GULU-Charity Alaba, the reigning Miss Tourism Northern Uganda has appealed to residents in the region to plant more trees, saying the trees are important in mitigating the effects of climate change.
Currently, the region is experiencing unpredicted weather changes mostly characterised by prolonged dry spells that do not allow farmers to cultivate, leading to incidences of hunger.
Alaba’s call follows a rising trend that has seen people cut trees for timber, logs and charcoal, hence depleting forest cover in the region.
In an exclusive interview with this reporter, Alaba said her team has embarked on a campaign to encourage people to plant a tree every day for six months in a bid to restore forest cover.
According to Alaba, if residents continue to cut down trees, the region will lose its good climate and soil fertility, which she also said, would in turn lead to famine in the near future.
“We already observed areas in the region experiencing hunger. People are already beginning to feel the pinch of climate change,” Alaba said.
“All we need to do is to plant more trees to change this. Otherwise, we will become like other hunger-stricken parts of the country like Karamoja,” Alaba noted.
Alaba also appealed to cultural institutions in the region to intensify sensitisation drives on tree planting in order to save “mother nature”.
Scovia Acan, a resident of Bungatira, in Gulu district said there is a need to engage citizens, especially the youth who she said are the ones who cut trees the most.
According to Acan, the government should penalise those who deal in forest products like charcoal and timber without having permits.
Recently, Rwot David Onen Acana II, the Paramount Chief of Acholi discouraged the massive tree cutting in Acholi Sub-region, which he said is likely to lead to disaster.
A 2021 Global Forest Watch indicates that Gulu district alone lost 38,700 hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2021 representing an equivalent of a 6.2 percent decrease in tree cover since 2000 and 12,900 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Pader District lost 1,420 hectares, a 1.0 percent decrease in tree cover since 2000 with Agago’s losing an equivalent of a 100 percent decrease since 2000 and 6.6 percent of the global total.
In a recent interview, James Walusimbi, the deputy country manager of VI Agroforestry Uganda attributed deforestation in Northern Uganda to a lack of political will and energy poverty.
According to Walusimbi, there are no alternatives people can run to apart from forest products for cooking.
“We also don’t have a political will to fight against this illegal logging. We need to consider other livelihood alternatives,” Walusimbi said.
https://thecooperator.news/tororo-residents-launch-drive-to-plant-over-two-mln-trees-to-save-river/
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