https://uganda.wcs.org RSS feeds for WCS Uganda 60 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/9427/Saving-forests-improving-lives-and-stablizing-climate-change-in-the-northern-Albertine-Rift.aspx#Comments 0 https://uganda.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=7003&ModuleID=13187&ArticleID=9427 https://uganda.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=9427&PortalID=141&TabID=7003 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/9427/Saving-forests-improving-lives-and-stablizing-climate-change-in-the-northern-Albertine-Rift.aspx The Murchison-Semliki  REDD plus project-Western UgandaWildlife Conservation Society (WCS) ExperienceBackgroundAlbertine  Rift is  home to  over  1100   endemic  plant   and   animal species, and  has  more  registered species of birds  and  amphibians than  any  other  part  of Africa. At the  northern tip of the  rift, east of Lake  Albert,  lies  Murchison-Semuliki Landscape,  one   of  the  last remaining forested  regions  of  Uganda.  The  Murchison-Semuliki archipelago of forests shelter populations of endangered species such as the chimpanzee, crowned eagle, and small forest carnivores such as the golden cat and  black-backed jackal.The  Murchison-Semuliki Landscape  is also  home to an  estimated1.7 million people who depend on these natural  resources. 58% of these forests (113,466  ha) are privately owned by small holders and form essential wildlife corridors between the  public  forests (forest reserves). Between 2006  and  2010  over  8000  hectares have  been cleared each year for agriculture, fuel wood and timber. Food  scarci- ty is already a permanent phenomenon in the Landscape and  most of these smallholders risk reaching a poverty  trap  over the  next 10 year when  they run out of forest to clear  for cultivation.About WCSWildlife Conservation Society  (WCS) and partners are implementing the  Murchison-Semliki REDD+  project which is situated in western Uganda east of Lake Albert. The REDD plus project helps to mitigate global  climate  change and  conserve the  forests and  wildlife of the Murchison-Semuliki Landscape  by strengthening the  management capacity of the  farmers and  providing   access to  more  profitable markets. The Northern  Albertine Rift Conservation Group  (NARCG) and  the  government of Uganda (GOU)  are  carrying  out  activities designed to  address the  main  drivers  of deforestation and  forest degradation in the  Landscape. Project  activities  include: conservation farming and  business saving  groups.NARCG members (WCS, the Jane Goodall Institute, the Chimp Trust, Fauna and Flora International and ECOTRUST) aim  to create a win-win situation for poor  households and  biodiversity  by  promoting an  ecosystem-based adaptation strategy which will result in:Reduced rates  of deforestation and habitat conversionThe current rate  of deforestation on private  lands is detrimental for both  PFOs  and  wildlife in the region, including chimpanzees, grey crowned cranes, and other endemic species that have been experiencing population declines. This project aims to drastically reduce rates of deforestation, helping  to conserve 16,000  ha  of forest and wetland in Hoima that include  crucial corridors integral to the well-being  of humans and  biodiversity.Increased climate change resilienceResilience to climate  change will increase through the introduction  of climate-smart conservation farming  techniques that  will lead to more  reliable  crop  yield, as well as through the conserva tion of forests and  wetlands that  act  as  buffers  to help  mitigate extreme weather events.Poverty  reduction and improved livelihood securityPoverty will be reduced among residents of the 13 focal parishes through new  conservation farming  techniques that  will increase yield, thereby reducing food insecurity and  providing  surplus forsale.  This surplus will help increase cash income, especiallyas stronger and  more  direct links to end  and  wholesale buyers is established.Better access to capitalConnecting rural farmers to microcredit opportunities will allow them  to develop additional sources of income through activities such as  beekeeping and  fruit tree  cultivation.  It will also  allow them   to  borrow   emergency  money  in  order   to  meet   basic economic needs, which will in turn reduce the tree cutting.It is anticipated that the  Project  will prevent an emission of 41.2 million tonnes of CO2e  going  into the atmosphere from privately owned forests and  an  additional 20.8  million tonnes of CO2e from public  forests over  a project life time of 30 years, improve the  livelihoods   of  rural  communities and   reduce their  risk  of reaching a poverty  trap, and  saving  threatened wildlife. WCS will keep you updated on its role to contributing to a cleaner environment  in consequent bulletins. Wed, 07 Dec 2016 02:06:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:9427 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/9174/New-ranger-patrol-method-shows-significant-improvements-in-detection-of-illegal-activities.aspx#Comments 0 https://uganda.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=7003&ModuleID=13187&ArticleID=9174 https://uganda.