Rwot Acana II with a spade planting a tree at the palace as other guests look on. Photos by Arnest Tumwesige
By Arnest Tumwesige
Gulu: The Paramount Chief of Acholi Chiefdom want his subjects to stop attributing every problem in the region particularly environmental degradation to the civil war that ended nearly 20 years ago.
Rwot David Onen Acana II said deforestation is largely rooted in the erosion of traditional cultural values. In the past, certain trees were treated as sacred, but such practices are no longer upheld.
Speaking during the launch of a massive tree planting campaign at Ker Kwaro Acholi Palace, Wii Got in Bardege-Layibi Division, the Paramount Chief commended Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho (Rtd), also known as Salim Saleh, for advising the chiefdom to embrace tree planting.
Rwot Acana emphasized that tree planting brings immense rewards to the environment and the ecosystem, with humans being the greatest beneficiaries.
“It is a right and deserving cause for us to plant trees because what we are doing now will even benefit our purported enemies. Let us plant more trees for the environment, health, wealth, fellow human beings, and the earth,” he urged.
He added that destruction of trees should not become part of daily life. Instead, he proposed that planting a tree should become a cultural practice tied to milestones such as the birth of a child.
The exercise, supported by the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) and the National Forestry Authority (NFA), will be rolled out across the 54 chiefdoms of Acholi sub-region as well as institutions such as schools and health facilities, with the ultimate goal of making Acholi green.
According to the National State of Environment Report (2018–2019), Uganda’s forest cover declined from 23.8% (4.8 million hectares) in 1990 to about 9.9% (2 million hectares) in 2017. While natural forests have shrunk, plantation forests increased from 3% to 8% between 2010 and 2017.
Gov’t Committed to Reducing Poverty
Sylvia Damalie Owori, Director of Operations at Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), praised the chiefdom for adopting Gen. Saleh’s advice, stressing that tree planting also safeguards land from encroachers.
She reminded the public that each tree planted must be protected, adding that the launch was the beginning of a long journey to cover every part of Uganda with trees through the OWC network.
In addition, Owori highlighted government’s commitment to scale up coffee production in northern Uganda, with a target of one million acres. Last season alone, OWC distributed 2.2 million coffee seedlings in the Acholi sub-region as part of wider programs aimed at reducing poverty.
UNOC to Plant 40 Million Trees
The UNOC campaign to plant 40 million trees in seven years is aligned with Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which urges urgent climate action.
Peter Kenneth Bintu, UNOC’s Head of National Content, said the company’s oil and gas operations contribute to carbon emissions. As such, tree planting is one of the deliberate measures to restore the environment.
He encouraged Acholi residents to seize opportunities arising from oil and gas industry, such as food supply, beverage services, and employment. So far, the industry has employed 19,000 people, a number expected to rise to 50,000 at peak.
“We are supporting local companies to register with the National Supplier Database. In Acholi sub-region, 35 companies are already being guided to start their journey, but the number is still low compared to the available business potential,” he said.
Over-Reliance on Firewood
The Uganda National Household Survey (2019/2020) revealed that seven in every ten households (73%) use firewood for cooking, while 21% use charcoal. Combined, biomass fuels account for 94% of cooking energy needs nationwide.
Michael Oja, NFA Regional Manager for Acholi and Lango sub-regions, warned that Uganda is now left with only 9% of its forest cover, down from 40% in the 1960s.
He pledged full technical support for the campaign and pointed to large-scale charcoal burning and agricultural land clearing as the main drivers of deforestation.
