Fuelwood - Planting

Country:
Uganda
Why to choose this solution?
Trees are vital. Trees give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilise the soil, and help to support the diverse wildlife of the world. They also provide us with materials for tools and shelter as well as fuel for cooking. Trees such as shear nut provide natural oils, which can be used for cooking and in personal- care products such soap, Vaseline, creams, and lotions. These natural oils are also medicinal, providing health benefits to the skin and to the entire body. Tree-planting is recommended to help mitigate climate change and its effects, e.g., drought, insufficient rains, destructive winds, floods, energy crises, and loss of soil. Tree-planting can also be done to earn income.
Savings per day or production:
The cost is low because tree-planting uses locally available resources like seedlings, manure, soil, and labour. Trees can also help reduce household bills for air conditioning and for heating bills. Trees contribute to their environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, helping to slow climatic deterioration, conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife. During the process of photosynthesis, trees take in carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen we breathe.
Cost in money and in own time to construct:
Tree seedlings cost between USh 50 to 5000 (USD 0.01-to 1.4). Some seedlings and seeds can even be accessed locally, free of charge. Family labour can be used during establishment, and even if no members are available at home, you can plant your trees gradually until you accomplish the plantation. Cooking oil and cosmetics from natural oils from trees cost between USh 5000 and 50,000 UGX (approximately 1-14 USD).
Lifetime:
This may depend on the purpose. For example, one might harvest and manage the trees for regeneration for future uses. Durability also depends on the tree species, as some trees can last between 10-25 years.
Maintenance needed:
Weeding, pruning, protection against fire and animals, and too in some cases, spraying to control pests and diseases.
Resources needed in use:
Hoe, slasher, panga, manure, labour, spray pump, pesticide/fungicides.
Problems and limits:
Land shortages, prolonged dry spells, high temperatures, fires, inaccessibility of seedlings to some locations, varying sunshine, insufficient rains, financial capital to manage tree-planting, and theft of the trees.
Where and how can you get it or make it?
Seedlings and seeds can be accessed from tree nursery centres all over the country, from the bush as wildings, from existing forests, or below the trees on farms. Woodlots can also be established using Farmer Natural Regeneration Management.
Skills needed to produce, install. maintenance, use:
Knowledge of how to plant trees, spacing needed, where to plant.
How to use it:
Not relevant.
How to maintain it:
Not relevant.
Climate effect (if any):
Trees absorb CO2 by removing and storing the carbon while releasing oxygen back into the air. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 produced when you drive your car 26,000 miles. Trees also play a big role in conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife.
Where it is used and how many users are there?
Almost in all regions in Uganda, people are planting trees now and establishing woodlots. Over 55,000 Ugandans have woodlots established for fuel wood, food and income.
Why is it successful?
Tree management practices as well as the trees themselves satisfy the needs of the farmers. Availability of land and bondage to culture. Fuel wood planting has been also successful because of support from the government and other development partners through provision of seedlings, awareness creation and capacity building trainings.
If you can make it, a short description, typical problems, materials needed.:
Establishing a woodlot requires trained personnel. Typical problems associated with tree-planting include insufficient rains, drought, floods, animals, fires, limited quality seedlings, and financial constraints. Materials needed include manure, fertile black soil, seedlings, water, stakes, string, hoes, panga, basins.
How to make it (if possible):
Not necessary.
How is it delivered and by whom?
Not necessary.
Successful financial model
Support for development, trainings.
What policies and strategies helped the success?
The Government, the private sector, and civil society have supported tree-planting initiatives in the country. Communities are involved tree growing through local groups, training sessions in tree-growing, and management. The Tree-Planting Act of 2003 has helped, as has the Forestry Policy of 2001. Community by-laws help to guide the initiative (e.g., Before you cut existing trees, plant new trees.”). The governmental project Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) provides seedlings, especially of fruit trees.
More info:
http://spgs.mwe.go.ug/sites/files/SPGS%20Issue%2039.pdf and https://facethefuture.com/downloads/FtF_The-contribution-of-forests-to-climate-change-mitigation_LR.pdf
Sources:
JEEP, 7 Miles, Gayaza Rd, Kyanja, Kampala, P. O. Box 4264, Uganda. +256 414 578 316. Email: info@jeepfolkecenter.org. https://jeepfolkecenter.org
Name of the association uploading the case:
JEEP
When was the case uploaded? (YYYY-MM-DD):
2020-12-07