Uganda Endorses 25-Year Forest Restoration Plan with Carbon Credit Potential

Uganda has approved a long-term strategy designed to reverse forest loss and unlock new opportunities for sustainable growth through carbon markets.

Lush green forest in Uganda. AI generated picture.

The National Strategy on Integrated Forest Landscape Restoration (IFLR) 2025–2050 was formally validated following a four-day workshop organised by the UN Forum on Forest Secretariat, the Ministry of Water and Environment, and the National Forest Authority.

A UN statement explained, “The IFLR Strategy aims to restore degraded forests and landscapes through afforestation, agroforestry and sustainable land-use projects, while enhancing climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, and improving livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.”

Validation moves the initiative from theory to practice. “With the strategy now validated, the focus turns to action—translating plans into tangible results that protect Uganda's natural heritage and create sustainable opportunities for communities across the country,” the statement continued.

A briefing prepared ahead of the workshop underlined the economic potential of the programme, noting that the IFLR “will create sustainable economic opportunities for forest-dependent communities through carbon credit sales programmes and other economic activities.”

Uganda’s forests have been in steep decline. National forest cover dropped from 4.9 million hectares in 1990 to just 1.3 million hectares by 2005. Between 2000 and 2015, another 775,069 hectares were lost, a trend driven by human activity, weak enforcement, and limited funding.

The new strategy is intended to halt this trajectory, positioning restoration as both an environmental and economic priority. By combining ecological renewal with income opportunities, it aims to connect national environmental goals with community livelihoods.

The process of validation brought together NGOs, academic institutions, development partners, and multiple UN agencies—signalling the wide cooperation needed to restore landscapes on a national scale.