Natural Resources

The Department of Natural Resources comprises of four (4) major sectors and these include;

·         Forestry

·         Land Management Unit

·         Environment

·         Administration

Sector Mandate:

To ensure sustainable exploitation and utilization of the District Natural Resource Base

Sector objectives:

1.   To promote sustainable utilization and management of environmental, natural and cultural resources on land for social-economic development;

2.   To ensure planned, environmentally friendly, affordable and well-distributed human settlement for both rural and growth centres within the district ;

3.   To increase public awareness on environmental conservation, preservation and climate change;

4.   To undertake restoration of degraded areas;

5.   To promote tree growing  and agro forestry practices as commercial enterprise;

6.   To manage and protect all government land within the district;

7.   To ensure proper and legal land allocation, registration, utilization and transfers of interest of land in the district;

8.   To promote energy saving   initiatives among memebrs of the community;

Staff deposition as at end of June 2017

During the FY 2016/2017, the staffing position of the Department of Natural Resources stood as follows;

 Overview of Performance 2015/2016 and 1^st Quarter 2016/17

1.   Land Management unit;

Consideration of land applications

During the period under consideration, the following have been done order the Land Management Unit;

·         343 land applications were received and considered by the District Land Board. Out of these, 303 were duly approved and all of them granted freehold. On the other hand 40 applications are still pending approval due to various issues noted by the DLB.

·         22 building plans were recommended for approval and out of these 9, were from Kamwenge Town Council while 3 were from Kicheche, 4 from Kahunge Town Council, 3 from Nkoma and 2 Ntara Sub-Counties,

·         4 land and boundary conflicts/disputes were solved without the option of going to court. 1 dispute was settled in Kamwenge Town Council-Rwemirama ward, 2 disputes solved in Bisozi- Nkoma Sub-County and 1 disputed settled in Buguta village,

·         15 sites visits were made.

·         2 certificates of titles for Kahunge and Kicheche sub counties were acquired. The process for acquiring the rest is ongoing. The delay was caused the newly introduced digitisation of the land record at the Department of Survesy and Mapping, Entebbe.

Revenue collection:

A total of UGX 2,100,000 was collected by 2015/16 FY and 1^st quarter 2016/17 FY and was duly banked on the district general fund account at Finance Trust- Kamwenge branch.

2.   Forestry

Under the forestry sector, the following activities were carried out;

Forestry extension

·         5 farmers were visited in Nkoma Sub-County,

·         1 farmer was visited in Kitwe village in Busiriba Sub-County,

·         3 farmers were visited in Biguli Sub-County,

·         3 farmers visited in Mahyoro Sub-County,

·         3 farmers visited Kamwenge Sub-County,

·         2 farmers visited in Bihanga Sub-County.

Observations

·         Most plantations were poorly maintained

·         Some eucalyptus trees had been destroyed by termites

Advice given

·         Farmers whose tree crops had been attacked by termites were advised to treat the anthills with the recommended pesticides such as; Oscoris, Diozone and Rocket.

·         For poorly managed plantations, farmers were advised to carry out silivicultural practices including; thinning, pruning, weeding, line slashing etc

Revenue collection

The forestry sector continues to collect revenue from forest fees. In total UGX 1,180,000 was collected. The revenue was very low due to lack of transport and facilitation to enable the officers to move to the field to collect forest fees.

Recommendations

·         There is urgent need to facilitate forestry staff while collecting revenue,

·         There is need to enhance surveillance,

·         Because of inadequacies in man power, there is need to fill the vacant posts in the forestry sector.

3.   ENVIRONMENT

A total of UGX 7,200,000 PAF grant was received during FY 2015/16 and 2,700 for Q1 of 2016/17 and was used to carry out wetland activities that included;

Inspection of wetlands

·         Lyamugonera in Kahunge Sub County,

·         Kikoyo in Buhanda Sub County

Observations

·         Degradation continues to be a major challenge in wetland management,

·         Those responsible for the degradation are majorly farmers who open land for agricultural production.

