Kidepo Savannah Woodland Project
Project identification Rationale
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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.