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=9174&PortalID=141&TabID=7003 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/9174/New-ranger-patrol-method-shows-significant-improvements-in-detection-of-illegal-activities.aspx **NEWS FROM WCS, University of York and Uganda Wildlife Authority                                                                                                           CONTACT: MARY DIXON: (1-347-840-1242; mdixon@wcs.org) STEPHEN SAUTNER: (1-718-220-3682; ssautner@wcs.org) SARAH RAKOWSKI (+44 (0)1223 747659; sarah.rakowski@fauna-flora.org)  New ranger patrol method shows significant improvements in detection of illegal activities   Method will make patrols more effective for the same cost and will save funds spent on patrolling A paper just published in Conservation Letters describes a new method that can make ranger patrols in protected areas more effective. Building on a previous paper that described a way to predict where illegal activities will be most abundant, this paper reports on a test of these predictions. The results show that the method can significantly increase the detection of illegal activities. Biodiversity in protected areas is increasingly threatened from illegal activities such as  cattle ,encroaching and hunting. Ranger patrols are commonly deployed to try to stop such activities across many protected areas around the World and these patrols require significant financial inputs to maintain them, often more than 50% of a parks annual budget. Now a collaboration between the University of York, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has successfully demonstrated for the first time that altering ranger patrols on the ground can successfully improve detections of illegal activities without the need for any additional resources. In a study published in Conservation Letters, the analysis provides a method to improve ranger patrol effectiveness and tests this method within the Queen Elizabeth Protected Area (QEPA), a stronghold for elephant in Uganda, by encouraging patrols to target areas predicted to have a high probability of illegal activity. “This is first indication that altering ranger patrols on the ground can result in considerable benefits for conservation” said Dr Rob Critchlow, Research Associate in the University of York’s Biology department “we are keen to test this approach across other protected areas to assess its applicability to different types of protected areas”. This research owes its success to the use of SMART software to store ranger-collected data and provide accurate locations of patrols and illegal activities. Dr Andrew Plumptre from the Wildlife Conservation Society said “SMART is now being used in more than 120 protected areas across the globe and we strongly encourage the use of technology to aid biodiversity conservation. The method shows how such data can be used effectively to strengthen patrolling. Importantly this improvement is made at the same cost and results in a more efficient and effective deployment of rangers”. As shown in the previous analysis published in Conservation Biology, different illegal activities often occur in different areas and this has implications for managing and directing ranger patrols. “In addition to targeting particular types of illegal activity, such as poaching for elephant, our new method can also incorporate different conservation priorities such as focusing on both cattle encroachment and firewood collection. It shows there are trade-offs to be made in which illegal activities are targeted and where”, Dr Colin Beale of University of York observed. The researchers encourage the collection and analysis of ranger-collected data to inform changes to existing ranger patrols for improving patrol efficiency and effectiveness and are grateful for all UWA rangers and staff involved for allowing the testing in the QEPA. The paper is available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12288/full This work was funded by the WYSS Foundation and the UK Government Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund through WCS.   WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.   University of York   Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is a semi-autonomous government agency that conserves and manages Uganda’s wildlife for the people of Uganda and the whole world. This agency was established in 1996 after the merger of the Uganda National Parks and the Game Department, and the enactment of the Uganda Wildlife Statute, which became an Act in 2000. UWA is mandated to ensure sustainable management of wildlife resources and supervise wildlife activities in Uganda both within and outside the protected areas. Wed, 10 Aug 2016 07:11:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:9174 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/8280/Evaluation-of-oil-impacts-on-elephants-shows-changes-in-their-behaviours.aspx#Comments 0 https://uganda.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=7003&ModuleID=13187&ArticleID=8280 https://uganda.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8280&PortalID=141&TabID=7003 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/8280/Evaluation-of-oil-impacts-on-elephants-shows-changes-in-their-behaviours.aspx WCS scientists have recently completed an analysis of the impacts of oil and gas exploration and seismic surveys on elephants in the Murchison Falls National Park which shows that elephants are reacting negatively to the oil developments.  