¶ Acronyms
CBO Community Based Organization
CDO Community Development Officer
DFO District Forest Officer
CFM Collaborative Forest Management
CFR Central Forest Reserve
DLG District Local Government
LC Local Council
LG Local government
NFA National Forestry Authority
MoU Memorandum of Understanding
KADECA Kanaba Community Development and Echuya Forest Conservation Association
SACCO Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization
STO Senior Tourism Officer
UOBDU United Organization for Batwa Development in Uganda
UWA Uganda Wildlife Authority
VSLA Village Saving and Loan Association
¶ ECHUYA CENTRAL FOREST RESERVE
¶ 1.0 Background
Echuya Central Forest Reserve is located in Kisoro and Rubanda districts. The forest lies between 1°14' - 1°21' S and 29°47' -29°52'E, covers an area of 34 km, and has an altitude range of 2,270 – 2,570 m (ITFC, 2015 & MWE, 2016). The forest lies at the heart of the biodiversity rich Albertine rift eco-region and is a site of global biodiversity importance. Echuya is particularly known for its high-quality bamboo, Yushania alpina and the unique bird species. Over the years part the of the forest has been colonized by broadleaved tree species replacing the once extensive bamboo vegetation. The forest is surrounded by areas with very high population density of about 354 people per Km2 (2014 census).
The population depends entirely on natural resources and forest products for their basic livelihood needs such as firewood, building materials and medicine. The National Forestry and Tree Planting Act (NFTPA), 2003 provides for Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) which formalizes access to resources through a negotiation process. This plan is a product of the negotiation process between the KADECA, NFA and Kisoro District Local Government (DLG) which was informed by a detailed participatory situation analysis (PSA).
¶ 1.1 Summary of the Participatory situation Analysis
Management of the 3,403-hectare Echuya central forest reserve (CFR) is vested in the National Forestry Authority (NFA) in accordance with the provisions of the NFTPA, 2003. The Act also provides for CFM between the responsible body and the local communities. Operationally, CFM is prescribed in Forest Management Plan (2016-2026) for Echuya CFR under the adjacent community livelihood working circle. Accordingly, in 2006, the NFA developed and implemented a 10-year CFM agreement with Kanaba Community Development and Echuya Forest Conservation Association (KADECA) in Kanaba sub-county Kisoro district which expired in 2017.
In April 2022 both the NFA and KADECA through their leadership agreed to review and revise the CFM agreements. The NFA also proposed to develop a new CFM agreement for the Batwa Indigenous community who were believed to have been minimally involved in the implementation of the expired agreements as a result of the long-time ethnic discrimination.
The process of revising KADECA CFM agreement involved consulting various stakeholders such as Kisoro DLG, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), NGOs (Nature Uganda, United Organization for Batwa Development in Uganda UOBDU); KADECA members and the Batwa community. The consultations focused on the extent of stakeholder participation, the main achievements, the gaps, challenges and lessons; the willingness of stakeholders to renew the agreements; and the proposed development of a separate agreement for the Batwa community.
Furthermore, a rapid PSA was conducted by a planning team representing different stakeholders to collect information to guide the re-negotiation process. Information on the current socio-economic and environmental information in the landscape as well as the status of the forest in terms of forest resource abundance, distribution and threats was prioritized.
Consultation findings indicate that there was limited participation of Local Governments, the youth and the Batwa in the development and implementation of the expired CFM agreements. The agreement focused so much on the forest resource assess, and less on the socio-economic and livelihood issues outside the forest. The agreement contributed to improved relations between NFA staff and the local community; increased community participation in forest protection including fighting the perennial bamboo fires and reporting illegal activities. The group initiated VSLAs/SACCOs, beekeeping, bamboo domestication and implemented interventions on soil and water conservation though not a large scale. The agreement gave the Batwa special concessions to access firewood daily for sale to in order to earn a living but omitted the provisions to allow Batwa access their cultural sites. The stakeholders consulted and Batwa themselves opposed the proposal to develop a separate agreement for Batwa to avoid possible resource-use conflicts and more discrimination.
Families around Echuya CFR still reside semi-permanent and makeshift houses built from forest raw material. Over 80% of the families reside in mud and wattle iron roofed houses; 13% temporary houses grass thatched houses while about 1% are purely grass makeshifts belonging to Batwa and other vulnerable groups. T
Currently, the population experiences low literacy levels and inadequate extensions services. Around Echuya CFR, 85% of the households have unimproved latrines while some have no latrines. Water is the inadequate and unsafe with water sources (ponds and streams) polluted with siltation from soil erosion and human waste due to open defecation. Some people consume un boiled water due to ignorance and scarcity of firewood for cooking and boiling water.
Agriculture is the main source of income with irish potatoes, onions and beans as the main cash crops. However, agricultural production levels are dwindling due to poor land management, land fragmentation and inadequate extension services with consequences of low annual household incomes and increased dependence on the forest resources to supplement livelihoods.
