Uganda’s timber construction potential

Although timber construction is not yet popular in Uganda, wood has proven to be a reliable building material.
This is because there has been a lot of innovation in timber construction processes, where building designs and

methods have improved.

Continents such as Europe and America have significantly advanced in terms of timber construction, whereas Uganda and other African countries still lag behind. Why? Could it be due to the absence
of an established timber construction sector in East Africa, or maybe restricted access to equipment or

technology?

Research has shown that timber has been used for construction for many years and has better effects on the
environment than steel and concrete. Substituting steel and concrete for wood would result in cumulative
net negative carbon emissions.Moreso, the mining of raw materials for cement and steel, as well as processing
and production, contributes to considerable carbon emissions. In contrast, trees absorb CO2 and recover
sustainably following wood extraction. Thus, the production of timber products locks carbon into long-term

storage to extend the carbon sink.

It is also crucial to emphasise that, other than combating climate change, there are so many pros to converting
to timber construction. Trees in tropical climates grow twice as quickly as elsewhere, a growth in forestry
might support  employment opportunities, while diversifying smallholder farmer earnings could minimise their
economic risk.As a material, new kinds of engineered wood are comparable to the best of steel and concrete,

wood is also an effective insulator well suited to tropical regions.

Fairventures Worldwide Timber Innovation Centre The centre is the first glulam project of its kind in Uganda and is envisioned at roughly 1,1641 square feet (152 square metres) and the highest point at around 5.6 m tall. This flagship project intends to set the pace and give a standard for stakeholders, not merely for lightweight construction on rooftop terraces in Kampala but also for the development of complete mass wood construction in the region.

Mass timber is a newly developed category of engineered wood products that are laminated from smaller boards into larger structural components. They are made by layering and pressing together large wood pieces to form panels as rigid and durable as steel. Mass timber can be more robust, lighter, attractive, comparable, and potentially more fire-resistant than concrete and steel structures. 

Converting Uganda's rapidly increasing building industry into efficient carbon sinks by expanding wooden architecture is a remarkable, large-scale, nature-based solution—which may simultaneously lock more carbon into inexpensive urban structures and lock more carbon into profitable farm forests.

Which is also why, considering the potential timber construction brings for the sector,  the Ugandan Government should boost the market's confidence in wooden construction by revising the legislation and building standards to facilitate the use of timber and assure building quality and safety.

Organisations like Fairventures Worldwide could help scale up forestry with high-quality seeds and tree management as well as establish models to make certification for sustainable forest management affordable to smallholder farmers. They could also help scale up wood processing with investments, low-cost financing, and technical support.

What’s required now is more support from the government to make it simpler for the building industry to make the transition, so people throughout Uganda can enjoy the numerous benefits timber offers.