USAID/Uganda Biodiversity for Resilience Activity Quarterly Report

The goal will be achieved through three interrelated outcomes: linking economic, financial, and social investments to conservation; establishing governance arrangements that benefit biodiversity and enable communities to benefit from it; and strengthening the Government of Uganda's sustainable management of targeted protected areas and biodiversity adjacent to protected areas. The activity is initially prioritizing the conservation of key biodiversity in four primary geographies: the Karenga Community Wildlife Area near Kidepo Valley National Park and the Central Forest Reserves of Nyagea Napore, Rom, Timu, Lwala, and Morungole; the Murchison Community Conservancy near Murchison Falls National Park; the Rurambira Conservancy near Lake Mburo National Park; and the Budongo Central Forest Reserve. The activity may expand to the Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kalinzu Central Forest Reserve areas in the future, subject to available resources. The activity's Year 1 work plan and Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (AMELP) were finalized and approved in the previous quarter. The indicator targets are annual targets, and in some cases, do not have any targets for Year 1. The second quarter of implementation of the FY21 workplan was marked by significant B4R staff travel to the landscapes and the posting of field staff to the landscapes due to COVID-19 precautions. As a result, many activities were started and were still in progress at the end of the quarter, with no numeric results to report per indicator. The reported results to-date cover progress made at the Sub-Intermediate Result (Sub-IR) level as per USAID's quarterly report template. The goal and IR level indicators are annual level indicators that will be reported at the end of the year and are therefore not included as part of this quarterly report. Gender, Youth, and Community Inclusion indicator progress is reported under the Guiding Principles section. The activity has established partnerships with key stakeholders, including the Government of Uganda, the private sector, and community-based organizations. The partnerships aim to promote resiliency tactics, include women, youth, and other marginalized people, and engage the private sector in conservation efforts. The activity is also using collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) techniques to ensure that the implementation is responsive to the needs of the communities and the environment. The activity has made significant progress in the second quarter, with the establishment of partnerships, the posting of field staff, and the initiation of activities. However, the lack of numeric results to report per indicator is due to the fact that many activities were still in progress at the end of the quarter. The activity will continue to work towards achieving its goals and outcomes, and will provide updates on its progress in future quarterly reports. The activity has identified several challenges and opportunities for improvement, including the need to strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations, improve the engagement of the private sector, and enhance the use of CLA techniques. The activity will continue to work towards addressing these challenges and opportunities, and will provide updates on its progress in future quarterly reports. The activity has also made significant progress in the area of environmental compliance, with the development of an Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) and the implementation of measures to mitigate the impact of the activity on the environment. The activity will continue to work towards ensuring that its implementation is environmentally sustainable and responsible. Overall, the USAID/Uganda Biodiversity for Resilience Activity is making significant progress towards achieving its goals and outcomes. The activity has established partnerships with key stakeholders, initiated activities, and made progress in the area of environmental compliance. However, the lack of numeric results to report per indicator is due to the fact that many activities were still in progress at the end of the quarter. The activity will continue to work towards achieving its goals and outcomes, and will provide updates on its progress in future quarterly reports.