Collaborative Forest Management in Central Uganda

Supported by Rufford Small Grant Foundation and working closely with local communities, Collaborative Forest Management has promoted tourism as a way for them to make a livelihood from forest restoration activities. Over 40 participants have joined the initiative. AUC’s work has focused on addressing the increasing fragmentation and degradation that leads to deforestation with a participatory approach. To appropriately manage forest resources, Four “Rs” based on Roles, Rights, Responsibilities and Returns have been designed in order to better collaborate with people to conserve forests. This is one way to promote the Conservation Agreement Private Partnership Platform, recently launched by AUC, for communities and conservation authorities. This approach has raised the awareness of communities on the long-term income opportunities that restored forests can offer. As Mr. Joseph Lule, Chairman of a CFM group at Mpanga Central Forest Reserve said “If activities like tourism value nature, forests mean prosperity for our grandchildren. We need to collaborate with AUC in utilizing global conservation innovations that have safeguarded our forests, and involve local communities in promoting tourism.”