Operationalization of Uganda’s National Tree Fund A Process Audit and Call for Action

Abstract

Uganda is one of the countries losing forest cover at a very alarming rate. It is reported that within a period of 15 years, stretching from 1990, Uganda’s forest cover had reduced by approximately 1.3 million hectares.1 This represents an average annual deforestation rate of 1.8 per cent.2 This means that in less than twenty years, Uganda has lost about 25 per cent of its forest cover. If this rate of loss of forest cover is not contained, it means that in the next 40 years, Uganda will hardly have any forests left. Given the importance of forests to Uganda’s economic development, human well-being and the environment, this spells doom. This has grave implications for the energy sector, tourism, agriculture, food security and the lives and livelihoods of many Ugandans especially the forest-dependent and forest-adjacent communities. A key challenge to efforts aimed at restoring the forest cover and promoting tree planting generally, is the inadequate and lack of appropriate, long term and sustainable funding.