Rukungiri:
A move by Rukungiri district to conserve the slopes of Kicubanyungu hills in Nyarushanje sub- county Rukungiri district has started paying off after several years of grappling with disastrous landslides, soil erosion and floods.
The district natural resource department has for the past 20 years been engaging in conservation activities to restore the degraded ecosystem in the landslide prone sub- counties of Rukungiri by planting trees on the hills that have been left bare due to massive deforestation and wildfires.
They have also planted bamboo and pine trees on the steep and gentle slopes of Kicubanyungu hills.
Auther Twinomujuni, the Rukungiri district forestry officer said that as the district natural department, they realised nothing will work best to prevent such disasters in this area better than embracing conservation through planting trees.
‘We realized that apart from planting trees, we shall not control flooding, land sliding and soil erosion in the hilly areas of Rukungiri district. we are to over 150 acres of trees in the hills of Kicubanyungu.” Twinomujuni said.
Twinomujuni also said they hav e also trained locals in several sub-counties districts to engage in good farming practices such as contour ploughing and digging terraces on hilly areas saying that modern farming practices can also help in controlling such disasters.
Repheal Kigambiroha, the lc1 chairperson, Kicubangungu says in the past, whenever it rains, floods cause havoc and destroys crops, livestock, bridges and houses adding that plant different types of trees with strong roots may curb flooding, soil erosion and land sliding which had become a menace in this area.
“We have lost a lot of property worth millions of money and our friends have also lost their lives due to landslides flooding originating from the kicubangungu hills. So we are very much thankful to the government from coming up with this initiative of planting trees to save our lives and property” said Kigambiroha.
Ivan Magezi, residents said that the slopes of Kicubangungu hills are bare saying that this brought by wild fires that set by cattle keepers during dry season.
Magezi added that when rainy season comes, rain finds the slopes bare thus flooding, soil erosion, landslides and destruction of the property.
James Buguma, a resident said that although they are doing voluntary work, they are happy that they are helping to save humanity from disasters asking the district leadership to continue promoting the conservation to mitigate the disasters and prevent the loss of lives of our people.
Caroline Mbabazi, the Rukungiri district environment officer said that this is a true spirit of trying to address ecosystem degradation, which is a major drive of disasters such as landsides in hilly areas.
Mbabazi added that the government is willing and committed to supporting residents who have embraced environmental smart solutions to fight climate change saying that it is good that residents have started owning up responsibility.
“Community should seriously support this project because we are planting these trees for their own benefit so they should protect them and support the government with manpower.” Mbabazi noted.
The Kicubangungu hill area cover over 150 acres of land and it has registered spates of deadly landslides last year only between May and October more than 67 landslides were recorded and a total 8 people lost their lives.
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