UGANDA
>> GEF-SGP biodiversity projects
>> UNDP Equator Initiative Finalists and Winners
Selected GEF biodiversity projects:
>> Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park conservation:
This project has established a trust fund, the income from which will provide a sustainable source of funds for the management of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks and the conservation of their biodiversity. A Trust Management Board, representative of local communities, NGOs and the government will allocate the fund's net income to selected park management, research and community ecodevelopment projects.>> Institutional capacity building for protected areas management and sustainable use:
Supporting management and conservation of priority protected areas by: 1) strengthening the Uganda Wildlife Authority; 2) making direct investments in rehabilitation of infrastructure; 3) improving the management of biologically critical protected areas; and 4) building capacity for developing locally based tourism and other eco-friendly activities that provide economic returns, such as sustainable collection of forest products in buffer zones.>> Kibale Forest wild coffee project:
This project will assist Uganda in the implementation of its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan by helping to maintain biodiversity in the landscape mosaics beyond the boundaries of protected areas. It will do so by regulating uncontrolled coffee harvesting, confining it to buffer zones and ensuring that all activities in these areas reflect best practices for sustainable management of tropical humid forest ecosystems. It will create incentives for all parties to adhere to tight control of location, timing, technique and volume of extraction of coffee planting and harvesting. The project will also seek to make the whole system financially self-sustainable through a funding channel that gives villages an incentive to become partners of Kibale National Park.>> Back to top
Selected GEF-SGP biodiversity projects
>> West Bugwe Forest conservation project:
A joint Forest Department and Community Conservation project promoting collaborative management systems that conserve biodiversity, strengthen local institutions, empower women, support small businesses and address social and environmental needs equally. The project is managed by West Bugwe Forest Conservation Project.>> Kasokwa Community chimpanzee conservation project:
Kasokwa Forest Area is comprised of riverine forest patches formerly part of the Budongo Forest Reserve system. Kasokwa is home to some 465 tree species, 359 bird species, 24 mammal species, 289 butterfly species and 130 moth species. Perhaps most notable amongst this wealth of biodiversity is an isolated family of fifteen chimpanzees. The Kasokwa forest patches are not under any substantive protection status; they are under the control of local communities. The goal of this project is to conserve the Kasokwa forest patches and ensure survival of the endangered chimpanzees through collaborative forest management practices and promotion of alternative income generating activities. Specific activities include research and monitoring, reforestation and agro-forestry, environmental awareness and education campaigns and micro-economic activities.>> Echuya Forest conservation project:
A community conservation project based around Echuya Forest Reserve, located in the Albertine Afromontane Ecosystem. Echuya supports species of plants and animals endemic to this part of the world and is home to the indigenous Batwa people and other local communities. Located in one of the most densely populated areas in Uganda (Kabale and Kisoro Districts), Echuya is being rapidly degraded and is likely to lose its endemism unless conservation measures are instituted. The goal of the project is to promote collaborative forest management practices while providing alternative sources of livelihoods for local communities. Activities include promotion of alternative income generating activities such as ecotourism, agro-forestry and community conservation education.>> Kitanga Wetlands conservation project:
Kitanga Wetlands (formerly 859 hectares; now 496 hectares) constitute one of the most extensive continuous water catchment areas in Kabale District. The wetlands are under threat from population pressure, drainage / reclamation activities, seasonal fires and wildlife hunting. The goal of the project is to promote the regeneration and conservation of Kitanga Wetlands while providing alternative sources of livelihood for farming communities. Activities include environmental awareness-building, wetland conservation and management activities and promotion of alternative sources of livelihood.>> Musambwa Islands conservation project:
Musambwa Islands are three small rocky islands (average of 2.5ha) in Rakai District off the shores of Sango Bay in Lake Victoria. The islands are important breeding sites for grey-headed gulls, long-tailed cormorants, greater cormorants and little egrets. These bird species are threatened by various human pressures, including unsustainable rates of egg collection.>> Ntungamo lemon grass oil project:
The goal of this project is to alleviate land degradation caused by overgrazing by promoting agricultural diversification into high-value lemon grass production. During Phase One, community members were trained in organizational development, lemon grass cultivation, and water and soil conservation. They have successfully grown two species of lemon grass, one for essential oil and one for tea, and a processing and storage warehouse has been partly constructed. The project benefits from the experience of ICIPE Kenya, which will continue to assist in technical training, procuring inputs, processing, packaging and marketing.>> Environmental conservation in Rukungiri District:
This project aims to address climate change by reducing carbon emissions, and to halt the loss of biodiversity and land degradation caused by forest clearance for cultivation, grazing and firewood. The project aims to tackle these problems by promoting biogas, fuel-efficient stoves and tree-planting. Slurry from the biogas plants will be used as fertilizer on demonstration vegetable plots. These activities will contribute to improved soil fertility, household health, and income security for the local communities.>> Back to top
UNDP Equator Prize Finalists and Winners:
>> Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED) (Equator Prize 2004 Finalist)
Founded in 1992, KAFRED works to protect the 8-km long Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, located adjacent to Uganda’s Kibale National Park, with the associated goal of generating income for local villagers. Recognizing that the wetland serves as a vital corridor for animals migrating between zones of the park, KAFRED's founders have capitalized on both the conservation and ecotourism potential of their home. By creating a wetlands walk to attract tourists visiting the park and marketing local crafts and produce, KAFRED has raised money to undertake critical education, environmental awareness raising and health-care work in their own community.
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