Nature-based solutions turning the tide against climate change

On Bulabira 2 Road in Najjera, Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, a group of workers plant new seedlings in a bamboo nursery bed.
Another group is busy loading and offloading briquettes made from bamboo trees. The workers are under Divine Bamboo Group Ltd founded by Ms Divine Nabaweesi.
When Ms Nabaweesi incorporated the company On August 4, 2016, little did she know that years later, it would play a big role in combating the devastating impact of climate change by providing an alternative energy source for cooking.
Ms Nabaweesi, who operates bamboo nursery beds with an annual production of more than 200,000 seedlings, says with close to 10 years of experience, she and her team can now sit back and watch how far they have come.
“Bamboo provides clean cooking fuel in the form of high-quality charcoal briquettes produced from local bamboo, grown specifically for energy purposes on sustainable plantations in Uganda,” she said during an interview.
Her company is one of those that in 2021 benefited from the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) through World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature Uganda under the bankable nature-based solutions. The bamboo group received €25,000 (about Shs100 million) to scale up the bamboo planting project with the hope that it will help in the restoration of the forest cover across the country.
Ms Nabaweesi said also used part of the funding to study the supply chain and the development of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the next funding stage.
Under the same arrangement working with WWF Uganda, the company plans to plant 30-metre-wide riparian buffers on either side of all riverbanks in the Greater Virunga landscape where bamboo will also help to improve water quality and quantity.
She said so far, she has invested more than $250,000 into the project, which she hopes will help in combating climate change.
A 2020 report by the WWF said the negative impacts of biodiversity loss and climate change are felt by nature and people across the globe, especially vulnerable communities, which rely on natural resources for their livelihoods. 
The report said land use patterns such as deforestation and agricultural intensification, are among the main drivers of climate change and ecosystem degradation. The report says while this is happening, the current investments are about a third of the total investment needed. 
“For preserving and restoring ecosystems alone, the required investment is estimated at $300 billion to $400 billion, whereas, only $52 billion is being invested in such projects,” the report said.
Thus, bankable nature solutions seek to provide solutions to these environmental challenges that at the same time generate an acceptable (risk-adjusted) return on the money invested. Bankable nature solutions are different as their design is centered around revenue-generating activities that help recover project costs and generate a return on investment. 
Bankable nature solutions can be found across different themes such as climate-smart agriculture, forestry, water and sanitation, and renewable energy. Compared to conventional (grant-driven) environmental projects, there is not only money flowing into a project, but the project itself is also generating sufficient money to pay back investors and generate a positive return. 
The charcoal burden in Uganda 
Data from National Charcoal Study shows that more than 94 percent of Ugandans still depend on charcoal and firewood for their daily cooking needs, with energy poverty as high as 85 percent and only 15 percent of the population have access to electricity, with women and girls the most affected.
From raising nursery beds to growing bamboo trees and eventually turning the trees into bamboo briquettes, Ms Nabaweesi says her company is involved in the complete value chain.
She says as part of the sustainability, her team trains rural women with whom she works to plant more bamboo trees from which the briquettes are made.
“I have so far trained about 300 women in planting the tree and briquette production, which also improves their incomes,” she says.
“Each kilogramme of briquettes sells for Shs2,000, which is 30 percent cheaper than traditional charcoal and burns, slower, and cleaner with no smoke,” she adds.
Data from the Global Forest Watch indicates that from 2002 to 2023, Uganda lost 77.1 kha of humid primary forest, making up 7.2 percent of its total tree cover loss in the same period and that the total area of humid primary forest in Uganda decreased by 15 percent in the period.
The same data also indicates that from 2001 to 2023, Uganda lost 1.10 million hectares of tree cover, equivalent to a 14 percent decrease, and 500 metric tonnes of Carbon dioxide emissions during the same period.
Ms Nabaweesi says working with other partners such as Makerere University and Ndejje University, they are working on a modality to reverse this loss of tree cover and mitigate the long-term impact of climate change.
A 2005 report by International Bamboo and Rattan Organisations recognised bamboo as an important component in poverty eradication and environmental protection. 
“In addition, it is uniquely suited to agroforestry with many uses like intercropping, water filter; rehabilitation of wetlands, supply of construction materials and fodder,” Ms Nabaweesi said.
Shortly after incorporation, the National Forest Authority allocated five hectares of land to the company in Kalangalo forest reserve in Luwero District to establish the bamboo tree plantation.
Ms Nabaweesi says with available land, the company is now one of the largest producers of bamboo seedlings in Uganda, with about 18 species. She said her plantation has since grown to 32 hectares, employing 17 full-time employees and more than 50 seasonal workers.
