The Natural Resources looks at the environment and wetlands, land management and Forestry. Kumi District is endowed with a number of natural resources ranging from wetlands, undulating inselbergs in Ngora, Kapir, Mukongoro and Nyero (where the stone age Nyero Rock Paintings are located), soils and tree resources which provide the main source of energy for cooking and lighting. The vast wetland resource has made the district one of the leading producers of high quality rice.
The major highlights in natural resources are:
• Many natural resources have been destroyed due to over exploitation of the resources thereby affecting the general environment leading to changes in the weather conditions in the District i.e. the months that used to be rainy are now dry.
• More than half of the district soils are sandy
• The rainfall pattern in the district is bi-modal with peaks in April – May and July – August.
• The annual mean temperature is 240C and rainfall is 800 – 1000mm.
• The main source of energy for cooking is wood fuel, used by about 99.9% of households.
• The worst floods so far experienced by Kumi district and the region at large are the 2007 floods.
• The sub-counties which were most affected by the floods in Kumi district are those bordering Lake Bisina and lake Opeta wetland system.
• Kumi district is mostly comprised of scanty woodlands.
• The total land area gazzetted as forest reserves in Kumi district is about 243 Ha.
• Only 13.6% of the area under forest reserves in Kumi is planted with trees
• Population growth has resulted in people reclaiming swamps for agricultural purposes, brick making, and even for settlement because the population is growing faster than economic growth and development.
Opportunities for Environment/Natural Resource Management:
The District has a number of opportunities for improvement of Environment/Natural Resources Management. They include among others the following:-
• There are legislation frameworks such as National Environment Act Chap. 153 which are for sound environment management.
• Existence of the National Lead Agencies like NEMA and Environment department technical staff to provide necessary capacity building.
• Uganda Police force and the magistrate courts exist in the District to enforce the existing laws.
• There are several funding sources from which environment management can be enhanced. They include: PAF, FIEFOC, PRDP and LGDP among others.
• Legal structures exist in the District and sub-county local governments for environment/Natural resources management.
• There are many civil society organisations in Kumi which is they incorporated environment would improve environment management.
In general analyses, the issues of environment are critical and have a direct bearing on poverty levels. As environment degradation is both the cause and a consequence of poverty, it explains the high levels of poverty in the district. To reverse the environment degradation trend which is increasingly rising there is need to implement both restoration and mitigation measures. These call for all stakeholders to play their roles.
Wetlands
The coverage of wetlands in Kumi district is more than the national average. While Uganda’s wetlands cover is 13 % of the total area of the country, average wetland coverage in Kumi district is more than double the country’s average wetland coverage. Kumi district before Bukedea got curved out as a district was 34.7% wetlands. Although the current wetland coverage excluding Bukedea is not certain, it still remains significant. It is still more or less 34% of the total district land area. The status of many wetlands in the district has changed. Many wetlands which used to be permanent are now seasonal. This is largely due to wetland drainage, overgrazing and over harvesting of wetland resources. The high population in Kumi which is more than national average growth rate together with high poverty levels are key driving factors for wetland degradation.
Opportunities for Environment/Natural Resource Management
The District has a number of opportunities for improvement of Environment/Natural Resources Management. They include among others the following:-
• There are legislation frameworks such as National Environment Act Chap. 153 which are for sound environment management.
• Existence of the National Lead Agencies like NEMA and Environment department technical staff to provide necessary capacity building.
• Uganda Police force and the magistrate courts exist in the District to enforce the existing laws.
• There are several funding sources from which environment management can be enhanced. They include: PAF, FIEFOC, PRDP and LGDP among others.
• Legal structures exist in the District and sub-county local governments for environment/Natural resources management.
• There are many civil society organisations in Kumi which is they incorporated environment would improve environment management.
In general analyses, the issues of environment are critical and have a direct bearing on poverty levels. As environment degradation is both the cause and a consequence of poverty, it explains the high levels of poverty in the district. To reverse the environment degradation trend which is increasingly rising there is need to implement both restoration and mitigation measures. These call for all stakeholders to play their roles.
Energy
The main source of energy for cooking is wood fuel, used by about 99.9% of households, while 0.02% of households use electricity/gas, 0.03% use paraffin and 0.07% use other services. Paraffin is main source of lighting used by 55.46% of households, 0.16% use electricity/gas, firewood 44.32% and 0.07% of households use other sources for lighting (source: Kumi population profile 1999). The district too has two power lines crossing it i.e. Lira line, which is 32KVA, and Soroti line with 450 volts. All are a potential for industrial development. An industrial area is already designated and power connected pending development. Lack of running water has been one of the major hindrances to industrialization. In liaison with the Rural Electrification Agency a proposal has been submitted to expand the current electric lines. This proposal should be included in the 10 year National Energy Plan – 2006 – 2016. Minerals
The district has clay, sand and stone mining. However, high value mining has neither been explored nor exploited.
The major highlights in natural resources are:
• Many natural resources have been destroyed due to over exploitation of the resources thereby affecting the general environment leading to changes in the weather conditions in the District i.e. the months that used to be rainy are now dry.
