World Wide Fund for nature Uganda has received funding from VELUX, Denmark to implement a Forest restoration and Carbon Absorption project (FRECAR) project in Uganda.
The current project UGX 14 billion project will run for 20 years, where 5 years are for active implementation another 5 years of maintaining the planted areas and 10 years of monitoring impacts on carbon, biodiversity, community and households.
The Ugandan project is aimed at regeneration of the natural forests for carbon sequestration aimed at regenerating the most deforested natural forests.
The project will be implemented in the Bugoma-Kagombe Landscape which comprises of Bugoma, Kyamurangi Group of CFRs, Kagombe, and Kitechura/ Ibambaro CFRs.
The project outcomes relate to capacities for forest management and climate reporting in the landscape improved forest cover outside protected areas increased including a few remaining natural forests on private lands and better and improved lives for the communities in the landscape.
The state of Forests Report 2015, shows the highest levels of forest loss with over 60% of the forests in the region of Muzizi and Budongo ranges have been lost between 2005 and 2015.
David Duli the WWF country director says the long term outcome of the FRECAR project is “Forest cover in the landscape are regenerated to create a positive impact on carbon stocks and community benefits” with a focus of at least 1 million tons of carbon Emissions in the 20th year of the project.
He says this will be through using a mix of approaches that include active planting on the CFRs, boundary strengthening, and engaging communities to participate in the protection of the CFRs, reduce pressure and have improved livelihood.
Duli says this grand restoration agenda will contribute to both the national target as enshrined in the Vision 2040 and National Development Plan III.
“We are cognizant that the country is working to restore landscapes back to the 1990 levels. We applaud efforts to move from 9% in 2013/14 to currently 12% as of 2021. We hope that our efforts will contribute to the 24% target,” Duli said.
WWF says the lead implementing Partner is National Forestry Authority(NFA), and its expected of a lot of proactive engagement and keen interest in ensuring the project is delivered on schedule, technically sound and financially transparent.
They have tasked NFA to designate a focal person from Senior Management Team to liase and coordinate project activities with the WWF Team.
Establish joint structures to steer the project, avail staff to implement various components of the project, the field based staff, Directorate of Natural Forests, the staff in the Planning and Biomass units. Permanence of the sites selected for the project for ease of attributing the carbon sequestered. Carbon based projects rhyme well with the principle of Permanence.
