UWA recognizes the local community as a key stakeholder in ensuring the protection of wildlife both inside and outside Uganda’s protected areas. Traditional conservation approaches largely excluded the communities from protected area management. In contrast, community conservation, which has been employed since the 1990s, aims to harmonize the relationship between park managers and neighboring communities, allowing these communities access to protected area resources. It also encourages dialogue and local community participation in planning for and management of these resources.

UWA’s Community Conservation Unit implements a number of activities, some of which are detailed below: An important aspect of the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s mandate is visiting our local communities and engaging people with the array of biodiversity nearby. The significance of conservation work is emphasised as well as how different activities in the protected areas can impact the host communities, both in the short and long term. Our communities are acutely aware of the goings-on within their own villages and can be a good source of information about poachers and illegal hunting.