Government, NEMA intervene to restore Bududa landslide-affected ecosystems

12 February 2026, 8:42 am

By Ali lukomo

Following a series of devastating landslides in Eastern Uganda, the Government of Uganda, through the National Environment Management Authority, has introduced direct interventions to restore degraded areas on the slopes of Mount Elgon in a bid to prevent further landslides.

The initiative is being implemented under a five-year Government of Uganda project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through UN Environment.

The Mount Elgon project, themed ‘Promoting an Integrated Landscape Management Approach for Conservation of the Mount Elgon Ecosystem in Eastern Uganda’, aims to enhance food security and conserve ecosystems that provide critical goods and services for rural livelihoods within the Mount Elgon landscape.

The project, which is being implemented by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) in collaboration with partners at national and district levels, covers a total of 38 sub-counties across the districts of Bududa, Bukwo, Bulambuli, Kapchorwa, Kween, Manafwa, Mbale, Namisindwa and Sironko.

The Executive Director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has said that the Government intends to strengthen the conservation of ecosystems that provide critical goods and services for rural livelihoods and food security in the Mount Elgon landscape.

Speaking during a site visit to Bududa District by the NEMA Board, the Board Chairperson of the National Environment Management Authority, Prof. James Okot-Okumu, said they will work to transition the Mount Elgon landscape into a sustainable, biodiverse and climate-resilient integrated landscape, with efficient value and supply chains for coffee and staple crops such as maize, beans, bananas and Irish potatoes.