Elephants were shown to move away from well pad sites while under construction and when they were being drilled as much as 5 kilometres away from the pad. Elephant movement behaviour changed in the vicinity of well pads or seismic activity including moving shorter distances in a day except when traversing areas where oil activities were taking place. Ranges of elephants changed in relation to the seismic exploration and well pad developments and could be predicted 60% of the time by oil activities and only 30% of the time by factors that might normally predict ranging such as habitat and distance to water. However, there was individual variation and one elephant appeared to habituate to the oil exploration and did not react as much as the others. Suggestions are made in a report on how oil development in the park could be designed to minimise impacts on elephants. Thu, 15 Oct 2015 09:31:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8280 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/8277/WCS-nearly-doubles-the-biodiversity-known-for-Murchison-Falls-Protected-Area.aspx#Comments 0 https://uganda.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=7003&ModuleID=13187&ArticleID=8277 https://uganda.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8277&PortalID=141&TabID=7003 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/8277/WCS-nearly-doubles-the-biodiversity-known-for-Murchison-Falls-Protected-Area.aspx WCS researchers together with experts from Makerere University have nearly doubled the number of species that are known from Murchison Falls Protected Area (MFPA),  including Murchison Falls National Park, Bugungu and Karuma Wildlife Reserves. MFPA is at the northern end of the Albertine Rift ecoregions, one of Africa’s most biodiverse hotspots. Surveys were made of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and plants and identified more than 1,500 species in these taxa, including 144 mammals, 556 birds, 51 reptiles, 51 amphibians and 755 plant species. In the case of mammals, reptiles, and plants these numbers nearly double the number of previously published species for the area. A report published for Uganda Wildlife Authority and National Environment Management Authority who were funded by the Norwegian Government to engage WCS to make these surveys is available here Wed, 14 Oct 2015 09:26:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8277 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/1356/Targeting-Enforcement-where-needed-most-in-Africas-Heart-of-Biodiversity.aspx#Comments 0 https://uganda.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=7003&ModuleID=13187&ArticleID=1356 https://uganda.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1356&PortalID=141&TabID=7003 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/1356/Targeting-Enforcement-where-needed-most-in-Africas-Heart-of-Biodiversity.aspx   Targeting Enforcement Where Needed Most   In Africa’s Heart of Biodiversity Data-driven analysis will maximize return-on-investment in protecting wildlife and wild lands New York (February, 2014)—Scientists seeking a more efficient way of protecting the heart of Africa’s wildlife—the Greater Virunga Landscape —have developed a method to make the most of limited enforcement resources, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Queensland, Imperial College London, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. By channeling data on wildlife sightings and park guard patrolling routes into spatial planning software, conservationists have devised a cost-effective method for maximizing the deterrence effect of patrolling to protect Africa’s threatened wildlife from poaching and other illegal activities. The enforcement-targeting method is described in a study appearing in the current edition of the Journal of Applied Ecology and is freely available online ( http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12227 ). “The Greater Virunga Landscape contains many natural wonders, but resources for enforcement across this huge area are limited,” said Dr. Andrew Plumptre, lead author of the study and Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Albertine Rift Program. “Our spatial analysis allows us to identify weaknesses in current efforts, which we can use to redirect enforcement and increase efficiency and conservation impact.”   Stretching through Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Greater Virunga Landscape is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth and is home to all of the world’s mountaing orilla populations. Much of the region’s mountains, forests, lakes, and savannas are contained in a total of 13 protected areas covering 13,800 square kilometers. The region also contains populations of chimpanzees, elephants,hippopotamus, lions, and many other species.   The authors of the study conducted their analysis by first determining the distribution of key species and habitats.Data on the distribution of threats was then added, followed by estimates of current patrol effort and the cost of patrolling parks, protected areas, and other wildlife-rich regions effectively. All data layers were then used to conduct a spatial prioritization to minimize the cost of patrols and maximize the protection of wildlife species.   