Uganda loses between 90,000 to 120,000 hectares of forest annually. COMMENT | ALEX ATWEMEREIREHO | On the 21st day of March each year, the world pauses if only momentarily to acknowledge forests. Yet this observance, International Day of Forests, risks becoming ceremonial rather than consequential, poetic rather than political. For forests …
Read More »Uganda’s Forests: Powering economies, sustaining futures
OPINION | LEONIDAS HITIMANA | Today, Saturday, March 21, 2026, is the International Day of Forests (IDF), established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, to observe and recognize the role of forests in our lives. This year’s theme “Forests and Economies”, highlights the importance of forests not only as …
Read More »Forests are indispensable, lets protect them
COMMENT | GEORGE ILEBO | Since time immemorial, forests have been a vital pillar for human sustenance. Covering about 32% of the Earth’s land surface, or about 4.14 billion hectares, forests provide critical ecosystem services, including food, medicine, fresh water, air purification, and climate regulation, among others. These ecosystems …
Read More »In Congo, carbon credits are paying out
Carbon markets in the Democratic Republic of Congo press forward with tangible payouts to forest communities. DRC’s REDD+ pilots have channelled offset revenues into forest patrols and village clinics, defying offset scandals that have impacted buyer trust and stalled market growth. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | A patchwork of …
Read More »HFB secures 100 acres to boost tiny forests initiative
Rakai, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a major step toward environmental conservation and sustainable community development, Housing Finance Bank has received a 100-acre land donation from the Kooki Kingdom. The land will be dedicated to the Bank’s flagship Tiny Forests Initiative, which aims to plant one million trees by …
Read More »EU considering delaying ‘bad law’ on coffee, again
Good news for Ugandan lobbyists who fear loss of EU market COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | On Sept. 23, the European Commission quietly sent a letter that set off ripples across global trade, agriculture, and environmental advocacy circles. In it, Environment Commissioner, Jessika Roswall, admitted that a proposed law …
Read More »Why deforestation is causing heat deaths to soar
Deforestation-induced warming linked to 28,000 deaths a year SPECIAL FEATURE | Xilena Pinedo | Halting deforestation is not just an environmental issue but also a public health imperative, say researchers after a study found compelling evidence on the rise in heat deaths linked to tree loss. The study published in Nature …
Read More »DTB partners with NFA to restore 19 hectares of degraded forest in Mabira
Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) Uganda has partnered with the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to restore 19 hectares of severely degraded forest …
Read More »Fires fuel record global forest loss in 2024
New GLAD Lab data shows fire was the leading driver of tropical deforestation ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | Forest loss around the world surged to a record high in 2024, thanks mainly to a calamitous rise in fires, according to the latest data from the University of Maryland’s GLAD Lab that …
Read More »Uganda forests get EU-Denmark backing
KAMPALA, UGANDA | Patricia Akankwatsa | Denmark joined the EU’s “Partnering for Forests Uganda” program, committing substantial aid to tackle the nation’s critical deforestation crisis, marking a major step for Uganda’s environmental future. Launched on the International Day of Forests, the partnership aims to reverse Uganda’s dramatic forest loss, a drop …
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