By Flavia Ajok
The National Forestry Authority (NFA), with funding from the Swedish Government and Irish Aid through the World Bank, is implementing a three-week project dubbed Conserving Uganda’s Protected Areas.
The project commenced on Monday this week.
While addressing the press on Wednesday at the NFA offices in Masindi, Leo Twinamuhangi, the coordinator for policy and planning with the NFA, says they will consult various stakeholders from the 11 sub counties in Masindi, Buliisa, and Hoima districts neighboring Budongo Forest on the project.
Twinamuhangi, the leader of the technical planning committee, said the consultation will begin at the parish level, then to the sub-county, and finally to the district within the Budongo management plan noting that the technical team will capture the issues, especially the resources that will help the people, so that they see their contribution to increasing income for people around the forest without destroying the environment.
He adds that the ministry will then write the final plan and later engage the district leaders for validation.
He further notes that Budongo and Bugoma forests are the biggest catchments that protect the environment and water bodies like Lake Albert, Murchison Falls, wetlands, swamps, soil, and foreign exchange through tourism.
Boaz Besigirenda, the range manager in charge of the Budongo Forest Range System, says this is the right time to integrate all the views of stakeholders surrounding the Budongo Forest Reserve to determine the future of the forest.
Budongo Forest Reserve covers 8,425 hectares and neighbors the three districts of Masindi, Buliisa, and Hoima.
