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Acholi leaders urge tree planting to combat climate change

30 July 2025, 1:46 pm

Tree seedlings at a community nursery in Northern Uganda, part of ongoing reforestation efforts led by Acholi cultural leaders to combat deforestation and climate change.

By Okello Gift

Acholi cultural leaders are urging communities to intensify tree-planting efforts to combat widespread deforestation and environmental degradation in the region.

Speaking to our reporter on Tuesday, Rwot Kasimiro Ongom of the Patongo clan in Agago District noted that the past four years have seen a sharp rise in tree cutting for charcoal and timber, leaving the land bare and vulnerable. He emphasised the need to replace lost trees by planting both fruit and timber species, which can also offer economic benefits to households.

Rwot Ongom further appealed to religious leaders to take an active role in promoting environmental conservation through mass tree-planting campaigns.

In Pader District, Rwot Peko John Lugai II of the Pajule clan described the level of deforestation as alarming. He urged every household to treat tree planting as a personal responsibility, noting that climate change is already impacting rainfall patterns and food production in the region.

Rwot Orik Francis added that while commercial tree cutting has slightly declined, there remains an urgent need to aggressively replant trees. He stressed that trees are not only vital for environmental restoration but can also provide a sustainable source of income for families across the Acholi sub-region.