The Uganda Atlas

orest resources in Uganda comprise of both

natural forests and plantations. Natural forests

include tropical high forests and woodlands while

plantations comprise both pines and hardwoods. Forests

and woodlands cover approximately 4.9 million hectares

which is approximately 20% of the total country area. Of

these, 924,000 ha are tropical high forests, 3,974,102 ha

are woodlands while 35,066 ha are forest plantations.

Forests in Uganda occur as gazetted areas (forest

reserves), other protected areas (national parks) and

as forests on private land. Forests and woodlands are

estimated to have covered about 10,800,000 ha (45%)

of Uganda’s surface area in around 1890. Since then,

the size of the forest estate has drastically shrunk. For

example, at the beginning of the 20th century, Uganda’s

tropical high forests covered 3,090,000 ha or 12% of the

country’s area. Over the years the forests have been

gradually cleared and today estimates indicate reduction

to about 730,000 ha, which is only (3%) of Uganda’s area.

Since the colonial era in Uganda, gazettement of

forest resources has been undertaken under three

main categories which still form the back borne of

the current gazettement plans. The aim is to ensure

continuous supply of forest goods and services to the

people of Uganda in perpetuity. The categories therefore

include supply of goods especially hardwood timber;

protection of water catchments and control of erosion;

and increased production of forest goods through

establishment of forest plantations. Presently, most of

the forest cover under protection is located on the upper

slopes of mountains and highlands. Besides biodiversity

conservation, the forests in these highland areas are

for protection of important water catchments and for

erosion control. In other parts of the country, forests

were gazetted primarily for biodiversity conservation and

supply of timber.

An early morning ride through a cool and refreshing Mabira (natural) forest along the Kampala-Jinja Highway (2008)

NEMA 2009

Forests