USAID/Uganda Tourism for Biodiversity Program Quarterly Report – April to June 2013

The program is funded by the USAID Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade Bureau: Natural Resources Management Office and is implemented by AWF in partnership with Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Uganda Community Tourism Association (UCOTA), and NatureUganda (NU). The program's primary objective is to promote sustainable tourism and biodiversity conservation in Uganda's protected areas, including Lake Mburo National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Budongo Central Forest Reserve, Kalinzu Central Forest Reserve, and Murchison Falls National Park. The program focuses on developing tourism products, improving infrastructure, and enhancing community benefits and livelihoods. In Lake Mburo National Park, the program has established field offices and conducted ecological monitoring. Tourism product development has been a key focus, with the establishment of community tourism enterprises and participatory land use planning and zoning. The program has also improved tourism connectivity between Lake Mburo National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park. In Kidepo Valley National Park, the program has improved tourism connectivity between the park and Murchison Falls National Park. A tourism mini-guide for the Northern Uganda route to Kidepo has been developed, and the program has supported the Karenga community in land use planning to secure a community wildlife area (conservancy). In Budongo Central Forest Reserve, the program has increased benefits and livelihoods for communities using ecotourism. Community Forest Management groups' plans have been reviewed, and tourism infrastructure has been improved. The program has also built the National Forest Authority (NFA) capacity in tourism concessions, guiding, and community forest management. The program has also worked in Kalinzu Central Forest Reserve, diversifying tourism products and exploring the potential for a canopy walkway. In Murchison Falls National Park, the program has expanded the youth ranger and UWA mentoring program and developed tourism products within the park. The program has a national cross-cutting component, focusing on tourism promotion and marketing for protected areas to increase tourism and park revenue. Media engagement has been a key aspect of this component, with engagement, media capacity improvement, and partners' engagement. Monitoring and evaluation are critical components of the program, with the establishment of a program baseline, training of program staff and partners in data collection, performance review workshops, and identification and training of data collectors. The program has also provided support to the USAID/Uganda AMPROC initiative and conducted programming visits and support. The implementing partners for the program include the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), the Uganda Community Tourism Association (UCOTA), and NatureUganda (NU). AWF brings over 51 years of experience in conservation and enterprise development in Africa, while JGI has a long history of research and conservation work in Uganda's forests. UCOTA exists to empower poor communities to improve their lives through community-based tourism products.