Uganda
Uganda is home to the largest freshwater lake on the continent and significant biodiversity, but its rich natural resources are threatened by a push for development to serve a growing population. We are helping to realize a prosperous Uganda in which wildlife and healthy ecosystems are the bedrock for community and national development through people-centered conservation, policy development, and protected area support.
Our work reflects a holistic strategy that includes:
- Community empowerment, especially through livelihoods development and human-wildlife conflict mitigation
- Technical support for the creation of Uganda’s first community conservancies
- Community/private partnerships to enhance community resilience and quality of life
- Counter-wildlife-trafficking support to protect threatened wildlife
Currently, we operate in two landscapes that together are home to elephants, gorillas, chimps, and other endangered species.
AWF in Action
A Solution for Conservation in Uganda: Conservancies
In partnership with us, UWA has helped create Uganda’s first conservancies: The 270-square-kilometer Murchison Community Conservancy, the 956-square-kilometer Karenga Community Wildlife Area, and the Rurambira Conservancy near the 260-square-kilometer Lake Mburo National Park. Conservancies are a means to expand habitat protection, address human-wildlife conflict, diversify tourism experiences, improve community revenues and livelihoods, and involve landowners and communities in wildlife conservation.
Classroom Africa reaches young hearts and minds
In 2020, we officially opened Kidepo and Sarachom primary schools in Uganda, making six bright, airy, modern schools built under our Classroom Africa program. Through Classroom Africa, we seek to strengthen young people's natural affinity for wildlife, heighten ecological awareness, and create a corps of future conservationists and leaders.
Negotiating space for people and wildlife
To ease human-wildlife conflict, we support farmers in growing chili crops, whose pungency discourages elephants from raiding farmland. We also train community wildlife scouts in conflict prevention and mitigation techniques.
Restoring biodiversity hotspots to empower communities
Our holistic approach integrates sustainable agricultural enterprise, projects that address human-wildlife conflict, conservancy support and development, and conservation education.
Skilled canine-and-handler teams fight poaching
We support Uganda’s counter-wildlife-trafficking efforts and help to turn the tide on poaching and wildlife trafficking in critical areas.
We work with the people of Uganda for wildlife. Our strategic, implementing, and funding partners include:
Wildlife We Are Protecting
By the Numbers
389,082 Number of hectares protected and/or with improved conservation status due to AWF interventions beginning in 2016
33,339 Number of people benefiting from AWF's conservation efforts in Uganda
5 of 6 Wildlife populations supported by AWF in Uganda that are stable/increasing
