The Geographic Information System Unit (GIS) at NFA carries out National Land Cover/Land Use Mapping on all land in Uganda.
The GIS documents results as technical reports and land cover maps. Published reports include the Biomass Technical Reports of 2005 and 2009, with the 2014 report in final stages of release.
The Land cover/land use mapping contributes to reports used by NEMA, Ministry of Finance, UBOS, and Ministry of Energy, supporting national planning and biomass assessments.
The Biomass Technical Report provides detailed information on land cover and biomass status in Uganda. Supported by NORAD, it discusses data capture, processing, analysis, and presentation of national woody biomass.
The National Forestry Authority was founded in April 2004 under the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act. The prime mission of the Authority is to manage Central Forest Reserves on a sustainable basis and to supply high quality forestry products and services. The National Forestry Authority has got conservation and commercial concepts in the management of Central Forest Reserves. NFA with the private sector have developed ecotourism sites considerable for tourism attraction and conservation. Forest-based Tourism is therefore one of the activities that the Authority views as a key contributor to its revenue generation as well as building and enhancing partnerships with the private sector, Non-Government Organisations and local communities. Ecotourism is also expected to improve on the Authority’s public image both internationally and locally. In the public eye, forest reserves are associated with consumptive forms of land use especially timber logging. However, there are a number of Central Forest Reserves that undoubtedly have features and attractions that are of real interest to domestic and international tourists on a sustainable basis.
Area coverage: 29,964 hectares (306 sq km)
Attractions:
Activities:
Accommodation: 3 Bandas accommodating up to 10 guests; self-catering with light meals available. Camping ground available for DIY caravans. Mabira Forest Lodge (eco-friendly) nearing completion.
Accessibility: 54 km from Kampala, 26 km from Jinja. Eco-Tourism Site is half a kilometre from main road via a short dirt track, accessible all year round.
The CFRs, managed by NFA, cover 1,265,741 hectares (64% of Uganda’s permanent forest estate). They provide forest products and public goods including soil stabilization, water catchment protection, biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation, and recreation.