Forests an Answer to Poverty, Environmental Degradation.

Byline: Ambrose Bugaari

WHEN the Government of Uganda signed up to the eight Millennium Development Goals, it pledged to reduce poverty by half by the year 2015, and ensure environmental sustainability.

However, data at the National Forestry Authority indicates that forested land is declining at an increasing rate. Uganda's forest cover has now reduced from 24% to 15% between 1990 and 2005 and most of the degradation is taking place in forests on private land which have now reduced from 70% in 1990 to 64% in 2007.

This is because the high poverty levels and limited sustainable livelihood options push communities to exert a lot of pressure on forests through …