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Uganda: Proposed Law May Ease Grabbing of Forests
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New Vision (Kampala)
11 May 2008
Posted to the web 12 May 2008
Gerald Tenywa
Kampala
THEY have called it rationalising the National Forestry Authority (NFA). But conservationists warn that the proposed law to be presented to cabinet soon will actually trim the powers of the bodies that have the mandate to oversee the management and conservation of forests.
Environmental activists, led by the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), have reacted angrily saying, the motive is to weaken NFA, grab most of its revenue raised from timber and give out forest reserves to investors.
Given the previous events where the Government has met resistance from NFA while attempting to change the land use of protected areas, the change of the law has been long overdue.
Onesmus Mugyenyi, the acting executive director of ACODE, says: "It was a scandal on part of the Government that politicians were pushing NFA to give away protected areas like Mabira and top officials resigned in protest.
Mugyenyi says the Government does not have to change the law to increase funding for forestry.
He says apart from NFA, which is funded by donors and money from the sale of timber, other forestry institutions like the Forestry Sector Support Department and District Forestry Services cannot carry out their work effectively due to lack of funds. The two institutions have been crippled for three years.
Mugyenyi urges the Government to allocate more funds to environment conservation instead of undermining its institutions.
He cited Butamira Forest, which was illegally allocated to Kakira Sugar Works; Bugala forests and Mabira forest, part of which was about to be given away.
"The law makes the degazettement of forests almost impossible, which has given civil society groups a chance to challenge Government," Mugyenyi says.
The Proposal
David Obong, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Water and Environment said in a letter that Cabinet has agreed that the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act 2003 be amended with a view of rationalising the functions and powers of NFA.
The April 18, 2008 letter to NFA chief, Damian Akankwasa also says the new law would provide for Government as the main source of funding.
Obong, ordered Akankwasa to take action over the issue and give feedback to lands, water and environment minister, Maria Mutagamba.
Cabinet also noted that President Yoweri Museveni had directed the Minister of Water, Lands and Environment to propose a master plan for forest reserves, detailing their locations and the rationale for their protection and their current status.
NFA responds
Akankwasa said the master plan on forests was submitted by the minister for Environment to Museveni three years ago.
He says forests have management plans that emphasise protection and tourism in case of conservation forests or tree planting for forests set aside for tree planting.
"We have written to the Minister that it is not necessary to change the law because we have not found any problem with it," says Akankwasa. "What we need are regulations that can help NFA to implement the law."
The law empowers NFA to protect 506 forests, which is about 30% of the forest cover countrywide.
"We had the Forestry Department, which had the mandate of protecting all forests and through forest reforms, it was recommended that forest management and conservation be split," says Akankwasa.
Asked whether, the intention of Government is to clip the wings of NFA, which has become a stumbling block to degazettement of forests, Akankwasa said: "There are those sentiments, but we do not know whether that is the motive."
Climate change impacts likely to hit harder
The dangerous impacts of climate change like the floods that hit the eastern and north eastern Uganda last year, are likely to hit harder. "This should have been a wake up call to protect forests," says Mugyenyi.
There are many incidences of new diseases attacking crops and malaria-causing mosquitoes extending to mountainous areas like Kigezi and the Elgon region.
Stephen Magezi, the commissioner in charge of meteorology, says malaria was never heard of in such areas.
Way forward
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The Government should find a way of acquiring land for investors instead of encroaching on forests.
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