Activists raise red flag over declining forest cover 

Environmentalists have raised a red flag about the continued global forest cover decline, calling for immediate action to save the environment.

The executive director of National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Dr. Akankwansah Barirega revealed that between 1992-2020, the world lost 178 million acres of forest cover and it is estimated that 40% of tropical forests have disappeared to commercial agriculture between 2000 and 2010 and about 33% of global forest cover disappeared to substance farming in the same period.

He says the situation is not so different in Uganda, where forest cover from 1990 dropped from 24% to 9.5% in 2015.

However, Akankwansah said due to concerted efforts by the government and private sector, the curve has been reversed now moving from a negative to a positive trajectory which is a great achievement in a bid to preserve the environment.

He explains that the forest cover has improved from 9.5% in 2015 to 13.3% to date and he is optimistic that the country is still on track to achieve the 15% forest cover by 2040 as outlined in the National Development Plan.

Written by Prossy Kisakye