Building resilience: Integrating trees into rangelands in Kamuli and Buyende, Uganda

Rangelands, which include grasslands, savannahs, and shrub lands, cover vast areas of the earth.

Rangelands across Africa are critical for livestock, but overgrazing and deforestation in some areas have led to degradation. But by planting trees in rangelands, we can restore soil health, improve soil water retention, and provide shade and fodder for animals. This not only supports the environment but boosts agricultural productivity and community well-being.

Trees improve soil health, provide shade, improves soil fertility, regulate the water cycle, increase biodiversity, store carbon, and provides economic benefits by producing a variety of products. They also act as natural barriers against erosion and extreme weather events, which are becoming ever more frequent in our changing climate.

The districts of Kamuli and Buyende are located in the Busoga sub-region in eastern Uganda. Here, amidst the rolling rangelands and fertile soils, people rely heavily on agriculture and livestock keeping for their livelihoods. But these rangelands face increasing challenges from climate change, soil degradation, and deforestation, threatening livestock keepers’ way of life.

We will speak with four special guests who are at the heart of a project that integrates trees into rangelands. We have Simon Nduhura, a cattle keeper and farmer based in Nambaale village, Kagumba parish, Kagumba sub-county, Kamuli District. We also have a woman farmer called Jessica Namusuubo from Bukungu, in Buyende district. Joining them, is Joshua Waigolo from Buyende district, who is the program manager for the Buyende District Farmers’ Association. Mr. Waigolo doubles as executive director of the Atlas of Farmers’ Organization and Union of Agribusiness—a farmers’ organization in Buyende. Finally, we have Brian Owoyesigire, the lead scientist of the initiative. Mr. Owoyesigire is the program leader of Animal Resources Research at the National Agriculture Research Organization based at Buginyanya Zonal Agriculture Research and Development Institute in Bugisu region, eastern Uganda. Welcome to our guests.

And welcome, dear listeners, to the program, where we explore ways to create a greener and more sustainable world. I’m _____, the host. This week’s topic is inspiring: building resilience by growing trees for sustainable rangelands in Kamuli and Buyende.

Mr. Nduhura, let me start with you. I briefly introduced you, but please tell the listener about the activities you are engaged in.

I am a cattle keeper. I also have goats, I rear indigenous chickens, and I grow crops. You know, I used to be a pastoralist with a lot of cattle, and I used to take them to the ranges here and there for pasture and water. I had over thirty local cattle in the past, but now I have only three crossbred cattle, two oxen, some goats, and some local chickens.

What happened to the rest of the animals?

We sold them off to buy more land for farming. It had become difficult taking the animals about ten kilometres for pasture and water every day. I used to keep all these animals but I could not get much out of them. A cow would give little milk a day, just one litre. But now, each of my two crossbreeds gives fifteen litres of milk a day. The third one is about to get a calf too.

About 2010, the population started increasing in this area and everyone needed land for farming. Sugar cane is not a traditional activity here, but people started acquiring land to grow sugar cane, thereby reducing the amount of pastureland for grazing animals. Trees were becoming almost extinct since many people, especially male youths, cut down the few trees to sell charcoal, leaving the land bare. This made it difficult for us pastoralists to find grass and water for our animals.

Many people from other areas started settling in this area for farming since there was vast land here that was lying idle and cheap. Those with large acreages of land sold off land to the settlers, reducing land for grazing.

Those are indeed significant challenges! I would like to hear from you, Mr. Waigolo. I am told that you manage a district farmers’ group in Buyende. How is it in Buyende?

In Buyende, including Kamuli as we heard from the first speaker, our rangelands are primarily grasslands used for grazing livestock. In Buyende, we are traditional pastoralists who did not practice farming on a large scale. But over the years, we have faced challenges such as loss of vegetation cover, soil erosion, decreased soil fertility, and water scarcity. These have affected pastures, making it difficult to sustain livestock. Many people had herds of cattle, goats, and sheep. But there is little pasture or water for the animals because of overgrazing. People cleared land for farming, and cut down trees to make charcoal. These activities have destroyed the land. So now, we have come to our senses and know that we need to rejuvenate our land by planting trees to continue surviving.

