Rethinking conservation and development at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
As part of IIED's Communications Learning Week, on 20 February 2017 the biodiversity team from IIED's Natural Resources research group organised a seminar with the Poverty and Conservation Learning Group.
- The biodiversity seminar titled 'Rethinking conservation and development at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda' examined the diverse issues with local populations of people and wildlife in and around the park.
- The seminar hosted guest speaker Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, the founder and director of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), an award-winning Ugandan NGO.
- Dr Kalema-Zikusoka discussed the issues surrounding interactions between the local human and gorilla populations, and how CTPH aims to tackle both wildlife conservation and human health.
- @CTPHuganda focuses on community health, as well as wildlife conservation and alternative livelihoods. #Bwindi
- Conservation orgs generally do not do behaviour change messaging, but @CTPHuganda started to integrate this into their work with communities
- The human dimensions of conservation are so important to understand & address cuz without us humans we wouldn't need conservation! https://twitter.com/IIED/status/833746063899099137 …
- The presentation from Dr Kalema-Zikusoka finished with a summary of some of the ambitious projects CTPH has on the horizon with IIED and other international partners (including Gorilla Conservation Coffee!)
- @NikiRust Thanks! We're working hard with @CTPHuganda and @DoctorGladys to raise awareness on integrated health & environment projects.
- Dr Julia Baker, research adviser at Balfour Beatty, next spoke about her research findings on how local feelings of unfairness about conservation activities links to unauthorised resource use - i.e. poaching - at Bwindi.
- THIS. This is vitally important. Conservationists take note! Successful conservation isn't just fences & fines. We MUST integrate people https://twitter.com/IIED/status/833747450947051522 …
- Phil Franks, senior researcher at IIED, shared some of his latest research on revenue sharing from gorilla trekking permit fees.
- These different pathways at #Bwindi worked with the community in different ways, with varying results. https://twitter.com/anneschulthess/status/833750947910262789 …
- To wrap up the whirlwind tour of activities at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Dr Dilys Roe, principal researcher at IIED, talked about 'Local economic development through gorilla tourism' - a new project that is attempting to increase local revenue from tourism.
- Lots of activity at #Bwindi! Read about our newest project 'Local economic development through gorilla tourism': http://iied.org/local-economic-development-through-gorilla-tourism …
- The evening provided a snapshot of some of IIED's and partners' activities at what is clearly a complex place.
- Fascinating evening with @IIED @CTPHuganda rethinking conservation & development at #Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda #mountaingorilla
- Find further reading on IIED's work on biodiversity, poverty and wildlife conservation at pubs.iied.org.
- DOWNLOAD: Pro-poor responses to wildlife crime in Uganda: Research results workshop --> http://pubs.iied.org/17590IIED #Bwindi
- DOWNLOAD: Hard-won wisdom: what conservationists need to know about wildlife-related corruption --> http://pubs.iied.org/17393IIED #Bwindi
- DOWNLOAD: Saving Africa’s vanishing wildlife: how civil society can help turn the tide --> http://pubs.iied.org/17368IIED #Bwindi
- DOWNLOAD: From Poachers to Protectors: Engaging Local Communities in Solutions to Illegal Wildlife Trade --> http://pubs.iied.org/X00169 #Bwindi
- For more on the Poverty and Conservation Learning Group, go to povertyandconservation.info