4,000 hectares of forest cover restored- UWA

Restored. Part of the restored Kibale National Park. PHOTO BY FELIX BASIIME 

FRIDAY JANUARY 11 2019

https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/4-000-hectares-of-forest-cover-restored-UWA/688334-4929798-tgrha8z/index.html

In Summary

Measures. Authorities have constructed pillars and planted trees on boundaries to limit human activities in the national park

By SCOVIA ATUHAIRE & FELIX BASIIME

KAMWENGE. In a bid to boost biodiversity and tourism in the Rwenzori sub-region, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has embarked on forests restoration.
In Kibale conservation area, 4,000 out of 10,000 hectares of forest have been restored in Kamwenge District, according to the chief warden of the conservation area, Mr Nelson Guma.
The project that started in 1995 has also seen 2,500 hectares regenerated naturally.
Kibale conservation area covers 766 square kilometres in parts of Kamwenge, Kabarole and Kyenjojo districts.
According to Mr Guma, the restorations will help combat climate change and restore biodiversity.
Kibale conservation area is well known for hosting primates in the whole world with about 13 species. Mr Guma said, the project will also provide habitat for biodiversity.
“So far, the number of elephants has increased as well as chimps and we hope in the near future we shall have plenty of them and more tourists will come,” he said.
With the initiative, Mr Guma said new tree species have increased too. He, however, noted that with increase in biodiversity ,human-wildlife conflict will also increase.

Activities
In a bid to stop wild animals from invading communities, Mr Guma revealed that they have dug trenches to block them from crossing. They have also empowered communities to set up beehives.
Authorities have also constructed pillars and planted trees on boundaries to limit human activities in the park.
In Bundibugyo District, the Resident District Commissioner, Ms Grace Kakwenza, has appealed to the communities to stop destroying the forests .
“We are now experiencing good weather because of the restored forests and once destroyed, the weather pattern will change,” she said:
The Bundibugyo District chairman, Mr Godfrey Mutegeki, has encouraged communities to promote tourism by popularising Semuliki National Park. “It’s a shame to find that people from other places know what is in Semuliki but the local communities do not know,” he said.

Decline

The State Minister for Environment, Ms Mary Goretti Kitutu, last year said Uganda’s forest cover has been depleted to eight per cent up from 24 per cent in the 1990s, which she attributed to human encroachment. A 2018 report on Uganda’s forest cover rby the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (Acode) also indicates that the country’s total forest cover reduced by 27 per cent between 1990 and 2005 and in that period, , total coverage reduced from 4.9 million hectares to 1.8 million hectares.

Security hunt poachers over killing of nine Uganda Kobs

A combined force of Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers and Uganda People’s Defence Forces are searching for suspected poachers believed to have killed nine Uganda Kobs. PHOTO BY FELIX BASIIME 

WEDNESDAY APRIL 10 2019

https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Security-hunt-poachers-over--killing-nine-Uganda-Kobs/688334-5064312-11ygt3f/index.html

In Summary

·         Tooro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve covers part of Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kabarole districts and also borders with Lake Albert.

By FELIX BASIIME

NTOROKO. A combined force of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) are searching for suspected poachers believed to have killed nine kobs in Tooro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve in Ntoroko District.

The warden-in-charge of Tooro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Mr Benon Mugyerwa, on Monday evening confirmed the death of the Uganda Kobs.
“Yes, we found nine heads of the kobs inside Tooro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve last week on Wednesday. The poachers had already taken the meat but we have dispatched a combined force of our rangers from our reserve and other parks together with the UPDF to hunt and arrest these poachers,” Mr Mugyerwa said.

Other poaching incidents
Just mid last month, court in Ntoroko District sentenced four cattle keepers for illegally grazing more than 600 cows in Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve.
Mr Deusdedit Twinomugisha, the assistant warden of Community Conservation at Tooro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve, said the cattle keepers have killed all the lions in the reserve because they eat their cows.
“Lions are the key attraction to tourists in the park. Tourists don’t want to see domestic animals in the park and they pay a lot of money to see wild animals, birds and boat cruise events,” he said.
Mr Twinomugisha said the reserve receives between 500 to 700 tourists each year.

Last year, Police in Katwe-Kabatoro in Kasese District held four suspects for allegedly killing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The 11 lions included three females and eight cubs, which died after suspected poisoning, at Hamukungu Fishing Village in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The management of the reserve continues to suffer challenges that include poaching, illegal grazing, poor road network to the reserve, poor community attitude towards conservation, illegal trafficking of wildlife resources and a high demand of resources from the reserve such as poles, firewood, water and grass.

The reserve
Tooro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve covers part of Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kabarole districts and also borders with Lake Albert.
According to UWA, some of the cattle keepers were allowed to graze in the reserve during the ADF war to alert government about the rebel positions but after the insurgency in 1990s, however, the habit of grazing in the reserve continued.

