NEMA embarks on massive Biodiversity Restoration Exercise.

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO.

NEMA-Mbale Regional Office in partnership with NFA-Moroto Range Office, Moroto District Local Government and local communities (including the indigenous Tepeth) have commenced on tree-planting Exercise  to restore the river  Lia water  catchment   area .

The exercise will result in the restoration of at least 10 hectares of Moroto Forest Reserve. A total of at least 7,000 trees will be planted in an area that constitutes a critical part of the catchment area that provides headwaters for the Lia stream.

Officials planting the tree's 

The stream is an important element in the makeup of the water resource base and natural drainage pattern of Moroto and the greater northeastern region in general. The catchment area was encroached on by encroachers for Agriculture related Activities

 Community Engagement during the Exercise  

In related development the Environment protection agency for Uganda has also embarked on the restoration of Oliduru Central Forest Reserve in Ogwet Sub county inOtuke District. The restoration comes at atime when the forests trees were almost cut down due to the high demand for wood related products such as charcoal and timber for construction purposes.

To ensure that the forest is restored, NEMA in collaboration with National Forest Authority in collaboration with the Ngetta   Agriculture Research Institute and the Otuke Local Government will plant over 15000 Shea nuts seedlings in the bare parts of the forest reserve covering up to 222 hectares of land.

 Francis  Ogwal the  NEMA,s Natural Resources  manager in charge of  Biodiversity and Rangelands  said that restoring the Country’s, degraded Biodiversity is critical towards mitigating  the Impacts that  are associated  Biodiversity destruction such as floods  and the accumulation of greenhouse gasses  in the atmosphere.