Archival Sense
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
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Residents have been urged to stop illegal tree cutting, charcoal burning and forest encroachment as Uganda steps up efforts to restore degraded forests ahead of National Tree Planting Day on November 26, 2026.
The call was made by Saul Ndyabandiho, a forestry officer at the Ministry of Water and Environment, during the launch of a Stanbic Bank-funded project to restore Manwa Local Forest Reserve in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, Masaka City.
Ndyabandiho said communities must take the lead in protecting forests because they directly benefit from the resources they provide, including medicinal plants and water catchment services.
Manwa Forest Reserve covers 144 hectares, but more than 30 hectares have been degraded. The forest provides medicinal plants and serves as a water catchment area for two lakes, making its protection important for both biodiversity and surrounding communities.
Diana Ondoga, Stanbic Bank’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, said the bank had committed Shs150 million to the restoration project, which aims to plant about 700 trees.
Ondoga urged residents to support the initiative by protecting existing trees and avoiding activities that contribute to forest loss.
The restoration project is part of wider efforts to rehabilitate degraded forest areas and encourage communities to take greater responsibility for conserving the environment.
Video by Daily Monitor