As early as 1913, Tooro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve became significant for tsetse fly control programme and a lion hunting area.
It was established as a Game Reserve in 1926 Under General Notice 546 aiming at the protection of the large population of wild animals of which kobs were dominant. Other games were reedbucks, waterbucks, hartebeests, lions, buffaloes, elephants, hippos and others.

500 cows die as drought wreaks havoc in Ntoroko

Cattle keepers help a cow get on its feet in Rwebisengo Sub-county, Ntoroko District, during drought in 2017. FILE PHOTO 

WEDNESDAY MARCH 27 2019

https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/500-cows-die-drought--Ntoroko-Muzizi-Semliki/688334-5043624-bdiua2z/index.html

By FELIX BASIIME & ALEX ASHABA

Ntoroko- Cattle keepers in Ntoroko District have lost more than 500 head of cattle following drought since January.
Pastoralists and residents trek between 6kms and 10kms daily searching for water from Semliki, Wasa (inside Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve), Muzizi and Makondo rivers.

“The place is very dry; we have lost more than 500 cows since January due to lack of pasture and water for our cattle and this has put us in a dangerous situation,” Mr Charles Mujungu Kasoro, the chairperson of Rwebisengo Cattle Keepers Association, said on Monday.
Mr Kasoro said market prices of cows have also reduced since the animals look frail.

The most affected areas are Rwebisengo, Kibuuku, Kanaara and Bweramule sub-counties.
“President Museveni pledged to provide us with safe water from River Muzizi but we have never seen anything and yet every year, we lose our cows to starvation,” Mr Kasoro said.

President Museveni made the promise during the 2016 presidential campaigns.
Mr Timothy Kyamanywa, the district chairperson, said the drought and floods have increased the cost of fighting malaria, especially among children as the drugs are running out.

Mr Meshack Byomuntura, a research officer at Rwenzori Anti-Corruption Coalition, said the situation has been compounded by the incomplete construction of four boreholes in Rwebisengo and Butungama sub-counties.

“The communities have to move to River Semliki to fetch water for animals and domestic use,” Mr Byomuntura said.
“Our findings revealed that there were gaps in the procurement process that has contributed to the delay for construction of boreholes since last year, especially at Budiba, Kiranga and Majumba,” he added.

Government moves to cool locals’ tempers over oil drilling in Queen Elizabeth park

In the spotlight. Queen Elizabeth National Park. Government has explained the process it will take before issuing oil exploration licences for the Ngaji block in the park. PHOTO BY ERIC DOMINIC BUKENYA 

FRIDAY MAY 10 2019

https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Government-moves-cool-tempers-oil-drilling-Queen-Elizabeth-park/688334-5108216-12uqp47/index.html

In Summary

·         Concern. Environmentalists worry they will lose the ecosystem while fishermen fear for their source of livelihood.

By FELIX BASIIME & MISAIRI THEMBO KAHUNGU

KASESE/KANUNGU. The government has explained the process it will take before issuing oil exploration licences for the Ngaji block in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, where surrounding communities and some civil society organisations (CSOs) are trying to put up a spirited defence of the ecosystem.

The Ngaji block is an oil and gas exploration area around Lake Edward, on the side of Kasese and Kanungu.
The area is adjacent to the Virunga National Park in DR Congo. It is a world heritage site and forms part of the same continuous ecosystem.”

Currently, there is a petition raised by environmentalists and fishermen expressing fear for the environment and fishermen losing their source of livelihood.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Energy, Mr Robert Kasande, in an interview, however, said it is too early to raise the red flag over the planned exploration.

Mr Kasande said the people raising the petition need to first visit Murchison Falls National Park to confirm any kind of environmental issues the exploration caused on the side of Nwoya District before seeking to block it in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

“It is preliminary for anybody to put such a petition because we have not yet put that area for exploration licensing. If you go to Murchison, you will be able to see that nothing bad happened there,” he said.
Mr Kasande said when the ministry sets out an exploration area for licensing, sensitisation meetings would be held in the affected areas.

Mr Jeconious Musingwire, the south-western regional officer for National Environmental Management Authority (Nema), said: “Geological process of oil normally affects water, but licensing moves in phases, there will be public hearings where there is an issue raised, it will be considered, all stakeholders must be consulted, Nema has to license after a scientific research has been done.”

The activists, who include members of Kasese Youth and Women Clean Energy Clubs and a local CSO, contend that this area is a world heritage site and forms part of same continuous ecosystem.
They said if oil exploitation is carried out, it will affect the ecosystems and render fishermen jobless yet it is uncertain that the oil industry would offer them jobs.

