Uganda Forests in Balance PDF Print E-mail

"All Africa faces a daunting challenge to reconcile the sustainable management of its natural resources with pressing development needs" said Dr Hazell Shokellu Thompson, Head of BirdLife International’s Africa Secretariat, speaking at a meeting organised by BirdLife and the African Protected Areas Initiative in 2005.

He added that Africa’s protected areas are essential ingredients for achieving Millennium Development Goals such as halving extreme poverty, eliminating disease and providing universal access to clean water and primary education by 2015.

“It is widely acknowledged that biodiversity has a direct link to poverty, Imagehuman health and well-being, and a wide range of biological resources provide food, medicine and alternative sources of income for rural communities,” he told the meeting. But he warned that the role of protected areas in development is insufficiently recognised. The situation at two of Uganda’s forest Important Bird Areas (IBAs) shows on the one hand the benefits of recognising the value of protected areas, and on the other the potentially disastrous consequences of ignoring them.

The Echuya Forest Reserve, an IBA in southwest Uganda, is emerging as a model of community forest management, showing that conservationists can work with local people for the benefit both of biodiversity and of the communities dependent on the forest. But the fate of Mabira Forest Reserve, one of the most biodiverse of Uganda’s remaining forests with over 300 bird species and nine species of  primates, currently hangs in the balance as President Museveni and some elements of the government attempt to hand over a quarter of its area for sugar cane cultivation. Supporters of the “give-away” claim that sugar production will provide employment, and help the country’s economic development. Some of the sugar will be used to produce “power alcohol”, a biofuel to be mixed with petrol.

Last Updated ( Monday, 28 July 2008 )
 
< Prev

Some Facts about the Wattled Crane

Name: Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus)

Range:  Endemic resident, in 2 areas: Ethiopia, and central and southern Africa. In Ethiopia, usually only 1-3 individuals seen at a time but sometimes in flocks; population size unknown and no information since 1975. In Central and southern Africa locally abundant to rare, but declining, endangered or recently extinct in some areas.

Description: Easily distuigished from sympatric cranes by huge size and white neck, but at distance beware superficial resemblance to Wholly-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus), which also has dark cap, white neck and dark wings and body. At closer range, Wattled Crane easily identified by grey wings, red face and throat wattles.

General Habitats: Inhabits very large open areas including wet grasslands, open marshes and river edges, usually above 2000m or below 1000m in non-breeding season.

Breeding Habits: Monogamous; each pair defends a territory c. 1km. sq. Pairs may not breed annually. In courtship bird sometimes spread wings, runs a little way, then jumps several metres straight up with wings spread and head held up and legs bent and dangling.

 

For more details: The Birds of Africa, Vol. II (Emil K. Urban; C. Hilary Fry & Stuart Keith; 1986). Copies of this book available in the resource center at NatureUganda offices, Kampala