• More than half of the district soils are sandy
• The rainfall pattern in the district is bi-modal with peaks in April – May and July – August.
• The annual mean temperature is 240C and rainfall is 800 – 1000mm.
• The main source of energy for cooking is wood fuel, used by about 99.9% of households.
• The worst floods so far experienced by Kumi district and the region at large are the 2007 floods.
• The sub-counties which were most affected by the floods in Kumi district are those bordering Lake Bisina and lake Opeta wetland system.
• Kumi district is mostly comprised of scanty woodlands.
• The total land area gazzetted as forest reserves in Kumi district is about 243 Ha.
• Only 13.6% of the area under forest reserves in Kumi is planted with trees
• Population growth has resulted in people reclaiming swamps for agricultural purposes, brick making, and even for settlement because the population is growing faster than economic growth and development.
Opportunities for Environment/Natural Resource Management:
The District has a number of opportunities for improvement of Environment/Natural Resources Management. They include among others the following:-
• There are legislation frameworks such as National Environment Act Chap. 153 which are for sound environment management.
• Existence of the National Lead Agencies like NEMA and Environment department technical staff to provide necessary capacity building.
• Uganda Police force and the magistrate courts exist in the District to enforce the existing laws.
• There are several funding sources from which environment management can be enhanced. They include: PAF, FIEFOC, PRDP and LGDP among others.
• Legal structures exist in the District and sub-county local governments for environment/Natural resources management.
• There are many civil society organisations in Kumi which is they incorporated environment would improve environment management.
In general analyses, the issues of environment are critical and have a direct bearing on poverty levels. As environment degradation is both the cause and a consequence of poverty, it explains the high levels of poverty in the district. To reverse the environment degradation trend which is increasingly rising there is need to implement both restoration and mitigation measures. These call for all stakeholders to play their roles.
Details of the forest reserves in Kumi district
|
Category |
Name |
Location |
Size(Ha) |
Area planted |
Status |
|
Central forest reserves |
Kumi |
Kumi S/C |
28 |
11 |
-Partly encroached. -Planted with pine & terminalia by NFA |
|
Abuya |
Ngora S/C |
117 |
22 |
- Partly encroached. - Planted with pine & Eucalyptus by private famers |
|
|
Local forest reserves |
Aburubur |
Atutur S/C |
36 |
0 |
-Encroached |
|
Ongino |
Ongino S/C |
39 |
0 |
- Not Encroached but threatened |
|
|
Kamacha |
Kanyum S/C |
23 (Kumi & Bukedea) |
0 |
- Encroached |
|
|
Total |
|
|
243 |
33 |
|
NB; Kamacha local forest is shared between Kumi and Bukedea
Wetlands
The coverage of wetlands in Kumi district is more than the national average. While Uganda’s wetlands cover is 13 % of the total area of the country, average wetland coverage in Kumi district is more than double the country’s average wetland coverage. Kumi district before Bukedea got curved out as a district was 34.7% wetlands. Although the current wetland coverage excluding Bukedea is not certain, it still remains significant. It is still more or less 34% of the total district land area. The status of many wetlands in the district has changed. Many wetlands which used to be permanent are now seasonal. This is largely due to wetland drainage, overgrazing and over harvesting of wetland resources. The high population in Kumi which is more than national average growth rate together with high poverty levels are key driving factors for wetland degradation.
Opportunities for Environment/Natural Resource Management
The District has a number of opportunities for improvement of Environment/Natural Resources Management. They include among others the following:-
• There are legislation frameworks such as National Environment Act Chap. 153 which are for sound environment management.
• Existence of the National Lead Agencies like NEMA and Environment department technical staff to provide necessary capacity building.
• Uganda Police force and the magistrate courts exist in the District to enforce the existing laws.
• There are several funding sources from which environment management can be enhanced. They include: PAF, FIEFOC, PRDP and LGDP among others.
• Legal structures exist in the District and sub-county local governments for environment/Natural resources management.
• There are many civil society organisations in Kumi which is they incorporated environment would improve environment management.
In general analyses, the issues of environment are critical and have a direct bearing on poverty levels. As environment degradation is both the cause and a consequence of poverty, it explains the high levels of poverty in the district. To reverse the environment degradation trend which is increasingly rising there is need to implement both restoration and mitigation measures. These call for all stakeholders to play their roles.
Energy
The main source of energy for cooking is wood fuel, used by about 99.9% of households, while 0.02% of households use electricity/gas, 0.03% use paraffin and 0.07% use other services. Paraffin is main source of lighting used by 55.46% of households, 0.16% use electricity/gas, firewood 44.32% and 0.07% of households use other sources for lighting (source: Kumi population profile 1999). The district too has two power lines crossing it i.e. Lira line, which is 32KVA, and Soroti line with 450 volts. All are a potential for industrial development. An industrial area is already designated and power connected pending development. Lack of running water has been one of the major hindrances to industrialization. In liaison with the Rural Electrification Agency a proposal has been submitted to expand the current electric lines. This proposal should be included in the 10 year National Energy Plan – 2006 – 2016. Minerals
The district has clay, sand and stone mining. However, high value mining has neither been explored nor exploited.