Uganda Wildlife: UWA Launches Wildlife Conservation Trust

Online, June 8, 2010 (Newswire.com) - KAMPALA - Last week, the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a body responsible for the wildlife in Uganda got semi-autonomous status from the Tourism ministry and started the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Trust.
The fund is expected to help mobilize monetary resources locally for conservation activities, especially as donor funding reduces.
According to Imelda Bacudo, a conservation finance advisor at UWA, the Trust will have a rigorous business plan for each of Uganda's National Parks and wildlife reserves aimed at ensuring they operate at optimal performance.
"Once you put the money in a Trust fund then it becomes independent and transparent and it is managed by very technical financial managers. She said adding that, "It makes you assured of financial continuity because it is being managed sensibly. Sometimes you cannot always rely on government subsidies or foreign grants so you have to look at several ways of capturing income and managing it sensibly," she said.
Lillian Nsubuga, The body's spokesperson says while Uganda tourism revenue has gone up, most of it is from one activity; gorilla tracking.
"Most of our national parks bring in more than we put in," she said.
"The gorillas particularly in Bwindi Impenetrable national Park and Mgahinga are actually helping to save other wildlife like hippos, elephants, impalas, zebras, gazelles, jaguars, cheetahs, plus several others.
"This semi-autonomous status will give UWA room to map out new conservation and fund-generating ventures." Nsubuga noted