The ongoing massive felling of trees and charcoal burning in Nwoya Sub County, Nwoya district has begun to take its toll on the residents who are now asking the local leaders to intervene to discourage the practice.
Nwoya district has since last year been the scene of massive tree felling for charcoal burning. The practice has left a stretch of formerly forested land now free of tree cover with several bags of charcoal a key feature along the roads as vehicles comb the villages to transport the charcoal to the towns where it is in demand. A bag of charcoal in the villages costs between 15,000 to 25,000 shillings but is reported to be at 80,000 shillings in major towns.
Moses Ojal, a resident of Lii parish, Koch Goma Sub County says that they are afraid the practice could disrupt the rainfall pattern in the area and affect farming. He said their sub county, previously the most forested in the district, is now almost bare.
Rose Mary Acayo, another resident of Lii parish says that they are currently experiencing extreme dry and windy weather, which she said was not the case when they still had forested land cover. She explained that Koch Goma Sub County used to be the most forested area of the district but the forests are no more due to charcoal burning.
Emmanuel Omara, the Nwoya District Forestry Officer admits that there has been an indiscriminate cutting of trees that are used to make charcoal in the sub county. He, however, says that they have moved in to sensitize the community on the dangers of the practice.
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Tom Ociti, the LC5 councilor for Koch Goma Sub County says they are deeply concerned about the increasing level of tree cutting and charcoal burning in the area. He said the practice is threatening to leave the entire sub county bare of any vegetation cover.
Ociti said they are planning to pass a by law to restrict charcoal burning by imposing a heavy tax. He said he has already asked the general purpose committee of the district council to formulate the bylaw.
In November last year, the district authority impounded hundreds of bags of charcoal and arrested about 30 people who were involved in indiscriminate tree cutting for charcoal making.
Charcoal is a major source of energy in Uganda and is responsible for the cutting of vast forest cover. The practice is also responsible for the ongoing climate changes. Cutting down of trees reduces the Green House Gas absorption thereby increasing global warming, which can be addressed partly by planting more trees.