So, Mr. Waigolo, have you been able to overcome these challenges and build resilience in your community?

There is a project on building resilience that aims to improve people’s livelihoods and food security by integrating trees into existing rangelands. This is designed to enhance rangelands, improve soil health, provide additional resources and income for local communities, and create community awareness on how to control activities like deforestation and bush burning. The project also advises pastoralists to reduce the number of cattle they keep and upgrade to exotic cows that could increase both the quality and quantity of beef and milk.

There has also been training on gender action learninginvolves both men and women in analyzing, understanding, and addressing gender inequalities within communities. It emphasizes how important it is to include both men and women in decision-making processes and aims to empower individuals to build mutual understanding and promote equitable development. This ensures that the different perspectives, needs, and knowledge of all community members are considered in the decision-making process. The project pays attention to the different roles played by men and women in managing households, and the fact that challenges related to climate change affect men and women differently.

Let’s hear from a woman who is one of the beneficiaries in this project. Kindly introduce yourself.

My name is Jessica Namusuubo, and I am the chairperson of Yesu Afaayo Farmer Field School located here at Kapyokolo B village in Bukungu sub-county, Buyende District. I host the project tree nursery and distribute tree seedlings from the nursery to my group members and to the community. I am a farmer and I grow maize and beans besides planting trees and rearing chickens, goats, and cows.

Thank you. What motivated you and your group to start planting trees in the rangelands?

Generally, this is an area with extreme weather conditions. When sunshine comes, we experience very hot conditions and our plants wither and do not give food. The animals lack pasture and the chickens lack maize bran to feed on. We are just in a miserable state. So when the UN Food and Agriculture Organization project came to this area, we were motivated to join and participate. The project is about growing different kinds of trees to increase farm production, as well as having trees for firewood and a cooler climate. As women, we were very much encouraged to participate. There are twenty women and ten men in the group. We have been participating in the project for almost two years, and we are hoping to gain more from it.

Are there specific challenges related to climate change that you, as a woman, face differently than men in your community?

As a woman, I am affected because

limate change can lead to unpredictable weather patterns, resulting in crop failures. And because women are often responsible for feeding a family, I face greater pressure to ensure food availability and security. Women also gather firewood for cooking. Deforestation and changing weather patterns can make this task more time-consuming and demanding. Roles have changed and we women are struggling to provide for the family.

Mr. Owoyesigire, you are the program leader of Animal Resources Research at the National Agriculture Research Organization. Could you explain why integrating trees into rangelands is so beneficial?

Absolutely. Integrating trees into rangelands, which is an agroforestry practice, offers numerous benefits. Trees help to anchor the soil, preventing soil erosion and promoting water retention. They also help restore biodiversity by providing habitat for various species. Integrating trees into rangelands creates a more sustainable and resilient ecosystem, which is crucial for adapting to climate change and ensuring long-term agricultural productivity. Trees can also offer additional sources of income—for example, fruits, nuts, herbal products, and timber.

Thank you, Mr. Owoyesigire. And now, how is this done in the project?

The project activities are implemented in the rangelands of the districts of Amuria, Kaberamaido, and Katakwi in Teso sub-region, and in Buyende and Kamuli in Busoga sub-region. These areas have been heavily impacted by climate change and have experienced severe dry periods and a scarcity of pasture and water. Because of that, pastoral livelihoods have been under serious threat. Integrating trees and shrubs deliberately into crop and livestock farming helps to improve soil health because trees improve soil structure and fertility through their roots and the decomposition of leaf litter. Trees enhance nutrient cycling, increase organic matter, and prevent soil erosion, leading to more productive and sustainable rangelands.

What kind of trees do the farmers plant?

The farmers themselves choose the type of trees they want. Some asked for fruit trees like jackfruit, mangoes, and oranges. Others asked for trees like grevillea, eucalyptus, and African teak. There were local species and improved species. We focus not only on planting tree species, but also promote planting crops and pasture species that are resilient to climate change extremes such as drought. These include coriander, brachiaria or congo grass, and legumes such as desmodium and lab lab. The pasture species benefit domestic livestock since there is a scarcity of pasture in the ranges. And crops such as maize, peas, and vegetables fight hunger and ensure that farmers get food to eat and get sufficient nutrients. And the fruit trees have nutrients like vitamins, iron, and calcium which are important to human health. Also, farmers can sell the fruits and get an income to improve their livelihoods.

