National Forestry Authority (NFA)

The National Forestry Authority is a semi-autonomous Ugandan government body responsible for the sustainable management of the country's Central Forest Reserves. Established under Uganda's National Forestry and Tree Planting legislation and formally launched in April 2004, the NFA operates under the Ministry of Water and Environment. Its responsibilities include forest conservation, restoration, plantation development, biodiversity protection, forest resource management and the provision of forestry products and services. The authority also works with local communities through collaborative forest management arrangements intended to combine conservation with livelihood benefits. NFA is a partner in forest restoration initiatives with WWF Uganda and VELUX, including projects in Central Forest Reserves in the Albertine Rift focused on restoring degraded forests, increasing carbon stocks and strengthening biodiversity protection.