LCV Chairperson, Nelson Nshangabasheija observed the District Forest development, has come at the right when the district is experience population pleasure. He adds that with current climate changes, the District Forest development plan, will help to overcome disasters that result from climatic changes like floods and landslides among others.

The Kabale Deputy Chief Administrative officer, Ritah Elizabeth Byiringiro, noted that fact that Kabale landscape is hilly, makes it prone to landslides and soil erosion, the forest development plan will help to overcome them. She however, said that much emphasis should be put-on disaster-prone areas, saying planting forest trees in these areas will help to conserve the environment.

Harrold Turinawe, an officer with World-Wide Fund for Nature Uganda, which is funding the development of the District Development plan, said that they are partnering with the ministry of water and environment to develop the plans for the districts of Kabale, Rubanda and Kanungu which are located in the greater Vilunga landscape. The have already developed development plans for Rukungiri and Kisoro.

He, added that they intend to use landscape approach, noting that their intention is not to tell people to plan trees but to tell them to organize themselves in planting trees.

Turinawe adds that the district forest development is aimed at making people realize the importance of restoring the landscape in district and thereby suggesting that the people should be asked to embrace the planting of high value trees by engaging in agroforestry.

The Kabale Resident District commissioner, Godfrey Nyakahuma, lack of forest cover has exacerbated soil erosion and landslides, especially in hilly areas, which has affected agricultural production in the district. This intends affects the economic livelihoods of the people of Kabale, which increases poverty among the people.

Nyakuhuma also added that Uganda is faced with a challenges of industrialization and population pressure, which have affected