Pillar 4 of TotalEnergies’ Biodiversity Program for the Tilenga Project: The Forests

Pillar 4: The Forests

Main objective:

Conserving and restoring forests and forest connectivity in the Bugoma - Budongo forest corridor.

Why are we taking action?

The core forests of the Albertine Rift (the Bugoma and Budongo Central Forest Reserves) are critical for the survival of the eastern chimpanzee and are under threat from the large-scale cultivation of sugar cane and illegal activities such as poaching and pit sawing. They have also lost their connecting natural vegetation because of migration and progressive deforestation.

What are our practical actions?

Helping to preserve and restore the Bugoma-Budongo forest corridor with closer protection of the remaining forests and the restoration of degraded corridors.

• working with the National Forestry Authority to improve the management of central forest reserves with enhanced law enforcement, patrolling and the provision of equipment;
• supporting and scaling up community-based forest conservation and restoration in areas critical for connectivity;
• supporting the implementation of community-based conservation education and awareness programs.

By 2045 the program aims to:

• maintain the extent and quality of tropical high forest within the Budongo Central Forest at 35,400 hectares;
• maintain the extent and quality of tropical high forest in other reserves at 27,600 hectares;
• maintain or increase the chimpanzee population and its territory;
• restore 1,000 hectares of tropical forest outside the protected areas;
• at least 10,000 hectares of remaining tropical high forest outside of reserves is maintained.