The
Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest is organizing this third
edition of the annual Run for Nature on 31st March 2019, having the objective to continue the
struggle to sensitize the public over urgent environmental topics and as a fund
raising for the projects of the Association.
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| Press conference of 15th March 2019, Uganda Museum |
We have been working all these years,
since the start in 2014 at the time of the Bugoma Forest Conservation Campaign,
to understand and fight all the causes of the degradation of Bugoma Forest in
Hoima District. With its 411 sq km of protected area, Bugoma Forest is home to
endangered species like the chimpanzees and the Ugandan mangabeys, as well as
endemic species of birds. We opened the nursery bed of indigenous tree species
that helped many farmers in the area of Kabwoya sub-County (Igwanjura and
Kimbugo Parishes) to plant trees and protect water sources. On 21st
March 2017 in the occasion of the International Day of Forest our Association
launched the ultimatum against illegal loggers and started the project of the “Chimp
T-RAP patrol”, a unit of people working to monitor and discover illegalities in
the protected reserve. The success of the first 2 years of this project is
clear: illegal logging decreased by probably more than 60%. This results was
possible thanks to the continuous involvement of communities and their leaders
in the area and thanks to a strong collaboration with the staff of the National
Forestry Authority. Our team leader risked his life in two occasions, attacked
by illegal loggers, but he never gave up and still leads the team. No media, no
television gave any tribute to these young people coming from a poor community,
spending their life to protect the forest, never attempted by any corruption. That
is why we remember them now here and even today they are in the forest
patrolling.
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| Dr. Joshua Rukundo, Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust |
The
hope was that Bugoma Forest could become a different place than an open
carpentry: a place for conservation of the biodiversity, for eco-tourism
development, for new opportunities. In 2019 we are moving further on the side
of the local communities, listening to their needs through their associations
and organizations. They are the ones demanding for a better development in the
area. We are now preparing the project for the dissemination of agro-forestry
practices and the environmental education for the youth in the State Schools of
Kisaaru and Nsozi. This will help addressing the problems of the co-existence
between farming and the presence of a tropical forest. It is clear since 2016
that sugar cane expansion cannot bring development in the area: on the contrary
it would bring soil depletion, environmental degradation and human
impoverishment. Eco-tourism activities have also started on a low scale since
2016, organized by National Forestry Authority and the presence of newly open
Bugoma Jungle Lodge is helping the process. However, much more should be done
to organize eco-tourism activities that will attract more tourism in the
forest.
Run
for Nature is also this: we run together, different people from different
sectors, as we also try to have a dialogue and build up a future. We take this
opportunity to call the institutions of the environment, the tourism and
wildlife to talk and come to better joint solutions for the protection of
forests and the endangered species like the chimpanzees and Ugandan mangabeys.
We chose the date of 15th March 2019 for our launch because today is taking place the biggest mobilization in the world against climate change. Today is “Friday for Future”, the movement of the students, who are meeting in 98 countries all over the world for 1325 events. This movement was initiated by young Swedish student Greta Thunberg, who on 20th August 2018 started to protest in front of the Swedish Parliament, demanding urgent actions to fight the climate crisis.
With Run for Nature we run together to demand actions and responses against climate change: first of all, forest protection and restoration.
Run for Nature will take
place on 31st March 2019 at 7 am from Rivonia Hotel in Robert Mugabe
Road, Mbuya. The run is open for the registration of 5 km and 10 km for the
categories of individuals, corporates and students. The Registration Points are
open at National Forestry Authority, at the Association of Uganda Tour
Operators, at Café Pap in Parliament Avenue and at our Association premises.
This year the partnership
for the Run once again bring together conservation, environment and tourism
sector. Our main partners are the National Forestry Authority, which initiated
the Run with us from the first edition; National Environmental Management
Authority (NEMA); Uganda Tourism Board (UTB); Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
The tourism sector is represented by the umbrella Uganda Tourism Association
(UTA) and by their different associations: Association of Uganda Tour Operators
(AUTO), Uganda Association of Travel Agents (TUGATA), Uganda Association of
Tour Guides (USAGA).
