The road from Kampala to Jinja passing through the Mabira Forest Reserve. Image Source: Brian McMorrow: Nile Whitewater Rafting, Jinja Mabira Forest: Ugandans Wake Up To The Cost Of Disappearing Forests In Uganda Forests or factories: Does industrialisation have to swallow what is left of Uganda's forests? Ray of Hope through Kabaka Mutebi. By Gerald Businge First published: March 24, 2007 A journey from Kampala as you drive to the eastern parts of Uganda through Mabira forest, gives you enough reason to believe the government when it says that Uganda is Gifted by Nature -a country promotional campaign Uganda launched last year, costing billions of shillings, hoping to promote the country's tourism potential. Travelling from Kampala to Jinja, one often sees the thick green forest on both sides of the road after Lugazi town. Mabira is a moist, tropical forest covering approximately 29,964 hectares (an equivalent of about 60,000 football fields), and is famous for its tourist, climatic as well as cultural importance -especially to the Buganda kingdom. But now Ugandans are trying to come to terms with the fact that part of this forest reserve may soon have to make room for a sugar plantation, drastically changing one of the few remaining protected areas and tourist attracting gems in the country. Forest land for sugarcane growing? In August 2006, President Yoweri Museveni ordered the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to do a study into the feasibility of clearing 7,100 hectares, nearly one fourth of Mabira Forest, in order to facilitate the expansion of sugar growing by Sugar Corporation of Uganda (SCOUL) which is owned by the Mehta Group. The Mehta Group had earlier applied to the President's office to expand its sugar-cane production to bolster the group's Lugazi sugar products. The Mehta group approached President Museveni, with an argument that part of the forest had been degraded and had inferior tree types, which could not produce valuable timber anyway. The company promised they would employ more people, address the prevailing sugar scarcity in Uganda and contribute more revenue to the country's coffers if given part of the forest. The cabinet ministers of Uganda recently agreed to de-gazette part of Mabira forest to allow SCOUL to plant more sugarcane, despite sustained opposition to the Mabira give away by the public. Although Ugandan Prime Minister, Apollo Nsibambi denied earlier this past week that his government had agreed to give the 71, 000 hectares of Mabira to SCOUL, many sources claim that it is a done deal. Why the fuss about Mabira? Nahan's Francolin Many Ugandans, environmentalists, NGOs and even government agencies like NFA have opposed the government's move arguing that the forest is a potential tourism destination that hosts endangered animal species, as well as 300 bird species like the Nahan's Francolin and the Papyrus Gonolek , which are popular with bird watchers. Mabira forest is the epitome of forests in Uganda. Not just because it is a big forest but its name locally means 'big forest'. NFA spokesperson Gaster Kiyingi says Mabira is one of the biggest natural forests in Uganda, acting as a water catchment area for the Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga basins. Lake Victoria is the largest fresh water lake in the world and the source of river Nile, the longest river in the world. Mabira forest is a source of many rivers, livelihood of surrounding communities, a home to many rare bird species, plants and animals, and therefore a boost to eco-tourism in the country. Mabira forest receives more than 62% of all tourists visiting forest reserves in the country. Eco-tourism is the second largest foreign exchange earner and the potential for Mabira forest as tourist destination cannot be over-emphasized. The NFA study initially commissioned by President Museveni concluded that the ecological and economic losses from destroying part of Mabira would be devastating. The report says the plan endangers 312 tree species, 287 bird species and 199 butterfly species. Nine species found only in Mabira and nearby forests risk becoming extinct. The report says that economic losses as a result of the destruction of part of the reserve include lost revenue from logging and eco-tourism, the main source of tourist revenue in Uganda. Mabira's great importance to Uganda Kiyingi says that further depletion of Mabira forest will reduce the water flow of the surrounding streams and rivers and change rain patterns region wide, which in turn will negatively affect agriculture, cattle keeping, electricity supply and thus all economic activities in Uganda. The Ugandan government has given low water levels in Lake Victoria as the reason behind the country's current electricity crisis, and one would expect the nation's leaders to know better than to destroy the major source of water into Lake Victoria. Environmentalists say that with the water levels in Lake Victoria already