The massive increase in demand for woodfuel for cooking caused by sudden influxes of refugees and other displaced people is usually the main driver of forest degradation and deforestation in displacement settings. It places enormous pressure on nearby forests and woodlands and is often a source of tension between the host and displaced communities. A lack of sufficient cooking fuel also has an impact on the nutrition and health of vulnerable people in such settings. This document aims to contribute on a sustainable forest management in displacement settings for building resilience and laying the basis for long-term solutions. In particular, well-planned forestry interventions can ensure a sustainable supply of woodfuel, timber and non-wood forest products for those communities, thereby helping ensure their well-being.

The Forest Landscape Management Plan for the Bidibidi Refugee Settelemnt, Yumbe District, Uganda: 2023–2028, aims at providing practical guidelines to alleviate pressure on the environment and natural resources, ensure sustainable access to biomass for cooking, and contribute to building the resilience of both refugee and host communities. The influx of refugees in Uganda has often added to existing pressure on the environment, resulting in reduced access to woodfuel for cooking and competition with host communities over the use of limited natural resources.A planned approach for the management of natural resources in displacement situations, in both the short and the long term, is crucial to minimize the environmental impact and to increase resilience of refugee and host communities to climate and other shocks. It is also a fundamental step to ensure sustainable livelihood opportunities through innovative and resilient forest value chains, including market access and social protection, while at the same time promoting a safer and more efficient use of natural resources, such as the use of sustainably produced woodfuel for cooking and heating, and access to alternative energy sources.