Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth that includes ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity. Uganda’s Biodiversity is unbelievably rich in given its small size in Africa.
Decreasing Biodiversity
According to Uganda’s Bio-diversity Fund (U.B.F) executive director, Juliet Kyokunda states that the increasing population and year to invest is wasting away the ecosystems that support us at an alarming rate. With 70% of Ugandans depending on Agriculture as their primary source of income, cutting trees for timber, firewood and creating land for agricultural purposes remains a great threat to our biodiversity.
Not forgetting our Gorilla and chimpanzee pride is getting hurt in the run, with the above rate at which people are encroaching on the forests, we are to have an increased animal-people conflict hence reducing on the uganda gorilla trekking safaris and other Uganda tourism sections.
Conservation of Uganda’s Biodiversity
Uganda’s biodiversity ranks high, however, its facing a detrimental decline. The government and investors have played a big role in our biodiversity decline. Over the last five years, Uganda’s forest cover has declined by 75%. Uganda is the most biodiversity country this can’t go on like this and we remain high up. Let’s take a look at Budongo forest which is prominently known for chimpanzee tracking because of the sugarcane growing and construction of sugarcane processing companies led to some parts of Budongo to be cut down. This has made the country lose about 16.5% of its Tourism product. The above has made it hard for companies and organizations that are fighting for Biodiversity. Organizations like the National Environment Management Authority(NEMA), Uganda Biodiversity Fund, Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda and many other concerned NGO’s. Local community-based organizations (CBO) and other concerned people are trying to plant different tree species around the forest for firewood to reduce on the degradation.
Biodiversity and Tourism
The diversity of life on earth is what makes up tourist’s destinations.
Biodiversity and tourism are two items that can’t be separated one is because the other is doing well, it is actually believed that Tourism can actually develop Biodiversity. Countries are maintaining forests to keep harboring widely wanted species like the Gorillas.
Tourism can lend a helping hand in protecting nature. As an economic sector, it is highly dependent on nature. Indeed, breathtaking nature is part and parcel of the top travel destinations
Countries developing offer the highest wealth in terms of biodiversity. At the same time, poverty forces inhabitants to chop down trees, burn down large parts of forests. Tourists can also become mindful of the importance of biodiversity for everyone, and the urgent need for protection.
The tourism industry represents one of the main sectors in the global economy, often referred to as the world’s largest single industry. While nature proves to provide income to the locals we believe Biodiversity will greatly improve due to the wellness of the locals around Game parks. Local residents will be much more inclined to handle their natural environment with care. They can incorporate their knowledge of this unique biotope for the benefit of nature protection.
There is a lot that can be done to uphold our biodiversity pride as Ugandans to hold such positions being the second most biodiverse country in Africa.
