Mabira - a rainforest threatened by sugar
on Ian Smith (Uganda), 14/Aug/2011 19:28, 34 days ago
Late last month Renate and Ian spent a night in Mabira Forest. This is rainforest half way between Kampala and Jinja - 50 km from the City. During Idi Amin's rule in the 1970s chunks of the forest were lost to the encroachment of settlements and to charcoal burning. In recent years the Uganda Government has entrusted the safe keeping of the rain forest to the National Forest Authority (NFA). The NFA arrange guided walks through this million year-old remnant of much greater expanses of rainforest.In today's Sunday Monitor newspaper it's reported that the forest future is under threat to enable expansion of sugar growing and production - something that goes on either side of the forest. This is a good example of difficult decisions faced by a Country that needs to create more jobs and wealth for its people. Some will argue that eco tourism might provide greater and more sustainable employment in the future. But maybe that argument has yet to prevail.It will be more than sad to see Mabira go. Once gone it won't come back.The view from the window of our wooden 'lodge' in the forest.Renate and our guide standing by a 'fig' tree (Ian thinks he said fig tree!)People from nearby settlements come to this tree to carve bits of its bark to grind into a powder which is used to calm upset stomachs. Its very spicy!This tree's roots have spread as the tree has grown and created an amazing arch - this will have taken hundreds of years to happen.A magnificent mahogany tree - straight as straight can be - we couldn't see the top as it was lost in the leaf canopy above us.