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.

  1. 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.
  2. The seminar hosted guest speaker Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, the founder and director of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), an award-winning Ugandan NGO.
  3. Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka opens @IIED biodiversity seminar: disease & human wildlife conflict are key issues for gorillas & people #Bwindi
  4. Listening to @DoctorGladys talk about critically endangered mountain gorillas at #Bwindi National Park in Uganda. https://t.co/EXJiOVwXP7
    Listening to @DoctorGladys talk about critically endangered mountain gorillas at #Bwindi National Park in Uganda. pic.twitter.com/EXJiOVwXP7
  5. 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.
  6. @CTPHuganda focuses on community health, as well as wildlife conservation and alternative livelihoods. #Bwindi
  7. Gorillas can catch diseases from humans. eg They can catch the skin disease, scabies. #Bwindi
  8. @CTPHuganda found that people got Giardia but the gorillas did not. Helpful for talking about water collection. #Bwindi https://t.co/8C3k4iihwk
    @CTPHuganda found that people got Giardia but the gorillas did not. Helpful for talking about water collection. #Bwindi pic.twitter.com/8C3k4iihwk
  9. Conservation orgs generally do not do behaviour change messaging, but @CTPHuganda started to integrate this into their work with communities
  10. 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 
  11. Conservation through Public Health has Village Health Teams providing info. & access to family planning #Bwindi @DoctorGladys @IIED Seminar
  12. 'It is much easier to measure health impacts than conservation impacts' @DoctorGladys on Conservation through Public Health @IIED #Bwindi
  13. 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!)
  14. Next for @CTPHuganda is to understand the conservation & sustainable development outcomes & scaling accordingly beyond #Bwindi @IIED Seminar
  15. @NikiRust Thanks! We're working hard with @CTPHuganda and @DoctorGladys to raise awareness on integrated health & environment projects.
  16. 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.
  17. Integrated Conservation & Development projects can be good for PR, but they often support wealthier than poorest #Bwindi @IIED seminar
  18. Learning about the indirect questioning technique used in the integrated conservation & development project at #Bwindi now. https://t.co/8cp1qvzChr
    Learning about the indirect questioning technique used in the integrated conservation & development project at #Bwindi now. pic.twitter.com/8cp1qvzChr
  19. Who poaches in #Bwindi? @jubak explains that it is about feelings of unfairness not just poverty!!! @IIED Biodiversity Seminar.
  20. 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 
  21. Phil Franks, senior researcher at IIED, shared some of his latest research on revenue sharing from gorilla trekking permit fees.
  22. Now going to hear from IIED's Phil Franks about a study on revenue sharing at #Bwindi. How it can be equitable, & pathways to conservation.
  23. Revenue sharing at #Bwindi - @IIED researcher Phil Franks begins his talk 'when we talk about equitable benefit sharing, what does it mean?'
  24. We have to think of equity much more broadly. Recognition of rights is v important in context of conservation at #Bwindi https://t.co/6Dr0np7M7g
    We have to think of equity much more broadly. Recognition of rights is v important in context of conservation at #Bwindi pic.twitter.com/6Dr0np7M7g
  25. Equity is about recognition, procedure and distribution (of costs and benefits) #Bwindi @IIED seminar. Read more:  http://pubs.iied.org/17370IIED/ 
  26. 6 different pathways to deliver revenue sharing for conservation at #Bwindi: https://t.co/fIaYvhF4vb
    6 different pathways to deliver revenue sharing for conservation at #Bwindi: pic.twitter.com/fIaYvhF4vb
  27. These different pathways at #Bwindi worked with the community in different ways, with varying results.  https://twitter.com/anneschulthess/status/833750947910262789 
  28. Reducing resentment is an important aspect of revenue sharing's contribution to conservation at #Bwindi @IIED Seminar
  29. Reveue sharing at #Bwindi - communities feel it should award contribution to conservation, improve livelihoods & mitigate HWC @IIED seminar
  30. 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.
  31. Over to @dilysroe at @IIED Biodiversity Seminar to dicuss local economic development through gorilla tourism at #Bwindi
  32. 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 
  33. The evening provided a snapshot of some of IIED's and partners' activities at what is clearly a complex place.
  34. Inspiring @IIED evening meeting @DoctorGladys - a shining ⭐️ in linking tourism and #conservation. Visit @CTPHuganda to learn more. @LTandC pic.twitter.com/WPGwmvOzQ9https://t.co/WPGwmvOzQ9pic.twitter.com/WPGwmvOzQ9
  35. Fascinating evening with @IIED @CTPHuganda rethinking conservation & development at #Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda #mountaingorilla
  36. Find further reading on IIED's work on biodiversity, poverty and wildlife conservation at pubs.iied.org.
  37. DOWNLOAD: Pro-poor responses to wildlife crime in Uganda: Research results workshop -->  http://pubs.iied.org/17590IIED  #Bwindi
  38. DOWNLOAD: Hard-won wisdom: what conservationists need to know about wildlife-related corruption -->  http://pubs.iied.org/17393IIED  #Bwindi
  39. DOWNLOAD: Saving Africa’s vanishing wildlife: how civil society can help turn the tide -->  http://pubs.iied.org/17368IIED  #Bwindi
  40. DOWNLOAD: From Poachers to Protectors: Engaging Local Communities in Solutions to Illegal Wildlife Trade -->  http://pubs.iied.org/X00169  #Bwindi
  41. For more on the Poverty and Conservation Learning Group, go to povertyandconservation.info