Ecominc Survival A Major Threat To Environmental Conservation In Kamuli.

Changing weather patterns are a challenge and threat to the human race in the present world more than ever before. Day to day man’s activities have directly or indirectly contributed to the deterioration of weather patterns.

Economic survival in Uganda is tougher today than ever before. This has compelled the population to engage in any activity which will improve their economic wellbeing with no or minimal regard to its environmental impact. Among the many activities that have been on the increase with minimal regard to its environmental impact is brick making.

Focus on brick making:
One of the most noticeable features as one moves around the villages surrounding Kamuli town are giant piles of bricks organized into a sort of oven, ready for firing. The amount of fire wood required to fire and harden bricks in a single oven is enormous.

The growing construction industry in Kamuli town is fueling the demand for bricks. Bricks are a key component in modern building construction. Before the use of bricks, wattle, poles and mud were used.
Among the youth, brick making is looked at as a quick way of making a living compared to traditional activities like agriculture. For many youth, agriculture is perceived as tiring, time consuming, and unreliable especially in the face of unpredictable weather patterns and absolute reliance on hand farming tools like hoes, machetes, etc.
At a cost of about 70shs per brick, a brick maker stands a chance

of making close to $ 70 ( shs 140,000) for a single oven with 2000 bricks made in a period of less than 2 months. With such levels of profitability, brick makers have been depleting trees in their localities to maintain their business. “If I see a good tree in some body’s land, I will buy it from him, make timber out of it and use the remains to fire my bricks.” explains a brick maker only identified as Waiswa. Few community members can decline trading their trees for money.

Big fruit trees like mangoes and jack fruit trees have not survived the determination of brick makers to provide wood for their businesses. It is common to find a fruit trees rid of all its branches. This implies that the tree cannot produce fruit until branches re-develop. Many families rely on fruit trees food. This trend of events is likely to interfere with the nutritional needs of many families and the most affected are kids.

For as long as the demand for fired bricks prevails, environmental degradation through deforestation will prevail unless intervention and mitigation plans are sought and implemented.

Intervention Plans:
The 52kids foundation through its "environmental recovery movement" is creating awareness in the communities it is involved about environmental conservation. Among the campaigns it has carried out is the “ plant a multi-purpose tree campaign” in which fruit shade trees were distributed to and planted by the 52 kids guardians in their homes. The campaign involved increasing the survival chances of the planted trees by erecting a fence around the tree to keep off domestic animals from eating up the tree leaves.

The foundation intends to encourage replanting of local species of trees by using locally available tree seeds. The 52 kids foundation and its partner Local nonprofit organization KAPIDA have worked with communities in Nawigulu sub county Kamuli district to promote fuel efficient stoves to save the number of trees cut down to provide wood fuel for domestic use and encouraged agro forestry

On many occasions the fact that specific challenges require specific interventions means that to reduce the impact of brick making on deforestation, technology to provide alternative bricks to fired bricks needs to be made available to local communities. For now, more trees will be lost to firing bricks in Kamuli by the day after all the demand for bricks remains high.