Budongo Forest, phase 3

For a long time, the Budongo tropical rainforest has suffered from destruction caused by people burning charcoal, pit sawing, hunting and encroachment. During the prior two phases of the project, the focus was on promoting the sustainable management of the forest, and the use of sustainable economic activities in the Kirima zone of the forest. The third phase aims to expand activities to other parts. The communities in Kyarugangara Kabalye zone of Bodongo forest are depending on forest products; especially timber, charcoal and firewood, all illegally obtained. The authorities lack logistic support to control and punish these acts. Via this project DERC wants to mobilise the community, and promote sustainable alternatives to meet both social and economic demands, as was previously done in the Kirima zone. Boundary marking, enrichment planting, tree nurseries and planting of woodlots, sensitisation seminars, education of the community on energy saving cooking stoves, facilitation of a credit scheme all form part of the project's activities.

At the end of the third phase of the Budonongo forest project, clear results of the micro-credit scheme can be seen; many people started little enterprises or started keeping goats, pigs and chickens and are diverting from unsustainable exploitation of the forest resources. The actual implementation of the micro-credit scheme has been difficult at some stages but an accountant's visit has been very helpful for a better administration of the loans given and the reimbursements made. Besides these activities, much effort has been put in the promotion of fuel-efficient cooking stoves (5 workshops were held), vermin control and the upkeep and expansion of woodlots and the park boundary. A serious drought has effected the tree planting activities, causing the withering of hundreds of young seedlings.