The Ministry of Water and Environment has launched a new initiative, the “Sustainable Natural Resources Management and Enhanced Refugee-Host Coexistence Project in the West Nile Sub-region.”
The five-year initiative, being implemented in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is aimed at improving environmental sustainability and fostering peaceful coexistence in the region.
The initiative seeks to promote sustainable land and forest management practices through agroforestry, utilizing a farmer-field school approach that targets at least 1,000 households in the West Nile sub-region.
In addition to encouraging agroforestry, the project will focus on landscape restoration via natural regeneration, the dissemination of environmental conservation messages, and strengthening the District Forestry Services (DFS).
A key component of the project is the conservation of Shea trees, including the enhancement of Shea value chains to support local communities economically.
While the project will cover all 12 districts in the West Nile subregion, five districts—Moyo, Pakwach, Yumbe, Terego, and Arua—have been prioritized based on findings from a baseline survey conducted between March 2 and March 15, 2025.
In a bid to steer the project’s implementation, a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting was held today at Fairway Hotel in Kampala.
The meeting, led by Mr. David Okurut, Director of the Directorate of Environment Affairs (DEA) at MWE, and attended by key stakeholders, reviewed and approved the selected pilot districts.
The gathering also provided strategic direction for the successful execution of the project.
Among the attendees were prominent figures such as Madam Adata Margaret, Commissioner of the Forestry Sector Support Department (FSSD); and Mr. Issa Katwesige, National Project Coordinator (NPC) and Assistant Commissioner at FSSD.
Others were Mr. Bob Kazungu, Assistant Commissioner for Forestry, Assessment & Monitoring; Mr. Hideshi Yamashita, Senior Representative of JICA Uganda Office; Mr. Yasuo Ohno, Chief Advisor for the project; and Mr. Igulot Patrick, Project Manager.
Representatives from various organizations also participated in the meeting, including MWE FSSD staff, the National Forestry Authority (NFA), the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), and JICA.
The official launch of the project is scheduled for April 15, 2025, in Arua City, following an inception meeting with key stakeholders, including District Local Government representatives, the Office of the Prime Minister, and the National Forestry Authority.
The project is poised to play a vital role in promoting sustainable natural resource management, enhancing resilience to climate change, and fostering peaceful coexistence between refugee and host communities in Uganda’s West Nile region.