Implementation of the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism - support to Uganda

Budongo Central Forest Reserve

Introduction	Uganda, a landlocked country with a fast-growing rural population, had tripled its population since 1969, reaching 34.9 million in 2018. This rapid growth placed intense pressure on natural resources, driving the expansion of agriculture into marginal and forested lands.
Country	Uganda
Start date	01/01/2016
End date	31/12/2018
Status	Activities Completed
Recipient / Target Areas	Uganda
Budget	USD 300 000
Objective / Goal	The objective of this project was to support Uganda's efforts in forest and landscape restoration (FLR) by enhancing coordination, monitoring, and scaling of restoration programs. This was achieved through the development of the Forestry Investment Program, operationalizing the national Tree Fund, establishing collaborative platforms, and creating a comprehensive FLR monitoring framework. Additionally, the project aimed to strengthen government and private sector engagement in forest restoration initiatives to address the pressures of rapid population growth and land degradation.
Partners	Government partners: Ministry for Water and Environment National Climate Change Advisory Group (NCCAC) Financial institutions: World Bank African Development Bank
Activities	Restoration Commitments (as targeted during the project period): Aimed to restore Uganda’s forest cover from 15 percent in 2010 to 24 percent by 2040, in line with Uganda’s Vision 2040. Sought to increase forest cover from 14 percent in FY2012/13 to 18 percent by FY2019/2020, as outlined in the Second National Development Plan. Committed to restoring 2.5 million hectares of degraded land by 2020 under the Bonn Challenge.
Impact	Joint technical assistance was provided for the development of Uganda’s Forestry Investment Program, which was successfully endorsed by the Climate Investment Funds in June 2017, in partnership with the World Bank. A feasibility assessment was conducted for the operationalization of the national Tree Fund, as a potential major source of funding for scaling up restoration in the country, including a study tour with FONERWA, Rwanda’s Green Fund. Two landscape-level pilot platforms were facilitated for collaboration, exchange of information, and consolidation of data to enhance monitoring and coordination. A national menu of forest and landscape restoration (FLR) goals, indicators, and a monitoring framework was initiated to assist in tracking FLR programmes implemented by various practitioners in Uganda. Support was provided to the Ministry of Water and Environment in establishing mechanisms to coordinate forestry and restoration programs, including a consolidated database of projects and programs and the operationalization of the One Stop Data Centre as a hub for FLR-related data consolidation and analysis. Ten private sector members and government staff participated in the Forest and Landscape Investment Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda, in May 2017.
Contact	FAO FLRM: Christophe Besacier
More on this topic	This project was funded by the Korea Forest Service.