Ninety nine percent (99%) of household consume 7 bundles of firewood per week using the 3-stone cookstove whose firewood consumption is high. As a result, the in-forest assessment found dry firewood was depleted in the CFM area. People had resorted to cutting of live trees for firewood. Bamboo in the KADECA area was extinct in many areas and overtaken by other vegetation types. Craft materials like ropes are still abundant but there was no control on the off-take levels which is likely to cause degradation of the forest.
Lastly, in line with the findings the following preliminary recommendations were made:
a) Build the capacity of CFM Groups to improve their livelihoods and improved forest management;
b) Promote income generating enterprises for fast household development and financial sustainability;
c) Involve the youth in suitable enterprises, forestry activities and in the leadership of the CFM groups.;
d) Involve the Batwa in all CFM activities including the representation on the various committees;
e) Involve local governments in all CFM activities in the landscape with clear roles and responsibilities;
f) Promote and mainstream environmental conservation in all activities at household level;
g) Involve the CFM groups in eco-tourism and cultural tourism with the Batwa playing a big role.
h) Promote regulated access to selected forest resources and services by all categories of stakeholders;
i) Zone the forest in multiple zones to cater for the multiples forest values;
j) Zone off bamboo restoration and management areas to ensure its continued existence;
k) Encourage joint planning, implementation and monitoring of collaborative management activities
l) Build and strengthen trust between CFM groups and staff of NFA and Local government.
m) Support the community with extension services targeting poor land management, poor crop and animal husbandry, agroforestry, poor sanitation and hygiene and sustainable energy.
¶ 1.2 The plan development process and participants
This plan was developed through a stakeholder participatory process. The process involved reviewing the performance of the expired CFM Agreement and plan between KADECA and NFA for the period 2007-2017. Review meeting meetings were held both at community and district level focusing on achievements, failures, lessons, gaps and new developments over the years. Community level meetings targeted the Batwa indigenous people to get their views on how they would like to get involved in the management of the Echuya CFR. An Introductory capacity building training on CFM was conducted to building a common understanding on CFM by stakeholders and particularly on CFM entry points and critical CFM stages. A rapid in and out of forest assessment was conducted to generate information for primary negotiations and consensus building. The negotiations involved representatives of NFA, LG at sub-county and district levels, NGOs, Batwa community and KADECA. KADECA representatives were carefully selected to ensure representation of the Batwa, youth, women and the elderly; and various user and interest groups such as firewood collectors, herbalists, etc. Following the primary negotiations, the draft CFM agreement and plan was presented at district and community level and reviewed by NFA and Kisoro Local Government before final signing/endorsement by parties.
Figure 1: KADECA CFM Negotiation Team, Kanaba Sub- County Kisoro District
¶ 1.3 Name and Area covered by the plan
This CFM plan covers part of Echuya CFR (300 HA) and the surrounding landscape located in Kanaba subcounty in Kisoro district and shares a common border with Rubanda district along the Kabale -Kisoro Road.
¶ 1.4 Policy and Legal Frame works
The CFM plan is in line with the Uganda forestry policy, 2001 and provisions of the NFTPA, 2003, the National Forestry and Tree Planting Regulations, 2016 which define CFM. CFM is a mutually beneficial arrangement in which a local community or a forest user group shares roles, responsibilities and benefits with a responsible body in the management of forest reserve or part of it. The arrangement is usually cemented by legally binding CFM agreements and plans.
¶ 1.5 Institutional Arrangements
Implementation of this CFM plan will be made possible through the institutional frameworks of NFA, Kisoro DLG and KADECA. NFA and Kisoro DLG will provide staff to support KADECA in the implementation of the prescriptions of this plan. The NFA has field staff who are expected to provide direct support in implementation of forestry prescriptions in the plan and coordinate and link KADECA to other stakeholders to implement out of forest interventions. Kisoro district and Kanaba sub-county LGs on the other hand has both political leaders and technical staff in different departments with key roles in implementation of the plan.
The local governments will particularly be supportive in implementation of soil and water conservation interventions; wetland conservation and livestock and agroforestry enterprises at community level which will reduce pressure on the forest. The Community Development Office both at district and sub-county level will particularly be useful in building and further strengthening KADECA. Additionally, the plan is expected to benefit from the various government development programmes including Parish Development Model, Youth Livelihood Programmes, Women Entrepreneurship Programme, and Operation Wealth Creation and others which will be developed and implemented through the Local Government structure.
Equally KADECA is expected to review and widen the scope of her institution structure including putting in place other sub-committees to cater for the various activities to ensure effective participation of members in the implementation of the plan. Other than NFA, Kisoro DLG and KADECA, the plan recognizes and provides room for other institutions/stakeholders such as Nature Uganda, that shall play roles in the implementation of this plan. The roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders are stated in the management plan.
¶ 1.6 Zonation
The NFA will support the local community in mapping and zoning the CFM area into the various management zones to suit the various activities under this CFM plan. Although the provisions of this plan are hinged to part of Echuya CFR; the operation area of the plan will extend beyond the forestry boundary to include the forest adjacent parishes in Kanaba sub-county where livelihood improvement and other environment related activities will be implemented in a landscape approach