Our partnership proceeds
with the conservation organizations, like the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife
Conservation Trust. The Slow Food Uganda is also our traditional partner thanks
to their work in sustainable agriculture, the protection of traditional and
healthy food and knowledge. This year we are also partnering with Joint Energy
and Environment Projects (JEEP) with whom the Association is intending to
develop the project of the agro-forestry. The Scouts of Uganda are partnering
with us, as they represent the young generations of students and youth, who
through the scouts are educated to the love of nature and the active engagement
in its protection.
This year the run will also
involve schools and young students, because it is necessary that the message of
working together for reversing the environmental crisis starts from the new
generations.
We need to thank all our
sponsors because they believed in us and in our projects. We thank Cassia Lodge
of Busiga Hill for renewing the sponsorship; Pakuba Lodge of Murchison Falls
National Park; Rivonia Hotel in Mbuya where the event will start; Orient Bank;
Stirling construction company; 2 Friends Beach Hotel of Entebbe; Café Pap for
renewing partnership once again; Tarpo Industries and Daniel Choudry Sales
Institute.
A special thanks to the
Embassy of Italy and HE the Italian Ambassador for giving the patronage to the
event.
The cases of land titles
over Bugoma natural forest.
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| The press conference address the case of the land title of Mr. Mustapha Zaid in Bugoma natural forest. |
This
year the topic of Run for Nature is: “No way for forest encroachment”. We would like to bring the attention of the media to the case
of land titles given in the natural forest. If not stopped, the worst
encroachment will take place. Our patrol discovered in May 2018 an encroachment
of Bugoma Forest in the area of Nyaigugu LC1, Kabwoya Sub County. It was later
on found that a businessman called Mr. Zaid Mustapha on 20th
September was issued a land title over the said area for approximately 925
hectares of natural forest (2 km per 6 km) in the name of MZ Agencies. On 14th
October 2018 a grader was impounded after having tried to start clearing the
forest. Later on, on 22nd
November Mr. Buryahika Stephen who is
the chairperson LC3 of Kabwoya Sub County (where the forest is located) was
given a land title for 51.45 hectares, also in the contested forested area.
The said people were having meetings in
the communities jointly with Chair Person LC5 of Hoima Mr. Kadir Kirungi
(one meeting was on 27th January 2019) in which they explained that
the interest of the land titles was to clear the natural forest and develop a
sugar cane plantation where a number of jobless people would have benefited
getting jobs. This area has always been protected by National Forestry
Authority even though it is not within the legal boundaries of the Central
Forest Reserve.
Bunyoro
Kitara Kingdom with a statement by Mr. John Musungu is also claiming that the
said land belongs to the Kingdom and not to private businessmen. It is not
clear whether the Kingdom claims the land for conservation or for similar interest
in sugar cane plantation like the others. It is known that the area under
dispute is where “Endaki z’amukama Kabalega” are situated, where Kingdom
performs annual cultural norms; so we believe that the Kingdom has also a
cultural interest in the preservation.
The question are: who
allowed some individuals to acquire a big portion of natural Bugoma Forest and
at the expense of the communities? How much was the transaction, considering
the value of land in the area? Why political leaders still believe that sugar
cane can be a solution for development in replacing a natural forest?
Our Association wrote to
World Wild Fund to investigate over the matter. We also wrote to the Minister
of Land and Land Commission with letter dated 25th February to demand
the cancellation of land titles issued on Bugoma Forest
The
Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest urges all stakeholders,
political leaders, the conservation agencies, the tourism sector as a whole to
intervene for the ultimate protection of Bugoma Forest. We ask the media houses
to play their role and inform the public about this threat.
1. Bugoma
Forest must be protected as it is, no matter where the exact boundaries of the
Central Forest Reserve are. Today we should talk about afforestation and not
about deforestation.
2. Bugoma Forest and local
communities need development, which can also come from tourism and conservation
related investments and this would be compromised by the continuation of these
threats in conservation and by the biggest encroachment in history, for about
976 hectares of land.
3. The
Local communities need to be part of the process of development and not victims
of the so called businessmen.
We
will run on 31st of March to say no way for forest encroachment, no
way for climate warming, no way for Mustapha Zaid to destroy 925 hectares of
natural forest for sugar cane.
