One of our larger projects takes place in the in Ruboni, Uganda in the Kasese district. Together with the Ruboni Community Conservation & Development Program we plant over a 100.000 trees.
We involve local farmers and the community in the Rwenzori Mountains, which are mostly affected. The Ruboni Community and Conservation & development Program runs the nursery and works at the heart of the community, ensuring the right understanding on how to involve and include the local community.
Ecological challenges
Deforestation & floodings
Communities in the region of Rwenzori mountains are facing many difficulties due to deforestation:
- The most impactful effects are the severe floods that take place. Many houses and infrastructure are flushed away during floods, also killing people.
- With rain water flushing down the mountains, also erosion of (fertile) soils decrease the vitality of the land.
- Deforestation also has a large impact on the water cycle. The rivers are drying up: small streams on dry river banks are left, where before the river was wider and river banks were grown over by trees.
Planting trees on top of the mountains is key to prevent further erosion and floods, so this will be well explained and practical solutions will be shared with the farmers.
For more details, watch the video that we made on the ecological challenges caused by deforestation in the region, that we made.
Community activity
Ruboni Community Center
The planting project takes place in Ruboni (Kasese district). The Ruboni Community Conservation & Development Program is our local partner that will involve local farmers and the community in the Rwenzori Mountains, which are mostly affected.
The Ruboni Community and Conservation & development Program runs the nursery and works at the heart of the community, ensuring the right understanding on how to involve and include the local community. The seedlings are grown in a local tree nursery, where also education is provided.
Monoculture
The impact of monoculture is big in the Kasese region. Eucalyptus and pine are common monoculture species that have an economic value as they are used for wood-production, but show negative ecological and social side-effects threatening the food security of the local community. Also, eucalyptus and pine species are drying out the land, making the soil acidic and thus making it impossible for crops to grow.
Food security
Food security
The effect of the erosion, drying of the land and acidification is that food crops don’t grow well, affecting the food security of the entire community. To have a sustainable amount of fertile arable land, also for the future, Uganda needs to gradually reforest their bare mountain slopes and replace the existing eucalyptus and pine forests, with fruit that contribute to landscape restoration and to food security.
Planting a mix of local trees, of which a part is fruit trees, ensures not only the conservation of water and fertile soil; it also is the quickest agribusiness which improves yearly income and livelihood of the local people. We see that food security is important to both sustain the community and ensure the protection of trees as they provide value and food
