A Captivating Chimpanzee Trekking Experience
Deforestation Threatens Protected Areas
Even places meant to be protected from harm, like forests set aside as reserves, aren’t always safe from destruction. Sometimes, companies cut down trees in these areas to make room for things like oil palm or sugar plantations. For instance, back in August 2016, the Bunyoro Kingdom decided to lease out 8,000 hectares of land in the Bugoma Forest Reserve. They gave this land to Hoima Sugar Limited for a really long time—99 years! This decision could mean that about one fifth of the protected forest might get destroyed. The kingdom got permission to use this land from the government just days before.
Right after that, workers started to cut a long path into the forest. They made a trail that was several kilometers long. A newspaper wrote about it, saying that journalists who tried to take pictures of the cutting were in danger. The workers had machetes, bows, and arrows, and they threatened the journalists. The forest supervisor, Robert Busiku, said the workers knew they were doing something wrong, so they were ready to hurt anyone who tried to stop them.
Some good news came when the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) took legal action. They fought to cancel the deal with Hoima Sugar. But even with that victory, the forest isn’t completely safe. Joan Akiiza from NAPE says that the people living near the forest need help to make sure it stays safe. The forest is really important to their lives, and they want to keep it for their kids and grandkids