The Environment

''Children have the right to grow up in a healthy environment which provides facilities for them to grow and develop''

Uganda is an entirely land locked territory with its capital city Kampala, situated 2,272 km by rail from the Kenyan coastal port of Mombasa. The neighbouring countries are Sudan in the north, Kenya to the east, Tanzania and Rwanda in the south and Zaire to the west. In size, Uganda is comparable with the United Kingdom and lies astride the Equator.

Surprisingly it has a agreeable climate with an average temperature of 73'F (= 23'C)due to the fact that most of the country is on a high plateau (on average 1,220m. above sea level).

Uganda covers an area of 238,462 km which includes 39,000 km of swampland and 95,823 km of open water. The highest mountains reach 4,900m. and the river Nile starts its 3,000 mile journey from Uganda at the mouth of Lake Victoria.
The scenery in Uganda is generally of the savannah type that is high grass mixed with trees. However, there are thick natural forests in the west, the largest of which is Budango, part of the Zaire hard wood forest. It is these forests that are now under threat from destruction, as trees are felled to supply tropical hardwood to the western world and also to use as firewood and for building houses by the Ugandan people. Even today most of the villages in Uganda cook over open fires and use hardwood for their buildings as it lasts much longer than other wood sources.

Deforestation is the largest environmental problem facing Uganda today. Scouts in Uganda are very active in trying to protect and preserve the forests of Uganda. They are involved in many tree planting programmes and are encouraged to minimise the use of wood in their Scouting activities.

Programme ideas

1. What's the connection?

2. How to plant a tree like the Scouts in Uganda

3. The use of wood in Scouting activities.

4. Adopt a Wood.

5. Discussion on forestry and logging