Africa-Press – Uganda. European Union has given Ministry of Water and Environment Euro 5 million (about Shs20b) grant for sustainable forest management and charcoal value chain.
Ms Caroline Adriansen, the head of cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union Commission in Uganda, said the grant will finance phase II of the Saw log Production Grant Scheme (SPGS). The previous five-year tenure saw the scheme establish 47,000 hectares of forest cover by both commercial and community planters.
Ms Caroline Adriansen said: “Promoting commercial forestry plantations will in turn put pressure off natural forests that are the only sources of forest products and services in the country.”
She said the project is an opportunity to regulate and improve efficiency of biomass fuel production in short-term and facilitate use of cleaner and renewable sources of energy.
She called for tougher regulatory measures to stop de-forestation.
Ms Adriansen said EU intends to continue supporting the forestry sector and enhance benefits of forest resources from commercial plantation, natural forests and agroforestry.
Mr Alfred Okot-Okidi, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Water and Environment, said his ministry will next year establish a force similar to game rangers in national parks to protect all natural resources in the country.
“We have finalised plans to set up our own Environment Protection Force that will be deployed to all government-protected natural resources and commercial private areas to stop destruction of the environment,” he said.
Hopeful
We have finalised plans to set up our own Environment Protection Force that will be deployed to all government-protected natural resources and commercial private areas to stop destruction of the environment,” Mr Alfred Okot-Okidi, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Water and Environment.
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