Gulu Central Forest Reserve is a Forest Reserve located in Gulu District, Laroo-Pece division, Gulu City and is a protected area by National Forestry Authority. Despite numerous threats, the forest reserve has faced numerous challenges.[1]
Conservation
editIn March 2019, the government ordered eviction of encroachers into Gulu Central Forest Reserve following efforts to help restore and save the reserve from deforestation. In 2021, parliament of Uganda passed a resolution to degazette Gulu Central Forest Reserve.[2]
Controversies
editThe forest reserve has faced multiple encroachment to a brink nearing extinction. With many wrangles politically and locally by community members, the forest reserve has been highly contested by the current Gulu University, a higher institution of learning that is seated on vast chunks of land belonging to the forest. National Forestry Authority[3] was faulted for wrongly participating in the give away of land belonging to Gulu Central Forest Reserve and to compensate for the illegality, the government agency agreed to relocate part of the forest reserve to Nwoya District and arranged 500 hectares of land to replant the forest reserve and pave way for the expansion of Gulu University.[4][5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Land Commission grills NFA on how Gulu University acquired land on forest reserve". New Vision. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
- ^ "NFA to degazette forest for Gulu University expansion". Monitor. 2021-11-24. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
- ^ "NFA | National Forestry Authority - Mandated to manage all central forestry reserves by Government of Uganda". www.nfa.go.ug. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
- ^ "Will Uganda be able to fulfill its pledge to protect its forests?". Mongabay Environmental News. 2016-01-06. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
- ^ TWAHA, ALI (2017-10-13). "Land probe: NFA boss admits illegal activity in Gulu reserve". The Observer - Uganda. Retrieved 2023-06-11.