The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has signed a 5-year partnership with the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), a deal geared towards amplifying collaboration in conservation and environmental management in Uganda.
Founded in 1961, the AWF is the primary advocate for protection of wildlife and wild lands as an essential part of a modern and prosperous Africa.
The collaboration between NEMA and AWF will support and facilitate the design, development and dissemination of environmental interpretation materials and campaigns as well as establishing a climate change training center to support information generation and dissemination on the adoption and mitigation to enhance environmental and livelihoods improvement in Uganda.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, AWF CEO Kaddu Sebunya said the partnership will open the door for increased collaboration towards enhancing natural resource management in Uganda.
“Often, wildlife is not even part of the climate discussion but through this agreement, Uganda is taking a commendable step towards integrating wildlife conservation into its climate change strategies thus ensuring the protection of biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystems. AWF looks forward to working alongside NEMA in contributing to a more sustainable and climate-resilient future,” Kaddu said.
AWF will also support and increase NEMA staff capacity in conservation education, training services, research, monitoring and evaluation.
In his remarks presented by Francis Ogwal the Natural Resources Manager, NEMA Executive Director Barirega Akankwasa said the Authority has witnessed the magnificent work done by AWF in Uganda and across the region over the years and partnering with them is a great stride towards achieving many of the Authority’s objectives as regards environmental management.
“We believe that this union will be integral in the implementation of programs that deliver on the national goals and ambitions set under the auspices of the Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Climate Change,” Akankwasa stated.
Among the responsibilities to be undertaken by the two entities during the course of the 5 years include developing and implementing joint conservation education programs to support conservation agendas. These will include;
- Sharing best practices, dissemination of information and research findings.
- Developing joint funding proposals to support the agreed-on campaigns and projects.
- Sharing expertise in areas of personnel development/training for sustainability of initiatives.
- Recognising each other’s activities through the individual and respective forum /publications.
- Appointing a focal or program coordinator for each party to oversee the implementation of the MoU.
Representing the private sector at the MoU signing ceremony, Edwin Muzahura, CEO Networth Consult commended the AWF for their strategy towards creating business pipelines through which the private sector can engage in conservation and sustainable environmental activities.
“With the increased footprint in Oil and gas, we are seeing quite a number of effects on the environment and biodiversity and most of the oil resources lay in the closeness of our wildlife. Right from Nyowa, Murchison Falls National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park, the whole stretch affected by oil and gas activities is where we have our biggest biodiversity. I thank AWF for pushing the involvement of the private sector in conservation and I want to assure the CEO Mr. Kaddu that we are also interested in environmental conservation and sustainability,” Muzahura said.
“From the private sector angle, we are glad that finally, there is a way through which our contribution can be channeled towards conservation purposes,” he added.