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Forest Certification in Developing and Transitioning ... - UTas ePrints

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forest certification <strong>in</strong> ug<strong>and</strong>a<br />

507<br />

<strong>Forest</strong> <strong>Certification</strong> <strong>in</strong> Ug<strong>and</strong>a<br />

Polycarp Musimami Mwima,* Gerald Eilu,** Byamukama Biryahwaho,***<br />

William Gombya-Ssembajjwe****<br />

abstract<br />

Interest <strong>in</strong> forest certification <strong>in</strong> Ug<strong>and</strong>a as a tool for promot<strong>in</strong>g social, environmental<br />

<strong>and</strong> economic susta<strong>in</strong>ability is at a nascent, but arguably emergent, phase. External<br />

actors have largely driven exist<strong>in</strong>g efforts, many of them support<strong>in</strong>g reforestation as a<br />

means of carbon sequestration. Choices made by government officials, actors <strong>in</strong> the<br />

timber <strong>in</strong>dustry, <strong>and</strong> external agencies <strong>in</strong> the next few years could result <strong>in</strong> an<br />

<strong>in</strong>creased role of forest certification <strong>in</strong> promot<strong>in</strong>g responsible forestry. For <strong>in</strong>stance,<br />

forest certification could provide external recognition for, <strong>and</strong> pressure to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>and</strong> enhance the exist<strong>in</strong>g reforms to public policy. This will be achieved by provid<strong>in</strong>g a<br />

globally accepted framework with which to assess <strong>and</strong> promote domestic susta<strong>in</strong>able<br />

forest management. Two specific impacts seem plausible. First, unlike other cases<br />

reviewed <strong>in</strong> this book, forest certification might first ga<strong>in</strong> a strong foothold <strong>in</strong> Ug<strong>and</strong>a<br />

as a way of verify<strong>in</strong>g protected area status – i.e., address<strong>in</strong>g the criticism that many<br />

reserves exist on paper only, or that they fail to take <strong>in</strong>to account local people’s<br />

livelihoods. Second, certification may be useful <strong>in</strong> promot<strong>in</strong>g the use of non-timber<br />

forest products <strong>and</strong> carbon sequestration efforts.<br />

* Polycarp Musimami Mwima<br />

Program Officer, Monitor<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>and</strong> Evaluation, Environmental<br />

Conservation Trust of Ug<strong>and</strong>a<br />

(ECOTRUST) P.O. Box 8986,<br />

Kampala, Ug<strong>and</strong>a<br />

pmwima@ecotrust.or.ug<br />

** Gerald Eilu, Ph.D.<br />

Makerere University, Faculty<br />

of <strong>Forest</strong>ry <strong>and</strong> Nature<br />

Conservation P.O. Box 7062<br />

Kampala, Ug<strong>and</strong>a<br />

eilu@forest.mak.ac.ug<br />

*** Byamukama Biryahwaho<br />

Program Officer, Special<br />

Projects, Environmental<br />

Conservation Trust of Ug<strong>and</strong>a<br />

(ECOTRUST) P.O. Box 8986,<br />

Kampala, Ug<strong>and</strong>a<br />

bb@ecotrust.or.ug<br />

**** William Gombya-<br />

Ssembajjwe, Ph.D.<br />

Makerere University, Faculty<br />

of <strong>Forest</strong>ry <strong>and</strong> Nature<br />

Conservation, P.O. Box 7062<br />

Kampala, Ug<strong>and</strong>a<br />

gombya@forest.mak.ac.ug<br />

yale school of forestry & environmental studies

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