Let me get back to you, Madam Namusuubo. Which trees and plants do you prefer and why?

Jackfruit, mangoes, avocado, and oranges—because fruits are food to us. They contain food values. We can survive on fruits and feel better. Fruits are commercially marketed too. We have markets in the neighbourhoods of Omolator, Kaberamaido, Nakasongola, and the distant urban centres. The grevillea trees grow fast. Within three years, you can start cutting off some branches for firewood. Women are now getting more self-reliant. This is the kind of project women need to improve our livelihoods.

Mr. Owoyesigire, are the farmers completely free to choose whatever kinds of trees they want to plant or do you provide some technical guidance?

The farmers have experience in their local area, and know which species do best for them. We give them technical knowledge on how best to manage all the activities being implemented. For example, we train them on preparing their gardens, the seed variety to plant, how to space crops, weeding, harvesting practices, and many other practices. Also, we train them on how to establish tree nurseries and how to manage the trees. With our technical guidance, they plant what benefits them the most.

We guide them on the kind of pasture species that are most resilient to climate change and drought-tolerant and that can provide quality nutrients such as carbohydrates. These are Chloris gayana, brachiaria, panicum, and napier grass. We also promote food security by providing improved varieties of crops such as groundnuts, beans, and maize that are high yielding and grow faster. Additionally, we are providing cassava and sweet potato planting materials.

Mr. Nduhura, could you describe how planting trees has improved your farming practices and your livestock keeping?

When there is too much heat, there is a scarcity of pasture and water, and we start losing animals. So we went in a group to the Kamuli district headquarters to report the situation. And we were informed that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization had started activities in the district. We formed a farmers’ group called the Nambaale-Bugaga Farmers Field School, which now has thirty members. I was selected as the community nursery operator for this group and for the community. The UN agency gave us tree seedlings to start a nursery. We were given eucalyptus, Grevillea robusta, guava, mangoes, cocoa, and avocado. We were also given tools like hoes, wheelbarrows, and watering cans to use in the tree nursery. We are now two years into these activities and we are seeing positive change. We are seeing green vegetation on land that had become almost bare. We have also ventured into rearing local chickens, which we are optimistic will give us extra income. We learned a lot.

Mr. Waigolo, what changes have you seen since you started integrating trees into your rangelands?

Buyende rangeland is a cattle corridor that faces challenges that impact the livelihoods of communities. For instance, the prolonged dry spells and erratic rainfall patterns lead to water scarcity and reduced availability of forage, which adversely affects livestock health and productivity. And excessive grazing pressure leads to soil compaction, erosion, and degradation of pasturelands, reducing the land’s capacity to support farming activities and livestock keeping.

But the changes in places where we have planted trees and pasture grasses are remarkable. We have noticed improved soil structure and fertility in the rangelands. The trees provide shade for our livestock, reducing heat and improving their overall health. The trees have also helped to retain water in the soil, making it more resilient during dry spells. And we are conserving the environment through planting trees, and that can guarantee us a sustainable future.

Mr. Owoyesigire, could you give us your final thoughts on the future of the rangelands?

The future looks promising. With continued education and support, more farmers will adopt these sustainable practices, leading to healthier rangelands and more resilient agricultural systems. It is important for local governments and organizations to continue supporting these initiatives to ensure long-term success.

Thank you, Mr. Oweyesigire. And thank you to you Mr. Simon Nduhura, Madam Jessica Namusuubo and Mr. Joshua Waigolo for sharing their experiences. It is inspiring to hear how integrating trees into rangelands can make such a positive impact. And to our dear listeners, please think about what this program can inspire you to do.

In today’s program, we have learned about integrating trees into rangeland ecosystems. In Kamuli and Buyende, this is a promising strategy for enhancing ecological resilience, improving livelihoods, and supporting sustainable development.

Until next time, I am ______. Goodbye!