Restocking woody biomass to reduce social and environmental pressures in refugee-hosting landscapes: Perspectives from Northwest Uganda

In the last decade, the influx of over a million refugees into northern Uganda, particularly from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has steeply increased pressure on the natural environment. The demand on woody vegetation for various uses and the need to create space for newcomers have progressively denuded the landscape. This has the potential to fuel tension between the host communities and refugees, which if left to simmer could create another conflict. Identifying strategies that are innovative to meet the demand for wood and its products in such a way that trees and shrubs, and the ecosystem services they provide, can be available and delivered to both host and refugee communities is critical.