ROOTs - Running Out Of Trees

ABOUT ‘RUNNING OUT OF TREES’ CAMPAIGN

On average 96,000 hectares of forest cover in Uganda is lost every year and this alarming rate has significantly increased since 1990. The demand for timber and firewood, land for agriculture, road construction and other human-induced activities have been reported to be the main cause of the greatest loss of forest cover.

The impact of this is greater than we can imagine; there’s a loss of biodiversity, the air we breathe is less refined, many areas are experiencing soil erosion and our water bodies are silting up more. We have disrupted the water cycle and altered the natural beauty of our country. Scientists estimate that a worldwide planting programme could remove two-thirds of all the emissions caused by human activities.

“Running Out of Trees” (ROOT) Campaign: A 5-year environmental initiative that aims to increase tree cover across the country by imparting the culture of tree planting and nurturing in every Uganda, and a call to all public and private sector partners to reverse the adverse effects of deforestation in Uganda


OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN

Raise awareness about deforestation.
Statistics from National Forestry Authority show that Uganda lost 2.4 million hectares of forest cover between 1990 and 2015, and the forest estate outside protected areas reduced from 68% of the total forest land area in 1990 to 38%in 2015. Meaning almost half of the non-gazetted forests were cleared in just 25 years.

Solicit commitment from the Private sector.
Because there are not enough resources within the Ministry of Water and Environment or the National Forest Authority to achieve the ambitious plan of planting 40 Million trees, other partners of the private sector are encouraged to join our 5-year initiative to replace Uganda’s forest cover for generations to come.

Galvanize the campaign into a joint focused initiative.
Recognize the already existent efforts of other companies and institutions, working in partnership with the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to plant trees and restore forest reserves, and to bring all our efforts together in a focused approach allowing for a bigger positive impact.