For three decades, the streams flowing from the slopes of Mt. Moroto have been disappearing. Jackson Angella, an 81-year-old resident of Rupa, remembers a time when the mountain was a reliable source of water for his livestock. Today, he watches as the landscape dries out, stripped of its vegetation by charcoal burners and uncontrolled mining. The mountain, once a lush anchor for the region’s ecosystem, is now at risk of losing its plant cover entirely within five years.

This environmental decline is not just a local grievance; it is a preview of a climate-stressed future for the Karamoja sub-region. As the alpine vegetation vanishes, the soil loses its ability to retain moisture, leading to the severe land degradation that elders like Angella and John Lokwang have warned about for years. The drying streams are the most visible symptom of a deeper, systemic collapse of the mountain’s biodiversity.

A Strategic Pivot to Fodder

To reverse this trend, the National Forest Authority (NFA) has launched a targeted reforestation initiative, focusing on the planting of Leucaena leucocephala, or river tamarind. On May 29, 2026, officials and community members gathered at the Lopelipel Health Centre II in the Tapac sub-county to plant the first 200 of these fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing trees.

The choice of Leucaena is deliberate. Beyond its ability to regenerate soil fertility, the tree serves as a high-protein fodder for livestock. By providing a sustainable food source for animals, the NFA hopes to reduce the pressure on the mountain’s remaining natural forests, which are currently being decimated for fuel and building materials.

“We are demonstrating today what the community asked for,” said Paul Twebaze, a research fellow at the Advocates’ Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), the organization implementing the project. The initiative is designed to be more than a symbolic planting; it is an attempt to build climate resilience into the daily lives of the alpine community.

The Cost of Inaction

For the NFA, the challenge is as much about enforcement as it is about ecology. John Giribo, the NFA’s Kaabong sector in-charge, noted that while the agency is committed to covering the entire mountain range, the success of the project depends on the community’s willingness to stop the illicit cutting of trees.

“Weather changes are real,” Giribo said, pointing to the cycle of prolonged droughts and flash flooding that has plagued Karamoja. “The reason why we experience these extremes is the loss of our natural cover.”

The project aims to create a culture of conservation where trees are viewed as assets rather than commodities. By planting fodder trees near community hubs like the Lopelipel Health Centre, the organizers hope to ensure that local residents have a vested interest in the survival of the saplings.

Key Takeaways

  • Ecological Crisis: Mt. Moroto has seen a massive reduction in tree cover over the last 30 years, leading to dried-up streams and severe soil degradation.
  • Fodder as a Solution: The NFA is planting Leucaena leucocephala to provide livestock feed, which reduces the need for residents to clear-cut natural forests for survival.
  • Community-Led Conservation: The initiative, supported by ACODE, focuses on integrating environmental restoration with local livelihood needs to ensure long-term sustainability.

What Comes Next

The immediate goal is to ensure the survival of the initial 200 trees planted in Tapac. However, the broader ambition is to scale this model across the entire mountain range. The next phase will test whether the community can transition from being agents of deforestation to stewards of the new fodder forests. With the next rainy season approaching, the survival rate of these saplings will serve as a critical indicator of whether the region can successfully adapt to its changing climate or if the mountain’s decline will continue unabated.