Bringing Nature Back to Cities: The Rise and Benefits of Micro Forests in Uganda"

By Katalikawe William

Our Cities are polluted and overcrowded, but planting and growing trees in urban spaces can increase biodiversity and create wildlife habitats for future. Between busy streets, parks and shopping centers a green transformation is quietly underway, bringing nature back and urban sprawl of cities. Micro forests, small areas of densely planted, woodland trees are being planted everywhere from Kampala to Jinja along the highway and other cities like Soroti, Masaka.

But what are they and how can they make our built up our metropolises better “What are Micro Forests and why do we need them.” In the 19’s Uganda’s forest was almost to 24% and above including the cities, but with the increase in the population and development it has led to increased loss in the micro forests and forests including the small trees in the city parks and streets have been lost to other uses. With more than 85% of the global population living in urban areas, micro forests in cities offer essential opportunity to combat carbons in air that come from the industries, air purification and many more. 

The diverse, organic small forests can be created on sites as small as a nine square meters and only use native species that would otherwise grow naturally in planting area. They grow up to 10 times faster than mono culture forests in just two to three decades 

Various NGO’s have planted over 250 trees on road sides, parks and streets in the cities up to 600 trees that can attract more than 500 animal and plant species within the first three years. If this is also copied here in Uganda, we shall be at great move as a country as these micro forests will help in the purification of the air. “How do micro forests benefit the environment?” In polluted urban areas micro forests can help to restore soil, water and air quality according to the wood land 

Pic: Youth holding tree seedling 

The small size allows planation I relatively limited in urban spaces after taking advantage of unused spaces such as school play grounds, cemeteries and near petro station. They also help to reduce the impact of heavy rainfall and to keep the towns and cities cooler. They also become magnet of human connection to people which takes the respite during heat of the day or visit to read a book at other times in the forest, learning, leisure and many more which are self-sustaining within 2-3 years from an ecological stand point but at a much deeper level community members become stewards of the land itself. They also impact positively impact on the children and youth. 140 of the pocket forests were planted in schools together with 800 children planting a pocket forest which provides children with a unique opportunity to engage with nature and see there is critical because in order for us to protect and take care of the nature, we need to feel a connection with it

Micro forests can create more habitats for wildlife in cities such as black birds. These micro forests cannot only be planted in cities but also in district layers they can develop plantations in communities depending on the size which allow micro forests to become self-sustaining   after just three to five years of growth. Our pocket forests offer various raids of benefits if managed and planted says Elise Van