Between September 29 and October 5, 2024, a three-member team from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in Uganda, including Hugh King, a Private-Sector Climate Change Advisor at the British High Commission, visited ECOTRUST project sites. The visit focused on projects in the Murchison Falls Landscape and the TASLL (Transformative Approach to Sustainable Landscapes and Livelihoods) Northern Uganda project, all aimed at enhancing environmental conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and climate resilience.
The FCDO delegation began their tour at the Alimugonza Communal Land Association (CLA) in Pakanyi Sub-County, Masindi District. This visit provided insights into the CLA Conservation Model, sustainable forest management, green enterprise scaling, and the ECOTRUST Bio-Credits initiative. The CLA leadership shared their community-led forest management journey, using the Vision Road Journey and Achievement Road Journey tools to showcase their impact on environmental conservation and sustainable livelihoods.
Key activities at Alimugonza included a visit to the CLA Apiary, a business model for sustainable forest management that incorporates innovative beekeeping practices for improved livelihoods. The team explored the Alimugonza Centre of Excellence Demonstration Apiary, which serves as a learning center for beekeeping across Masindi District and showcases various technologies in collaboration with HIVES Ltd, the District Local Government, and the CLA. A forest walk allowed the FCDO delegation to experience Alimugonza’s conservation efforts firsthand, including their community biodiversity monitoring initiative under the IIED/Darwin Initiative Bio-Credits Project.
The delegation also visited Trees for Global Benefits (TGB) individual farmers implementing mixed woodlots, single-species woodlots, and assisted natural regeneration forests. These engagements highlighted TGB’s land-use planning, recruitment and contracting processes, diverse planting systems, and the sustainability of its payment model. The Kyakatemba Women’s Group Tree Nursery, supported by TGB, showcased gender-inclusive conservation efforts, demonstrating the transformative impact of ECOTRUST’s payments on local women-led conservation enterprises.
In Kidoma-Bugambe, the team observed ECOTRUST’s Corridor Restoration Programme (CRP), a forest restoration initiative connecting Bugoma and Wambabya Forest Reserves. The project aims to restore critical wildlife corridors for enhanced biodiversity and conservation across the Murchison Falls Landscape.
The FCDO delegation then moved to the TASLL Northern Uganda project sites, beginning with a meeting with the Agago District Local Government team, which included key officials such as the DFO (District Forest Officer), DNRO (District Natural Resources Officer), and CAO (Chief Administrative Officer). The discussions centered on the four-year FCDO/TASLL partnership, project inception outcomes, and priority sub-counties for implementation. Using the Vision Road Journey tool, the Community Development Officer outlined the district’s aspirations and ongoing technical support efforts.
In Kuywee Sub-County, the FCDO team met with community members who shared their vision for sustainable development and conservation, using the Vision Road Journey and Multilane Highway tools to articulate a unified community approach to the TASLL project.
The visit concluded on October 4th with a feedback and exit meeting at the ECOTRUST Kitgum office, where FCDO and TASLL project staff shared reflections on the visit and discussed next steps. The FCDO team expressed appreciation for ECOTRUST’s community-centered approach to environmental conservation, emphasizing the importance of partnerships to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable livelihoods in Northern Uganda.
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