Some of the activists of the CSO are linked to Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO), which has been a champion in advocating community issues, especially in Bunyoro, where oil and gas production is expected in a few years.
Their recent concerns rose after government’s plan to launch the second competitive licensing round for oil blocks, which would include Ngaji oil block, this week.

Cabinet this week approved the licensing of at least nine exploration areas, Ngaji block inclusive.
Ngaji oil block was one of the blocks that were not licensed due to community, CSO and international pressure.

Mr Nicholas Kagongo, one of the activists based in Katwe-Kabatoro Town Council, Kasese District and also a field officer for Kasese National Association of Professional Environmentalist, said:

“The Ministry of Energy should not license out the Ngaji oil block for oil exploration, because the block covers the Uganda side of Lake Edward and parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park that borders directly with the Virunga National Park in DR Congo, the world heritage site and forms part of the same continuous ecosystem.”
He said allowing oil exploration would put Lake Edward and Queen Elizabeth National Park at a risk because an estimated 200,000 fishermen and local communities such as Rwenshama, Katwe, Kisenyi, Kayanja on the Uganda side depend on the lake.

Mr Kagongo said the lake is also a home to several birds species, elephants, crocodiles, lions, buffaloes and hippocampus.
He said: “The oil activities in Queen Elizabeth could damage the ecosystem, the people and wildlife that depends on it, because this part of the park is where unique animals like Toppi and the climbing lions of Ishasha (in Rukungiri) and attract many tourists for game drive, so the oil drilling would directly impact on the fragile ecosystem”.

Mr Kagongo said the tourism potential of the area could harvest lots of money than the non-renewable oil resource.
Mr Joshua Rukundo from Kanungu Disrict, which will also be affected if Ngaji oil block is licensed out, said nearly an entire parish would be affected yet Kanungu has high population pressure.
“If Ngaji oil block is licensed, it will affect the ecosystem. I think the government should find an alternative venture.” Rukundo said.

Mr Edwin Mumbere, the co-ordinator of Coalition of Kasese Women and Youth clean energy clubs, said: “Ngaji oil block serves economic, social, cultural and aesthetic purposes that no amount of money from oil exploitation can replace that from tourism.”
Uganda is signatory to the Paris Climate Change Agreement which among others promotes environmental conservation and addressing climate change.

The Paris Agreement aims to keep global warming below a 2 degree Celsius by the end of the 21st Century and pursue efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius, according to the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

As well the Paris Agreement text stipulates that developed countries must financially assist developing countries both in terms of adaptation to global warming and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, which requires the expansion of renewable energies.
According to the Wilderness Society, an online publication, there are several ways oil and gas drilling is bad for the environment.

They say oil and gas drilling is a dirty business and has consequences for wild lands and communities. That it disrupts wildlife migration routes and habitats from noise pollution, traffic and fences.

It is characterized by oil spills on land and offshore drilling sites, landscape changes from well pads and roads, oil and gas infrastructure and traffic spoil peaceful settings for visitors, haze, toxic chemicals and dust pollute the air and water.
That machinery, gas flares and light pollution disrupt scenic views and clear night skies and dangerous methane emissions contribute to climate change.

Effects of Oil & Gas 

According to the Wilderness Society, an online publication, there are several ways oil and gas drilling is bad for the environment.
They say oil and gas drilling is a dirty business and has consequences for wild lands and communities. That it disrupts wildlife migration routes and habitats from noise pollution, traffic and fences.

It is characterised by oil spills on land and offshore drilling sites, landscape changes from well pads and roads, oil and gas infrastructure and traffic spoil peaceful settings for visitors, haze, toxic chemicals and dust pollute the air and water.
That machinery, gas flares and light pollution disrupt scenic views and clear night skies and dangerous methane emissions contribute to climate change.

Oil development and production
Uganda’s oil and gas industry is transitioning from exploration and appraisal to development and production.
The components involved at the development and production stage include well pads, pipelines, Central Processing Facilities (CPF) and other infrastructures.

Well pads consist of production wells, injection wells and well fluid. Production wells are wells through which the oil flows to the surface; Injection wells are wells used to pump water into the oil fields to stimulate the oil flow, and; Well fluids are a mixture of oil, gas, water and impurities.

Production pipelines to transport produced oil and gas. Water abstraction and water injection pipelines to transport water. Polymer injection pipeline to transport polymer from the Central Processing Facilities to Oil Wells.

In the CPF, the oil, gas and water in the well fluids will be separated. This is safely done in many places in the world.
Other project infrastructures will include; new field roads, upgraded roads, workers’ camps and operational support bases and other facilities - borrow pits and waste disposal area.

The oil blocks in Uganda are in the Albertine rift basin, close to the border with DRC, where commercial oil deposits are estimated by government geologists to total 6 billion barrels. The six blocks are in Ngassa, Tai Tai & Karuka, Mvule, Turaco, Kanywantaba and Ngaji