Category: Biodiversity Programme

During a recent visit to the Murchison Landscape with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), we had the opportunity to explore the Ongo Community Forest, a vital conservation site spanning 192 hectares of communal land in Budongo Subcounty, Masindi District. Ongo Community Forest is one of the few community forests in Uganda with secure tenure, supporting the livelihoods of local community members and managed by the Ongo Communal Land Association (CLA). The forest also serves as a pilot site for the Darwin-funded Bio-credits project, aimed at enhancing biodiversity conservation.

The Inception Workshop for the pilot of the first biocredits scheme in Africa marked a significant step forward in financing biodiversity conservation for Indigenous People and Local Communities. The workshop focused on piloting Biocredit schemes in the Northern Albertine Rift (Uganda) and the Tondwa Game Management Area (Zambia), aiming to generate funds for community-led conservation efforts while combatting poverty and preserving biodiversity.