Oil companies should involve local communities in environmental restoration rather than hiring organizations

Op-Ed: As we celebrate Water and Environment Week, first of all, I want to start by thanking all organizations participating in environmental conservation and restoration of lost tree species in the Albertine Graben, particularly TotalEnergies, UNOC, and CNOOC in Kingfisher, not forgetting the government of Uganda, among others.

We have been told by our experts in the environment that the region will experience more climate change, which is already seen in our area, and we have put in place measures to mitigate the change. If not controlled, we are likely to lose our lives, livestock, and gardens, among others.

I have witnessed many times ToatalEnergies trying to hire some other organizations, such as Eco Trust, Chimpanzee Trust, and EnvironServ Uganda, among others, that have come to plant trees in the communities, especially in schools, churches, mosques, health centers, and other public offices, which I salute as a good initiative.

But as an environmental activist, I feel that there is something better than hiring organizations from other areas to come and plant trees in the Albertine Graben and then going back to other places where they came from without knowing what will happen next to the trees they have planted. They look more at the people in business than at restoring nature.

In Buliisa district, for example, animals like goats, cows, and other wild animals feed on the planted trees at their early stages. My question is: how is the tree seedling planted being protected from animals? How about watering those seedlings in case there is a need?

I put my emphasis on involving the local communities to plant trees on their own land and being given that facilitation instead of spending a lot of money on hiring or giving contracts to big organizations.

The advantage of involving the community is that they have land where to plant trees, they can take care of the trees to maturity, they take less money compared to hiring big organizations, and they will also, in the process, get income and employment.

Remember that if involved, the community members will own the project; they will also be advised to integrate tree planting with the beekeeping project and hit two birds with one stone.

No research will be needed for seeds suitable for their areas because they already know them through natural experience.

I’m saying this through practical experience.

In 2019, journalists from Bunyoro subregion, led by Kibego John, started a campaign to plant trees in the Albertine region, where journalists participated in the planting of trees at Biiso FM 97.8, Biiso Health Centre IV, Biiso Model Primary School, Biiso War SS, Mukitale Foundation SS, St. Mary’s Biiso Primary School, Garasoya, and Kihungya P/S. The trees are up to now doing well because pupils also participated in the exercise and are taking care of the trees.

From that time, Biiso FM, in partnership with the Dolica Adventist Community Initiative, joined by Kazi-Njema and the TASHA-Institute, took the initiative to another level and encouraged residents to plant family forests known as woodlots, which have worked well in the community.

Since that time, people have demanded tree seedlings, and we have given out over 20,000 seedlings from the National Forest Authority (NFA).

In this case, therefore, I ask the government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Water and Environment, TotalEnergies, WWF, and other organizations, to consider funding local communities to restore and plant trees for the betterment of our environment.

Hangiriza Agutamba, Egundagunde Karuziika!

The author is Ikiriza Zephania Atwooki, an environmental activist, journalist attached to Biiso FM, and CEO of Dolica Adventist Community Initiative.

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