Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Charcoal burning and illegal logging persists in Mabira forest despite the deployment of Local Defense Unit-LDU personnel and army officers attached to the National Forestry Authority-NFA. The forest sections of Nagojje in Mukono and Najjembe in Buikwe district are the most affected with …
Read More »‘Killing without any reason’: Deaths in rural Ethiopia spark outcry
Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia | AFP | For decades, herders in Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley have relied on guns to fend off rivals as well as hyenas and lions roaming the forests and plains. But over the past month, security forces have embarked on a campaign of forced disarmament that pastoralist …
Read More »Gabon juggles competing demands in fight to protect nature
Libreville, Gabon | AFP | The lush green canopy stretches over the Akanda National Park — one of the many forest jewels that Gabon is fighting to conserve. But those living in poverty in the shadow of the park are ambiguous. They see the forests less as a global treasure to …
Read More »NFA halts Eucalyptus, Pine growing is special zones
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Forest Authority-NFA has halted organisations and individuals from growing pine and eucalyptus trees in excluded zones of the central forest reserve under restoration. As one of the measures of restoring the highly depleted forests across the country, NFA accepted individuals to grow …
Read More »Billions pledged to halt Africa’s forest loss
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | With the world’s forests increasingly under threat from climate change and logging, leaders and top bank chiefs pledged billions on Thursday to help reverse the steep decline in Africa’s woodland areas. So far this century East Africa alone has lost around 6 million hectares of …
Read More »NFA condemns replacing natural forests with eucalyptus, pine
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Forest Authority (NFA) is worried about the recurrent replacement of natural forests with eucalyptus and pine trees in many parts of the country including wetlands. Tom Okello Obong, the Executive Director of NFA says their assessment has established a growing habit …
Read More »MP Nandala helps block motion to degazette forests
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |Budadiri West Member of Parliament Nathan Nandala Mafabi has this afternoon blocked debate on a motion seeking a resolution of parliament to degazette and gazette forests. The motion had been lined up on the order paper to be presented by Elgon County legislator Ignatius Wamakuyu …
Read More »Ugandans urged to engage in commercial tree planting
Kampala, Uganda | JOSEPH BAHINGWIRE | Ugandans have been urged to engage more in commercial tree planning if the country is to curb the problem of declining forest coverage and its effects. Denis Kavuma the general manager Uganda Timber Growers Association says despite the increasing demand for wood ant …
Read More »NFA boss arrested by Land Probe Commission over Kajjansi forest give away
Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | The Land Probe Commission Chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire has ordered for the arrest of National Forestry Authority Executive Director Michael Mugisa for telling lies about forest encroachment in the country. Mugisha was handed over to the commission detectives and investigators on Monday to …
Read More »Eucalyptus gets the chop after deadly Portugal forest fires
Lisbon, Portugal | AFP | Portugal is to reduce the number of eucalyptus groves after the highly flammable plant was blamed for last month’s deadly forest fires. Parliament voted for the measure Wednesday as part of ongoing forest law reforms that started in April, before the blaze in the central Pedrogao …
Read More »