Environmental degradation will cost tourism - US envoy

Kampala. US ambassador to Uganda Deborah Malac has raised a red flag on the ongoing degradation of the environment, warning that direct benefits accruing from the country’s rich biodiversity to communities and tourism earnings are at risk.
Speaking at the launch of Uganda Biodiversity Fund (UBF) in Kampala last week, Ms Malac said conserving forests; wetlands, wildlife and lakes should be a top priority if the country is to reduce poverty.
“Support for biodiversity therefore (is) key to addressing poverty and sustainable economic development in Uganda. It will help maintain stable and productive ecosystems that in turn will strengthen communities’ resilience to climate change and other stresses,” Ms Malac said.

Tourism vital
Figures from the 7th Annual Tourism Sector Performance Report indicate that tourism continues to be a pillar of Uganda’s economy, contributing nearly Shs7.3b to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the financial year 2015/2016.
This translates into 9 per cent of the country’s GDP. This was an increase from Shs6.3b in 2014/15 financial year.
UBF, headed by Ms Specioza Kiwanuka, is an independent institution formed in 2014 with the help of US Agency for International Development (Usaid) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to mobilize, manage and channel financial resources for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in Uganda.
Uganda is currently experiencing unprecedented levels of environment degradation including encroachment on national game parks home to Uganda’s wildlife that brings in more tourists.
According to figures presented by Water and Environment minister Sam Cheptoris at the launch, Uganda only has 7.4 million hectares of forest cover up from 50 millon hectares in 1900; wetland cover is at 8.3 per cent land area coverage up from 15.6 per cent in 1994.

However, wildlife population in national parks differs from one species to another. For example, the buffalo population has been increasing over the years.
In 2011, they were estimated to be 21,639 and in 2014, they had increased to 36,953. That of burchell’s zebra has been constant since 2011 at 11,888, elephant are 5,346.
The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) estimates that deforestation and land degradation cost Uganda 17 per cent of GDP equivalent to $625m (2.2trillion) annually.
As a result, different ecological species necessary to boost ecosystem productivity are facing extinction.

Demand for land
Degradation is mainly attributed to demands for agricultural land, energy, extractive industry, settlement and other infrastructure development.
“This inherent conflict challenges us to find effective ways to balance the important demands of economic development with the need to conserve those very resources on which such development depends on,” Ms Malac said before announcing a grant of $100,000 (Shs355.8m) grant to support innovative approaches to conserve and mitigate human wildlife conflict in Albertine Rift region.
Mr Cheptoris said the richer the biodiversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development and adaptive responses to variations like climate change.
“But our biodiversity and other natural resources are in decline,” Mr Cheptoris said and pledged a Shs5m to the Fund.

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