Adjumani District Council is pushing for a comprehensive study to establish the full ecological potential of the threatened Zoka Central Forest, aiming to spur eco-friendly investments and halt further forest degradation.
Zoka Forest, recognized as the largest tropical rainforest in Northern Uganda, hosts a rich variety of flora and fauna, including little-researched wild coffee species and flying squirrels. However, the ecosystem remains under severe pressure from illegal commercial charcoal burning, logging, and encroachment.
During an extraordinary district council meeting on September 3, 2026, leaders called on the central government to evaluate the forest’s natural capital. The council’s session followed a two-day fact-finding mission to the reserve by the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources in August.
The resulting 16-point resolution demands immediate action, including; boundary demarcation: clear physical marking of the Zoka Central Forest Reserve boundaries, encroachment control: eviction of all illegal encroachers from the protected area, forest restoration and targeted projects to restore heavily degraded sections of the reserve.
"The Central Government must conduct comprehensive studies to establish the precise economic and ecological value of Zoka Central Forest Reserve to attract investments in conserving the reserve and the surrounding protected area, and Government should support Adjumani District in promoting tourism in Zoka Central Forest Reserve," the resolution stated in part.
Recognizing the efforts of grassroots community networks, notably the community Climate Action Champions under the Strengthening Environmental Accountability and Climate Action in West Nile and Karamoja (SEA WNK) project, the council urged the government to foster a more supportive environment for civil society.
The resolution also calls for continuous community sensitization regarding the forest's ecological benefits. It asks the government to strengthen the operational capacity of civil society and community-based organizations in advocacy, conservation, conflict resolution and community-led tree-growing campaigns.
"We expect the Parliamentary committee to take their findings to Parliament, and that our resolution also enriches their findings," said John Anyanzo, Adjumani District Chairman.
While concluding the visit, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Dan Kimosho, pledged to keep all stakeholders involved as their finding awaits presentation before Parliament.
John Unzima works at Friends of Zoka. The "Strengthening Environmental Accountability and Climate Action in West Nile and Karamoja" project is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) through Danida. The project is implemented in the districts of Zombo, Madi Okollo, Obongi, Adjumani, Amudat and Nakapiripirit by a consortium of four national organizations: RICE West Nile (lead implementer), Friends of Zoka, Sustainable Plan and Action for Community Empowerment (SPACE) and Africa Center for Energy and Mineral Policy (ACEMP).
