Arua - Efforts to restore natural resources and strengthen harmonious co-existence between refugees and host communities in the West Nile Sub-region are gaining momentum through the five-year Sustainable Natural Resources Management and Enhanced Refugee-Host Coexistence Project (SUNReC), implemented by the Department of Forestry Management (DFM) under the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE).
This was highlighted during a Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) meeting held at Le Tsuba Hotel in Arua District to review project progress, assess challenges and strengthen implementation. The meeting was officially opened by Mr. Nyeko Milton, Senior Forest Officer, DFM - West Nile Range, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water and Environment, and was chaired by SUNReC Project Manager Mr. Igulot Patrick.
As part of the meeting, stakeholders visited SUNReC intervention sites, including a trial field in Arua Central Forest Reserve (CFR) at Barifa, an individual firewood-production farmer in Arivu Sub - County, and a SUNReC Field School (SFS) in Aciba Village, Omoo Parish.
The Field School, which started in March 2026, has 40 participants - 20 men and 20 women. Training has covered basic tree planting and management, tree-planting designs, SUNReC agroforestry practices, and consideration of gender and socially vulnerable groups.
Farmers and SFS members have received seedlings of Grevillea, clonal Eucalyptus, Melia, Teak and Gliricidia, as well as fruit trees, which were planted during the May - July 2026 rainy season.
The JCC also visited an individual farmer involved in firewood production, highlighting efforts to promote sustainable sources of wood fuel while reducing pressure on natural forests. The interventions are designed to combine environmental restoration with livelihood opportunities for communities.
SUNReC is being implemented across all 12 districts of the West Nile Sub - region, with five pilot districts comprising two refugee-hosting districts, two refugee-affected districts and one project-hosting district.