Demarcation of buffer zones

·         The degraders in the affected wetlands were met and they promised to stop their illegal activities,

·         Demarcation of Rushango wetland was done; a total of 5Km and planted with 875 provided by Operation Wealth Creation (OWC)

·         The department is in the process of demarcating off buffer zones starting with the following wetlands;

Wetland                               Location

Kikoyo                                  Buhanda

Kengoma                               Kabambiro          

Lyamugonera                         Kahunge

Rwendongo                           Kahunge

Nyakahama                            Kamwenge/Kahunge

This intervention will serve and/or benefit the neighbouring communities basically in two ways;

·         Derive nutritional benefit as a result of consumption of mango fruits,

·         Derive and improve income from result of sale of mangoes.

(a)                                                                                                                                                         Awareness creation

Together with support from JESE, one meeting was carried out in Karambi and Nyanzi villages in Nyakahama parish, Kahunge Sub County to sensitize communities with the aim of achieving sustainable management of Karambi wetland and protection of R.Mpanga banks.

(b)                                                                                                                                                         Review of EIA and Audit Reports

·         Environment Audit report for Mpanga hydro power station was received, reviewed and comments submitted to NEMA for consideration.

·         EIA for the proposed establishment of E. Grandis forest plantation at Kyakarafa was received, reviewed and comments submitted to NEMA for consideration

·         Environmental Compliance inspection for Bishop Balya Girls School, Kamwenge was made and the report submitted to Ministry of Education and Sports

·         Environmental Compliance inspection for Kitagwenda Parents Primary school was made and the report submitted to Ministry of Education and Sports

4.   Administrative office

·         Salaries of all staff in the Department of Natural resources were paid,

·         Support supervision of staff was provided,

·         All staff were appraised in July 2016,

·         Mentoring was done for all staff,

·         In-house staff training was carried out

·         10 proposals for funding were generated and submitted to QENP under revenue sharing arrangements.

Constraints/Challenges to Service Delivery

(a)               Office based

·         Continued inadequate funding for the department has been the biggest ever since,

·         Staff living for other opportunities elsewhere and not replacing them also hinders performance of the sector,

·         Lack of transport means which hinders mobility of staff thus making retarding performance in the department.

(b)                                                                                                                                                         Field based

·         Wetlands degradation,

·         Bush fires by farmers,

·         Political interference by political leaders at lower local levels,

·         Charcoal burning,

·         River banks degradation.

Efforts to so far taken to address the above challenges

·         Submissions made to fill the vacant positions and the process is on-going;

·         Field sensitization and awareness being done,

·         The department is in the process of demarcating off buffer in selected wetlands,

·         Demarcation of the hot spots of R.Mpanga is being done for purposes of both stabilizing the gorge but also protect endangered and endemic species living in the gorge such as the Encephalortus Whitelokii (Cycads),

·         Enforcement of the enacted national laws and byelaws.

Recommendations

·         There is urgent need to provide funds to carry out sector activities according to the work plan,

·         In a view of the increased desire by farmers to take on tree farming as a business, it is recommended that tree nursery beds should be established in sub counties

Planned interventions for 2017/2018

·         Awareness creation on importance of acquiring certificates of titles and also assisting them to acquire these certificates,

·         Monitor and supervise progress of implementation of tree planting activities by DFO and FR,

·         Establish 2 nurseries to provide planting materials,

·         Awareness creation on Environment issues,

·         Carry out environmental inspections within the district,

·         Awareness creation on land tenure systems and procedures required for one to secure his/her parcel of land,

·         Revenue collection from both land related fees as well as forestry fees.

Resource envelope for FY 2017/2018(indicative planning figures)

Conclusion

·         There is an ambitious target of attaining middle income status by 2020, yet majority of Ugandans are expected to get rich from agriculture 

·         This may not be achieved

Reason

·         Climate change is taking serious toll on the production potential of the nation

·         Whatever is planted, gets scorched by prolonged drought and emergence of pests and diseases

·         This quite often results into crop failure

·         Ultimately productivity is grossly affected

Therefore, even if we promote growing of crops without putting due attention on how to mitigate and/or adapt to effects of climate change, then there is no way we can attain the much-cherished middle-income status.

Remedy

1.   There is urgent need to set aside funds to kick-start efforts to address climate change starting with UGX 10,000,000.

2.   Collaborative actions will be undertaken together with the Production department to spearhead workable interventions such as

·         Promotion of small-scale irrigation including drip irrigation

·         Piloting establishment of manageable valley dams to provide water for production

W.W.Kasango

Head, Department of Natural Resources