BY JOACKIM KULE MUHESI
Centenary Bank in partnership with Good Forests Foundation Uganda has launched a tree planting program in Kasese District aimed at supporting the efforts of the government towards reversing the already degraded environment and enabling people to have improved livelihoods.
The initiative is part of the Bank’s alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Uganda’s Development Plan which emphasize climate action, resource conservation and inclusive growth.
Emmanuel Otuko, the Centenary Bank’s Sustainability Manager during the launch at the District Multipurpose Hall in Kasese town, expressed concern over environmental degradation across the district.
Mr. Otuko noted that despite dealing in financial services, they also focus on supporting tree planting for the people to have reliable environments for settlement and have money that they generate from the trees, adding that they would begin with at least 5,000 seedlings to green the area.
James Thembo, the Country Director for Good Forests Foundation Uganda told the gathering that they had so far planted 1.5 million trees of which 820,000 had survived and steadily growing up.
He revealed that they were currently looking at growing trees including fruits that are mid-term and can enable the people to have money and food.
The Kasese District Natural Resources Officer, Dr. Joseph Katswera described the efforts of tree planting as a trigger to forest conservation.
According to him, Uganda faces forest degradation that continually causes loss of green cover, rated at 9.1% per a num.
Adolf Ategeka Lakisis, the Chairperson for Production and Natural Resources at Kasese District Local Government, who represented the District Chairperson, Eliphaz Muhindi Bukombi, welcomed the initiative, adding that it was supplementing the council’s efforts towards emphasizing tree planting.
He stresses asserted that they had budgeted for shillings 100 million that would be used to establish a nursery bed at the district from where they would be bedding seeds to give to the people and institutions.
Officiating at the function, the Kasese Assistant RDC, Henry Kabiriri noted that government was interested in environmental protection to curtail the natural resources from being affected by human activities.
According to him, it was the reason why the government thought of initiating programs aimed at socio-economically empowering the local population for the people to escape absolute poverty that influences them to depend on tree cutting for charcoal burning.
ENDS