The degradation of Uganda’s forests and other natural resources continues, and this is increasingly being attributed to poor governance. Therefore, improving and promoting of good forest governance is key in containing the rampant forest deforestation and degradation and ensuring the equitable, sustainable use and management of the country’s forest resources. Poor forest governance manifests in Uganda in many forms including: political interference and influence peddling, poor institutional coordination of the forestry agencies, corruption and abuse of office, breakdown in law enforcement. To address these challenges requires the concerted efforts of stakeholders and actors at all levels.The improvement of forest governance at the local level is however particularly important because it’s at that level where illegal logging and most forest malpractices take place. This info sheet highlights the minimal roles that local leaders and actors can play to promote and enhance good forestry governance. Good forestry governance is underpinned by a number of principles. The key ones are transparency, accountability, stakeholder participation in decision-making processes, respect for the rule of law, equity, effectiveness and efficiency. It is mainly from these principles that the role of the local leaders and actors highlighted in the next section is derived.
