In Uganda, a Women-Led Reforestation Initiative Fights Flooding, Erosion
KASESE DISTRICT, Uganda — In western Uganda’s Kasese district, where the Rwenzori Mountains meet the sprawling plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Janet Nyakairu Abwoli is on a mission to rejuvenate her land and empower her community. Farmers here long enjoyed fertile soil and predictable weather, but over the past 20 years, rainfall has become increasingly erratic. Frequent flooding has caused the district’s principal river to flood, uprooting homes and washing away fields.
Abwoli’s answer to this is to plant trees.
Standing in the dappled shade of a grove of young Ficus, she smiles and gestures towards the hillside. “We don’t just plant trees,” she says. “We plant hope.”
Evelyn Mugume, the environment officer for Kasese municipality, says that rainfall patterns in the district have changed. “We used to expect rains by August 15, but now they start in mid-September. Floods have become a common phenomenon, even in areas without rivers, washing away crops, homes, and livelihoods,” she tells Mongabay.
“The temperatures, seasons, and patterns of rainfall and drought have all shifted noticeably. In the past 10 to 20 years, we have seen prolonged droughts and intense, shorter rainfalls that are insufficient for crop yield and production.”
In response to this new situation, the Ugandan government and civil society organizations have promoted planting trees as a solution. They are encouraging people in Kasese district to plant native species, which are more resistant to pests and diseases and offer ecological and socio-economic benefits.