Sustainable and participatory management of environmental strategic forest areas in the Kabarole district

The overall aim is to improve the livelihoods of rural communities in Western Uganda, by promoting and facilitating community-based forest management (UG1) and sustainable and climate-smart land use practices (agro-forestry) (UG2). We focus on two districts: Karabole and Hoima, in western Uganda. In both specific objectives the interventions focus on three aspects: (1) capacity building courses of community promotors and staff of farmers associations in community forestry and sustainable agriculture (including women and youth particularly) ; (2) field actions in terms of participatory forest management and agro-forestry (with special attention for water and soil conservation); (3) promotion of good practices by authorities and institutions. After five years, the farmers associations with which we work will be able to gain a triple win out of their natural capital: socio-economic advantages, climate and biodiversity. This way they can break the vicious circle of land degradation and poverty that threatens rural communities in Uganda and reduce their vulnerability for climate change