Face the Future rainforest rehabilitation project in Uganda achieves VCS registration

ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (September 22, 2011) -  Soon after registration of the first tropical Improved Forest Management project in  threatened Orangutan habitat in Sabah, Borneo, Face the Future has registered yet another” first” of  its kind forestry project under the Verified Carbon Standard. The project is located in the Kibale National Park in Uganda, home to one of  the largest Chimpanzee populations in the world.

Employees from Face the Future in Rotterdam and Uganda Wildlife Authority in Kampala though thousands of miles away celebrated the VCS registration of the Natural High Forest rehabilitation project of Kibale National Park in Uganda.  

This first of a kind project activity is working to realize multiple socio-economic and environmental benefits (local community development, climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and soil erosion control) through restoration of 10,000 ha of indigenous forest vegetation on degraded lands within the boundaries of a national park.  The project activity is implemented by Face the Future, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and hundreds of people from adjacent communities, who find employment in the project.

The park is home to  at least 372 bird species, 4 species of wild cats and contains at least 351 tree species, 13 species of primates, contains the only viable population of red colobus monkey in Uganda and is home to a high number of butterfly and night moth species.  So far over 5.000 hectares have been restored. Face the Future will continue to restore the natural forest in Kibale National Park, enhancing the natural habitat of amongst others Chimpanzees, of which a group has entered the project area, enjoying fruits and young trees. The VCS registration enables Face the Future to attract funding for further expansion of the project.

The project has recorded a number of success stories since its inception in 1994. The project generates benefits in many ways for the communities surrounding the project area such as: employment people from adjacent communities, food and healthcare provisions to all project employees on a daily basis, benefits from the Revenue Sharing scheme of UWA which has resulted in social investments such as healthcare facilities, schools,  water pumps, etc, in addition to access to the national park for non-timber forest products.