Bank of Baroda’s managing director, Shashi Dhah (C) planting a tree during the launch campaign in Masaka at Jubiya forest reserve where the bank is planting over 12,000 indigenous trees in a move to restore the forest’s rich biodiversity. He was joined by the bank staff and NFA officials.
Bank of Baroda (Uganda) Limited has partnered with the National Forest Authority (NFA) to restore 20 hectares of the Jubiya central forest reserve in Masaka district.
The bank has already committed a total of Shs 55.8 million for the restoration project. The partnership focuses on reforestation, afforestation, and restoration of landscapes in part of the Forest Reserve, which is located in Masaka district.
During the launch of the campaign in Masaka, Bank of Baroda’s Managing Director, Shashi Dhah, said that the bank is planting over 12,000 indigenous trees, with the aim of protecting and rejuvenating the forest’s rich biodiversity.
Jubiya Central Forest Reserve is renowned for its high biodiversity value, though it faces significant threats from degradation and deforestation, primarily due to encroachment.
Shashi emphasized the collective responsibility in preserving the environment, stating, “We all have a responsibility to preserve the environment for today and for future generations.”.
NFA Coordinator-Natural Forest Management, Robert Owiny, said that the partnership between Bank of Baroda and NFA is crucial in addressing issues of forest degradation in the country.
“Forests play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and supporting biodiversity and mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration. The degradation, often due to activities such as charcoal burning, has far-reaching implications for the environment and local communities,” he said.
Owiny said that the main economic activity for the small communities within and around the forest is farming; therefore, restoring this forest is not only vital for biodiversity conservation but also for sustaining the livelihoods of communities.
Andrew Batemyeto Lukyamuzi, the Chairperson LCV for Masaka District, pledged to work with the bank and NFA to restore the forest reserve in the greater Masaka region.
“Our forest reserves have been attacked by communities who reside within the forests and nearby through burning charcoal and cutting trees for firewood purposes. I pray that those vices stop so that forests are restored to their originality,” he said.
This year, Bank of Baroda launched a tree-planting campaign dubbed “Open a Deposit Account and Uganda Gets a Tree.” This initiative was to plant a tree for every account opened in that campaign period, and this initiative is one of the various environmental sustainability campaigns that the bank is involved in.
