The Devastating Effects of Deforestation

2008-12-09

by Bobby Garner, Project Manager

Recently I was driving to the furthest village from my home that is still within Busoga (over 3 hours, one way). Abraham Mulongo and Ezekiel Suuti were also with me when we came across this giant mvule that had recently been cut down. We jumped out and posed for a few shots. That tree standing in the background is also a mvule.

We asked some locals and it seems this tree is at least 75 years old.

We estimated about 400 sacks of charcoal will be made from it’s branches (one sack of charcoal stands about 4.5 feet in height and has a diameter of 20 inches). The timber alone will bring the owner of this tree more than $2000.

This is where things get difficult.

The Ugandan government has recognized the deforestation of hardwoods as a national problem and they now ban the cutting and sale of such trees. The fine is more than the sale of the timber and includes imprisonment. But for some the risk is worth it as school fees and food prices continue to rise.

If the Mvule Project continues at its present rate, we hope to take Uganda forward on both the ecological and economic fronts.

If replanting is successful, then the government will be able to lift the ban and people can rise in economic standards.