WWF-Uganda, Faith groups partner to restore forest cover

Fort Portal, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | World Wide Fund for Nature-WWF Uganda is partnering with faith communities and conservation groups from the Albertine Rift to restore forest cover.

The initiative is under the Beliefs and Values Programme, which is bringing together the two groups to protect and restore biodiversity.

Philip Kihumuro, the Forest Restoration Manager at WWF Country office says the groups play a greater role in nature restoration and their determination to address climate change or to protect forest cover has enormous potential to influence the community actions.

He added that this program integrates a faith-based approach into conservation strategies and engages with leaders and communities based on their spiritual, religious and cultural beliefs and value systems.

Kihumuro says the initiative is coming at a time when the world is faced with huge climate questions including how to restore the lost biodiversity and meet the demands of a growing population.

From this engagement, they will develop a faith and belief platform to have joint synergies toward nature conservation.

Rev. Canon Godfrey Buro from Bunyoro-Kirtara Diocese says that despite their immense value forests across the diocese face a multitude of threats that jeopardize their delicate balance and long-term survival.

He appreciates that the word of God mandates man to sustain nature and notes that as a diocese they have been raising campaigns encouraging the community to plant trees.

Chensi Buruhan the Tooro Muslim district secretary is optimistic that this initiative brings faith and science communities to understand each other and work together to protect nature.

He says they have the trust of the community to make them advocates of conservation.

Rev. Benon Agaba, from the Diocese of Kigezi, says they are already engaged in forest restoration programs and believe this partnership is coming to improve their efforts.

He says the diocese is open to coordinating and participating in conservation discussions.

Omuhereza Rwankole from the Faith of Unity in Kagdi district says their faith advocates for environment conservation and that they have a department of forestry responsible for ensuring that every branch carries out tree planting, and conservation practices and also raises awareness on the value of conservation.

Harriet Nyakake, the Tooro Kingdom Deputy Prime minister says the country is increasingly experiencing deforestation and illegal logging driven by both local and global demands for timber and agricultural land.

She noted that cultural institutions are open to working with any organization and individuals that are focused on nature restoration.

Religious groups are the largest part of civil society with 85% of the world population affiliated with a religion or spiritual tradition.

According to UNEP, almost 200 faith-based organisations are active on key issues such as climate change, renewable energy, and reforestation.

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