low, destroying part of Mabira forest is likely to lower electricity production, and proposed hydroelectric projects such as Bujagali, the River Sezibwa power plant, will be meaningless. In addition to potential disturbances to the microclimate, destruction of Mabira could also violate major global conservation agreements to which Uganda is a signatory, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992). This requires the country to establish and maintain protected conservation areas. Uganda's flora and fauna are steadily losing their natural habitat to human activities. The Government of Uganda and its development partners, especially the European Union (EU), have invested heavily in the forest since 1990 to restore previously degraded areas. The NFA says the forest is recovering and 10 years are not enough for such a forest to regenerate and be fully stocked with valuable timber and other biodiversity resources. They also argued that Mabira forest is very important to the Baganda for many reasons. The Baganda believe that Mabira forest is the home of the Buganda's gods of rain and food. The Baganda also traditionally believe that if a strong hurricane emerges from the east, this forest will help block it and it will not make it to the Kabaka 's palace at Mengo. Additionally, the forest has thousands of trees (small and big), which the Baganda and other tribes traditionally use to harvest medicine during pregnancy and childbirth. What alternatives are available? While it may be understandable that the Ugandan government is trying to secure an adequate sugar supply as well as economic development of the country by giving part of Mabira to SCOUL, other investors have already committed money to the forest targeting its tourism potential. The Alam Group , assisted by its partners in the Netherlands, is already building an eco-lodge worth $2m (3.6bn Uganda shillings) in Mabira to harness the forest's tourism potential. The Alam Group, which is another heavy investor in Uganda, is not happy with theMabira give away. "In any hardwood forest in the country, this action should not be allowed," said Zahid Alam, who is building an eco-lodge in Mabira forest. Some people have asked the sugar company to find alternative land outside the forest, or consider out growing (buying sugarcane from Ugandans neighbouring Lugazi town where the SCOUL factory is located, who would earn much more than those the company would employ after planting more sugarcane in Mabira). The NFA had recommended that SCOUL allows individual growers to supplement its sugarcane requirements, or rent land from private landowners in the area around Mabira. All these pleas seem to be falling on deaf ears. What is more worrying for Ugandans is the fact that the Ugandan Parliament is likely to pass the effort by the Executive to de-gazzette part of Mabira for sugar planting. The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has a strong majority in Parliament. The NRM has 212 MPs in the 332 strong Parliament, while 40 are independents, 10 represent the Uganda people's Defense Forces (an arm of the Executive) and only 57 MPs are in opposition. The NRM recently warned NRM MPs to uphold strong 'discipline' and avoid voting against the party position in Parliament. Will the Ugandan government yield to public pressure? So what can Ugandans do to save Mabira, a forest that has been dear to many Ugandans since time immemorial? Some Ugandans opposed to the forest give awayare using other strategies including SMS asking people to shun sugar manufactured by SCOUL and several NGOs have organized news conferences opposing the government's intended move. Renowned environmentalist and opposition Conservative Party President, John Ken Lukyamuzi has threatened to stage a demonstration on May 1, 2007 as Uganda marks the International Labor Day unless the Ugandan government reverses the decision. "Losing these forests, particularly the Mabira Forest Reserve, would have enormous repercussions for both people and wildlife in Uganda." said Achilles Byaruhanga, Executive Director of Nature Uganda (Bird Life in Uganda). Byaruhanga says that Mabira Forest Reserve is listed by Bird Life International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The forest contains over 300 species of bird, including the Endangered Nahan's Francolin Francolinus nahani . The forest also supports nine species of primate, a recently identified new mangabey sub-species in Uganda, Lophocebus albigena johnstoni and a new species of Short-tailed Fruit Bat. "The fact that we are still discovering new species of large animals in this forest is a pointer to its value for biodiversity. As a result, we are working hard to ensure the Ugandan government understands that holding onto these sites is of utmost importance, both in terms of conserving biodiversity and in terms of poverty reduction and economic growth" Byaruhanga emphasizes. The Ugandan government still has a chance to maneuver.