Sustainable Asset Valuation of Reforestation in Uganda
In this integrated cost-benefit analysis, the Nature-Based Infrastructure Global Resource Centre demonstrates the potential of nature-based infrastructure (NBI) to improve climate-related flooding and landslides in Kasese, Uganda, through the Bring Back Our Trees reforestation project.
Kasese, a region in southwestern Uganda, is grappling with increased flood, landslide, and heat risks due to climate change and deforestation. Despite around 50% tree cover throughout the district, rapid population growth, unregulated timber harvesting, and a reliance on wood for fuel have put the ecosystem under pressure, leading to rapid forest loss.
Alongside this, extreme rainfall events, exacerbated by climate change, have caused devastating floods, soil erosion, and land degradation. In 2020, over 10,000 people in Kasese district were displaced by flooding, with properties and infrastructure severely damaged.
To combat this, the municipality and district of Kasese have devised a comprehensive plan for reforestation and tree planting across 30,270 hectares. The primary objective of this initiative is to mitigate flood risks by implementing agroforestry and reforestation measures in critical areas throughout Kasese, including riverbanks, urban spaces, and nearby hills. By strategically placing trees on steep hills and in urban areas, the project enhances climate change resilience and reduces costly infrastructure damages from floods.
The NBI interventions also contribute additional benefits to people and planet, including job creation, improved health, carbon sequestration, improved habitats for biodiversity, and avoided soil erosion.
Overall, we found this nature-based approach generates a total net benefit of USD 69.1 million, with each dollar invested in NBI yielding USD 5.44 in returns for society.
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