The department is mandated to ensure that the natural resources within the local government are well utilized.
Forestry - The District has a few wild stands of trees on private land, which has been cut for brick making, charcoal burning, timber and firewood. This has led to soil erosion which is 50 percent where most trees/ vegetation have been cut to clear grounds for agriculture. However, there are few woodlots of eucalyptus grandis being planted by individual farmers on private land to address the scarcity of fuel wood and poles. According to the 2002 Population and Housing Census Analytical Report for Pallisa District, 99% 0f the population use firewood and charcoal for cooking, and only 1% of the population use electricity for cooking and heating. The tree planting rate in the district is 3 percent with 1 nursery bed established and maintained and 3 commercial tree growers of eucalyptus. Although Mvule trees planted along the roads by the late Kakungulu have been cut down (because of their hard timber) to facilitate construction and make furniture, the tree planting on farm stands at 3% However, there are efforts being made to preserve the remaining few species by encouraging the community to replant. Private tree Nursery Management is being supported so that farmers can easily access the seedlings when needed. More campaigns are being undertaken to ensure that the community plants quick maturing trees like Graveria to cater for future demands of wood timber. The district has 4 local gazetted forest reserves and one central forest reserve but trees are yet to be planted in them.
Environment and wetlands
Pallisa District is covered with many wetlands both permanent and seasonal. It has no natural forests and its soils are mainly loamy clayish. Pallisa has two rainy and two sunny seasons. Pallisa district like any other districts in Uganda has four major environmental problems ranked in order of their severity: -Deforestation, Wetland degradation, Soil fertility deterioration, Improper garbage disposal mainly the polythene bags. Wetlands occupy 403km2 out of the total land area of 1625km2 out of which 293.3km2 are seasonal wetlands that have been heavily degraded and turned into rice fields. The remaining 109.7km2 are covered by permanent wetlands with Pallisa County having the highest number of wetlands. These wetlands are threatened with encroachment and pollution. There is heavy drainage of wetlands and bush fires are very common in the swamps during the dry season. Approximately, 68% of the seasonal wetlands have been reclaimed, mainly resulting from: Increase in rice growing, Ease of draining wetlands, Dry season Grazing which is becoming a problem as wetlands that used to be grazing areas have been turned into rice gardens and land has been cultivated for agriculture, Vegetation harvesting, and also due to increasing pressure due to population increase, in up lands, the community near wetlands has sought refuge for Cultivation in the Wetlands.
It should be observed that the men dominate fish farming compared to women. There are 177 (72%) male fish farmers and 68 (28%) female ones. The majority of the female farmers are in Butebo County where out of 106 fish farmers, 36 are female. Pallisa County has the least number of female fish farmers. Out of the 79 fish farmers in Pallisa County, there are 14 female fish farmers. The common type of fish stocked in the ponds is Nile tilapia (Ngege) and Clarias species (male). In the lakes, rivers and swamps, the common fish catch by species includes:
• Tilapia (dominant)
• Protopterus (mamba)
• Clarias
• Haplochromines
• Mamyrus (Kasuruban) L. Nyanguo
