USAID Grant for Ecotourism Development in Uganda

Description of Activities

The principal objective of this program is to use ecotourism as a tool to reduce threats to biodiversity and conserve selected critical ecosystems across Uganda’s diverse landscapes so as to support sustained economic growth. The Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) mentions that natural resource management activities will be tailored geographically and references the areas prioritized by the GOU for ecotourism development.
Based on Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, much of the conservation donor support has been going to protected areas located in the Albertine Rift, particularly those habited by great apes. The proposed program will use the lessons learned from the Albertine Rift, or other sites in East and South Africa, to replicate efforts in other biologically rich landscapes. This will not only lead to broader development through tourism in diverse regions of the country, but also expand locally-oriented, tourism management capacity.

After consulting with the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, UWA, and the National Forestry Authority (NFA), USAID decided to support the following areas: Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and, Budongo and Kalinzu Forest Reserves. The program will, on a case by case basis, still work in selected ecosystems in the Albertine Rift. Through civil society organizations like the Uganda Community Tourism Association (UCOTA) and private sector tourist consortiums such as the Uganda Tourist Association (UTA), this program’s design and implementation is expected to realize a range of enhanced opportunities for improved, multi-stakeholder collaboration.

USAID/Uganda believes that focusing programs and resources will provide the best possible opportunity to realize impact, particularly regarding increased biodiversity conservation and increased household incomes.

Implementation of the tourism program will lead to the following results:

Intermediate Result 1 –Capacity to effectively manage Uganda’s biodiversity increased

This intermediate result will be realized by dedicating activities for improving the UWA and NFA’s ability to manage biological resources. Efforts will be three-fold, supporting:
(1) improved delivery of tourism products – improving protected areas (PAs) and reserve experience through signage, interpretive material, tracks; (2) improved capture of revenue through improving collection of gate and concessions funds, and an improved ability to negotiate and partner with private sector to increase revenue; (3) improved management of PA including through implementation of management plans and by addressing key threats; and (4) identify other, innovative opportunities to mitigate human wildlife conflicts.

Illustrative activities:

• Improve conservation agencies’ negotiation skills to address fee structure with private sector;
• Technology developed and implemented to collect PA entrance and concession fees;
• Improved delivery of concessions in PAs (by private sector, UWA and NFA);
• Support the diversification of tourism products such as a canopy walk in Kalinzu Forest Reserve;
• Support to technical capacity improvement to the agencies to better manage biological resources;

Intermediate Result 2 –Capacity to market Ecotourism improved

Efforts will focus on: (1) improving the eco-tourism experience; and (2) improving promotion of nature based tourism, especially in niche markets such as primate, bird and hiking tourism.

Illustrative activities:

• Support UWA and NFA in working with the private sector to develop and implement standards and codes of conduct for tourism operators toward required certification to enable guides to enter PA and reserves;
• Identify possibilities of engaging with the private sector to co-invest in service provision in protected areas.
• Implement GoU’s inter-institutional strategy to promote Uganda eco-tourism focusing on Uganda’s unique biodiversity;
• Support Uganda Tourism Board to set up a web portal and increase tourism marketing; and

Intermediate Result 3 –Benefits derived from biodiversity conservation activities accrued by communities living in and adjacent to protected areas increased

Few protected areas are large enough to provide the ecological requirements for large, ranging species. Loss of traditional dispersal areas and migratory routes can lead to population losses as species are unable to follow traditional seasonal movements and secure access to dry season refugia. In addition, competing land uses that are incompatible with wildlife dispersal can lead to increased human-wildlife conflict leading to loss of life, livestock and crops. Win-win solutions have focused on increasing the economic options derived from conservation compatible land uses as alternatives for local communities. During the past two decades, landscape conservation management practices have developed to address conservation efforts that connect key protected areas with corridors and dispersal areas through increasing the amount of land under wildlife friendly land uses.

This program’s key feature will be to develop and foster community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) with communities adjacent to protected areas where wildlife dispersal is creating conflict with current crop agriculture and/or livestock grazing. The program will focus on linking private sector tourism opportunities with interested communities in wildlife dispersal areas and/or corridors between protected areas. The support will further help to build the capacity of the communities in negotiating partnership agreements with the private sector companies, and also capacity to develop and manage community-based, eco-tourism oriented businesses. While a range of local tourism business products and services will be developed, the program will also build communities’ capacities to monitor wildlife populations and address threats to wildlife movement and survival on community managed lands. The program is expected to focus on one or more areas where there are good options for wildlife viewing outside protected areas, where communities are interested in reducing wildlife conflict by developing alternative economic opportunities and where there is potentially strong private sector interest in fostering wildlife based tourism. CBNRM will be developed in areas where wildlife also ranges outside protected areas, such as areas adjacent to Kidepo National Park and Lake Mburo. Program activities will focus on increasing the potential ecologically valuable areas outside protected areas under improved biodiversity management and increasing economic benefits accrued by communities by developing a range of wildlife friendly, profitable and biodiversity compatible businesses, including ecotourism.

Illustrative activities:

• Identify private sector partners to develop ecotourism partnerships with communities;
• Community capacity developed to implement strategies to reduce human-wildlife conflict through diverse economic opportunities and alternative crops.

NB. Please forward any comments to email address: KampalaUSAIDSolicita@usaid.gov