What the authors found was that only 22percent of the Greater Virunga Landscape is being effectively patrolled at present. “The key problem is trying to ascertain where to send patrols to make them effective”, said Dr James Watson, who holds a joint WCS-University of Queensland position, “Our research has shown that existing patrols are not frequent enough to be effective at deterring poaching and other illegalactivities beyond 3 km from a patrol post”.   “We discovered that careful planning of patrol activity can increase its effectiveness while reducing costs by up to63%” added Prof Hugh Possingham, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions.   In addition to helping wildlife managers and park authorities to redirect enforcement efforts into areas requiring protection, the method—the authors say—will also help reduce the cost of achieving conservation goals.   “Knowing where to put your enforcement efforts to make the most difference in protecting wildlife and natural resources is a huge advantage for conservationists,” said Mr Aggrey Rwetsiba, Senior Coordinator Ecological Monitoring and Research at the Uganda Wildlife Authority.“The method offered here can improve patrol coverage and increase deterrence in this vital region of Africa.”   About Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) MISSION:WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org; http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS; http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia  Follow: @thewcs.   Mon, 17 Feb 2014 06:49:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1356 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/1355/Uganda-Develops-Database-For-Wildife-Crime-Offenders.aspx#Comments 0 https://uganda.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=7003&ModuleID=13187&ArticleID=1355 https://uganda.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1355&PortalID=141&TabID=7003 https://uganda.wcs.org/Admin-Plus/News-Manager/ID/1355/Uganda-Develops-Database-For-Wildife-Crime-Offenders.aspx Uganda Develops Database For Wildlife Crime Offenders WCS and Uganda Wildlife Authority collaborate on online tool  NEW YORK (Dateline) – The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have collaborated to produce an online tool that will allow law enforcement officials to access a database to track offenders of wildlife crime in real-time and across the country. The database,which can be updated online at all Uganda parks and headquarters, will enable better monitoring of arrests, identify repeat offenders and their associates,and allow park managers to better track prosecutions  accordingly, while enabling the export of data for further analyses. In addition, the database allows UWA staff to assess which wildlife crimes are on the increase in the country by providing summary statistics by park and also to profile those involved in wildlife crime in the country. The results will be used to identify where and when people are undertaking illegal activities and who is involved. “This new online system will allow Uganda Wildlife Authority park managers and enforcement staff to better track offenders of wildlife crimes,” said Dr Andrew Plumptre, the Director of WCS’s Albertine Rift Program and Uganda Country Director. “In the past, repeat offenders of wildlife crimes were often prosecuted as first-time criminals and given lesser sentences because this information was not readily accessed.”    WCS is currently training UWA staff on how to use the new system, which is expected to officially launch in February 2014. WCS is currently looking for funding to expand the capabilities of the system to include scanning finger-prints of individuals so that their history can be more readily accessed. Wildlife crime is on the increase across Africa, particularly the poaching of elephants for Ivory. While poaching of elephants has not been very high in Uganda, it was recently included in the “Gang of eight” by CITES as a country that is not managing to address the ivory trafficking through the country. This database was created as a partial response to this need to better tackle wildlife crime across the country. WCS plans on making the database software available to park managers in other African nations and there is already interest from some countries. “The wildlife crime offender’s database will help us to secure higher penalties in court for notorious offenders”, said Charles Tumwesigye, Deputy Director for Conservation in UWA, “as we will be able to prove that some offenders have committed crimes more than once”.  The database was developed with the financial support of the MacArthur Foundation and had technical inputs from Maisha Consulting Ltd. It was designed and programmed by Jan Kirstein of JayKsoft, a Ugandan based company. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring peopleto value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS,based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlifeparks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org; http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS;http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia Follow: @thewcs. Mon, 17 Feb 2014 05:09:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1355