Green Environ Forestry (GEF) is in the process of setting up an ARR carbon project, consisting of two components: a plantation element totalling approximately 5,500 ha and forest conservation areas covering around 14,000 ha in four Central Forest Reserves (CFRs) in northern Uganda.
As an initial step, a first assessment was carried out by The Forest Link for GEF to evaluate current land use and coverage and to gain insights into the natural ecosystems within the CFRs. After this, Form International performed a more extensive pre-feasibility assessment, which included a field visit and in which the project’s feasibility was proven. GEF is currently in the process of applying the license agreements for the CFRs and in the meantime further preparing the project documentation and development in collaboration with Treevive.
This November, Form International conducted a second field visit, in which the present biomass in the CFRs was assessed. Moreover, an in-depth social study and a soil assessment have started, and in January a flora & fauna and HCV study will take place.
The forest reserves are currently being illegally used for farming, charcoal burning, grazing, bamboo collection, and logging. The continuous burning and cutting over the years have left the reserves severely degraded, with hardly any intact forest left. Through the carbon and timber revenues, GEF aims to develop a restoration and conservation project that can sustain itself long-term while having positive impacts and bringing development to surrounding communities. Some parts of the CFRs contain rocky hills, with typical plant communities that (almost) only are found on rocky outcrops and therefore potentially include sites of high conservation value.
Treevive is very enthusiastic about this specific forest restoration project. It can become a lighthouse project whereby climate, biodiversity and social aspects benefit from an integrated carbon-timber business case. The project design foresees a leopard skin approach, where patches of plantation forestry are integrated into the landscape. The forestry element, which will encompass about 28% of the total area, will ensure the majority of the financial means needed to sustainably restore and manage the entire project area.
We look forward to the outcome of the aforementioned studies and the coming period in which the community engagement will intensify, the project design will be further detailed, and the first pilot plots will be planted.