She also said working with the locals, the company has supported the establishment of more than 300 hectares of bamboo plantations with private farmers.
The case of Bamboo Group Limited is not isolated. Across the country, different entities are offering nature-based solutions to combating climate change.
World of Bees (U) Limited, a company fully owned by The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO), has introduced nature-based apiculture where farmers use the available natural resources instead of looking for initial capital to invest in setting up business.
Officials from the company say the model of farming uses the available natural resources but also provides an avenue for the locals to earn from beekeeping instead of destroying the forest cover.
Divine Nabaweesi (centre) uses bamboo briquettes to fight climate change. PHOTO/INNOVATE UGANDA
Ms Moreen Namanya, the director of Prime Bees Company Limited, says the project has worked for her. Located in Bubare Trading Centre, Rubanda District in Kigezi Sub-region, Ms Namanya said before she enrolled in beekeeping, she always wondered which enterprise she could start without much capital and which could be done on a small portion of land.
“My greatest inspiration was learning that beekeeping can be done on a small portion of land regardless of its fertility. This venture requires less investment of about Shs15,000 for a traditional hive and it’s not time consuming compared to other agro enterprises,” she adds.
“Using my savings, I managed to start beekeeping with 16 hives and with the help of my siblings, I established an apiary in a eucalyptus tree plantation. Within a period of 1 month, 10 of the hives were already colonised,” she adds.
Other interventions
Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda is one of the protected areas battling the issue of invasive species as climate change takes toll on the ecosystem of the park. 
A 2022 report by the Auditor General indicated that invasive and exotic plant species were threatening wildlife populations in conservation areas in Uganda, particularly in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The report identified at least 11 invasive and exotic plant species in Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls, and Kidepo Valley national parks.
“During my inspection of Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo Park, Murchison Falls, and Kidepo Valley national parks, I noted that these plant species continue to cover large expanses of grazing land despite the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s effort to eliminate them,” Mr John Muwanga, the former Auditor General, said.
The plants identified in the report included Dichrostachys cinerea, Lantana Camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, Opuntia vulgaris, Imperata cylindrica, Maeruade cumbens, Caesalepina decaputala, Acacia hockii, Tecoma Stan, Senna siamea, and Thevetia peruviana.
The report said the plant species have continued to cover large expanses of grazing land despite the efforts of UWA to eliminate them and that the plant species are reducing the populations of specific grazers such as hippos, buffalos, zebras, topis, and Uganda kobs.
To fight the crisis, UWA in collaboration with WWF Uganda launched a programme to remove the invasive species. 
The Climate Adaptation and Protected Area Initiative project is funded by the Global Affairs Canada through International Institute for Sustainable Development. According to the project document, it aims at creating conducive habitat through removal of encroachment thickets, encouraging regeneration of palatable native fodder for grazers as well as reducing human-wildlife conflicts related to habitat degradation among others
Officials from both entities said these species pose a significant threat to the park’s ecological balance, crowding out native flora and fauna, and undermining conservation efforts.
Similarly, in 2019, UWA launched a drive to get rid of all exotic plants from national parks, which are harmfulness to wildlife and the ecosystem.
In northeast of Kidepo Valley National Park, UWA officials embarked on uprooting some of the invasive species of plants.
Mr Sam Mwandha, the UWA executive director, during the launch of the combined efforts in April, said the invasive species have reached a critical stage that needed an urgent intervention.
He said the invasive species in Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) not only threaten the ecological integrity of this vital habitat but also the livelihoods of communities relying on the park’s resources.
“Estimated 40-50 percent of QENP’s former open savannah grasslands is evaded by invasive plants and these disruption of food chains, reduce available habitats for wildlife species, limit access to water points and hunting areas,” he said. 
Ms Annet Tumwine, a project manager at WWF Uganda, said the partners are taking decisive action to restore balance and ensure the park’s resilience against the backdrop of a changing climate.
“This pioneering project aims to utilise nature-based solutions to enhance climate resilience and protect the rich biodiversity within the Greater Virunga landscape, particularly focusing on the surrounding areas of protected regions,” she said.
She said the project also seeks to engage local communities in its conservation efforts, recognising their invaluable role in sustaining the Greater Virunga landscape.
Ms Nakato Kavuma, a resident of Kyambura, a village adjacent to the park, said through the project, the lost glory of communities adjacent to the parks will be restored.
“Our ancestors have lived in harmony with this land for generations. Seeing it threatened hurts us deeply. The CAPA project gives us hope, not just for the park’s wildlife but for our children’s future,” she said.
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