The National Environment Management Authority
(NEMA) on behalf of Government of Uganda is
implementing a
4-year Global Environment Facility/United Nations Development
Programme (GEF/UNDP) supported Project on Conservation of
Sustainable use of threatened savanna woodland
in the Kidepo
critical landscape in North Eastern Uganda. The project seeks to
strengthen protected area management within a
landscape of 655,700 ha of savanna woodland in the Kidepo
Critical Landscape, encompassing eight protected areas
under a range of management authorities, and
reduce threats
to biodiversity in the landscape as a whole by putting in place
sustainable use management practices for wild
resources.
The Goal of the project is “The biodiversity
and ecosystem values of the Kidepo Critical
Landscape, Uganda, are conserved and provide sustainable
benefit flows at local, national and global levels
through enhanced
operational capacity and functional landscape planning approaches
while the project objectives is to protect the biodiversity
of the Kidepo Critical Landscape in North Eastern
Uganda from
existing and emerging threats.
During project implementation, NEMA will closely
collaborate with other government agencies
especially
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), National Forestry Authority (NFA)
and District Local Governments. To ensure effective and efficient
delivery of project outputs and outcomes, NEMA is
seeking to
recruit competent staff stated below for the Project Management
Unit(PMU).
East African Business Week described the project
as follows:
August 3 2014
KAMPALA, Uganda - United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) have given
financial support of USD$3.08m to the government of Uganda to fund
the conservation of Kidepo Valley National
Park.
The funds are to protect the threatened Savanna
Woodland in Kidepo in North Eastern Uganda. The conservation
projects in the park will be implemented by National Environment
Management Authority (NEMA) in collaboration with the Uganda
Wildlife Authority.
UNDP team leader in -charge of Energy and
Environment, Onesmus Muhwezi said the project will be implemented
in two components. Each component addresses a different barrier and
has distinct outcomes. Management of the two components will be
coordinated by the Project Coordination Unit which will report to
the Project Steering Committee.
Onesmus was addressing Journalist recently, at the
Uganda Wildlife Authority Head Offices in
Kampala.
He said one component will involve strengthening
management effectiveness of Kidepo Critical Landscape and
concentrate on providing investments in protected areas. This will
take into account the coordination mechanisms to bring about
economic sustainability for the National Parks amid ecologically
sustainable landscape management systems.
-
The project
outcomes will include:
-
Increased
coverage of protected areas and strengthened integrity of buffer
zones to conserve dry season refugia for
wildlife.
-
Reduced poaching
pressures over an area of about 428 ha comprising seven protected
areas and community wildlife areas.
-
Management
effectiveness score for protected areas in Nyangea-Napore,
Morungole, Zulia, Timu, Lwala and Rom.
Key indicator species (elephants, zebra, buffalo)
in Kidepo Critical Landscape to enable an increase t he population
of these species.
The second component will
involve:
-
Integrating
protected area management in the wider landscape using shear-nut
butter tree as case study.
-
Managing the
95,000 ha Karenga Community Wildlife to strengthen and safeguard
the wildlife corridor and dispersal area.
-
Introduce a
security enforcement system with a platform for information sharing
and intelligence gathering among parks and other
institutions
-
Introduce a
financing plan for the protected areas to provide accurate revenue
forecasts from gate fees, community based tourism investments, film
rights concessions and private sector
investments.
-
Staff training
programmes covering all aspects of the protected areas. All 120
rangers and other field staff should meet the necessary
competencies for planning, administration, conflict resolution,
policing and enforcement.
Muhwezi said: “If Government agencies are
not funded, they will not be able to conserve the biodiversity in
the landscape. UNDP and GEF are partnering to fund the biodiversity
conservation programs.”
Dr. Andrew SSeguya the Executive Director of
Uganda Wild Authority said the landscape faces a number of
challenges.
He said: “Hunting /poaching is on-going. The
landscape is being encroached on by the locals who cut down trees
for charcoal burning and wood fuel. If this is not controlled the
landscape will deplete. The opportunity is the ability to address
management deficits around the
landscapes.”
A Toyota Double cabin worth USD45,000 was also
donated to UWA for implementation of the projects. UWA will also
receive other equipment including binoculars and
computers.
Sseguya said UWA will come up with income
generating initiatives aimed at empowering the local communities.
It will aim to reduce poaching and charcoal burning in the
protected areas.
The goal of the project is to “Conserve the
biodiversity and ecosystem values of the Kidepo Critical Landscape
to provide sustainable benefit flows at local, national and global
levels through enhanced operational capacity and functional
landscape planning approaches.”
The four year project was launched in 2013 and is
expected to be completed in 2017 with a total budget of
USD$13,764,700. Other donors include the Government contributing
USD$5,659,700, UNDP contributing USD$5,659,700, NGOs contributing
USD$2,150,000 and other agencies contributing
USD$350,000.
The mindmap has been created from the GEF Project
Identification Form which can be accessed as the following pdf
file.