View source for Conservation in Uganda

[[File:USAID Measuring Impact Conservation Enterprise Retrospective (Uganda; International Gorilla Conservation Program) (38483701840).jpg|thumb|Signage for a cultural tourism walk, near the [[International Gorilla Conservation Programme]]]]
'''Conservation in Uganda''' is the protection and sustainable use of the country's rich natural resources. It became a significant movement during the [[Uganda Protectorate|British colonial period]] in the early 20th century and continues to play a major role in Uganda's political economy, as it underpins the tourism industry which accounts for 23.5% of the country's exports.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Tourism? |url=https://www.tourism.go.ug/why-tourism |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=tourismuganda |language=en}}</ref>

[[Uganda]]'s 60 [[List of Protected Areas in Uganda|conservation protected areas]] harbor populations of numerous [[Critically Endangered|critically endangered species]].

==History of conservation==

=== British Protectorate (1894–1962) ===
Active concerted management of wildlife in the Uganda Protectorate began in 1923 with the formation of the Elephant Control Department. The object of this organization was to reduce the damage to peasant agriculture by limiting the size and range of elephant populations. Culling programs killed an average of 1,000 elephants per year.{{sfn|Meredith|2009|page=126}}

==National organizations==
===Pro-Biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda===
Pro-Biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda (PROBICOU) (founded in 1999 and registered in November 2000) is a [[Uganda]] based [[Nonprofit organization|not for profit organization]] which aims at [[environmental preservation]] and protection, [[biodiversity]] conservation and implementation of sustainable development principles in the country.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=.::PROBICOU::. |url=https://probicou.org/about.html |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=probicou.org}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Pro-biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda (PROBICOU) {{!}} GivingWay |url=https://www.givingway.com/organization/probiodiversity-conservationists-in-ugandaprobicou |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=www.givingway.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Schwarte 2008 p. 24">{{cite book | last=Schwarte | first=C. | title=Access to Environmental Information in Uganda | publisher=FIELD | year=2008 | isbn=978-1-84369-708-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-8KF-xv4iZUC&pg=PA24 | access-date=2022-09-29 | page=24}}</ref> PROBICOU was incorporated on 14 December 2007, under the Companies Act, Laws of Uganda as a Public Limited Company without Share Capital.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pro-Biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda (PROBICOU) {{!}} PCLG |url=https://www.povertyandconservation.info/en/org/o0367#:~:text=PROBICOU%20is%20a%20non-profit,governmental%20organisation%27s%201998%20registration%20statute. |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=www.povertyandconservation.info}}</ref>

==International agencies==

===Wildlife Conservation Society===
[[Image:Gorill3.jpg|thumb|250px|An endangered [[mountain gorilla]]]]
[[File:Flower - Uganda 07.jpg|thumb|Flower specie in Uganda]]
In 2015, the published results of the "[[Great Elephant Census]]", an aerial survey undertaken by the WCS along with the UWA, indicated that the number of [[African bush elephants]] has increased by almost 600 percent from a low of 700 to 800 individuals in the 1980s up to 5,000 individuals. The survey was conducted in [[Queen Elizabeth National Park]] (2,913 elephants), [[Murchison Falls National Park]] (1,330 elephants), and  [[Kidepo Valley National Park]] (656 elephants). The survey did not include protected areas with elephant populations like [[Kibale National Park]], [[Rwenzori Mountains National Park]], [[Semliki National Park]], and the [[Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve]] as well as closed canopy areas like the [[Maramagambo Forest|Maramagambo forest]] within Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Kaniyo Pabidi forest within Murchison Falls National Park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uganda’s Elephants Increasing in Number |url=https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/6761/Ugandas-Elephants-Increasing-in-Number.aspx |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=newsroom.wcs.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Wildlife==
Uganda is home to a vast number of species, including a population of [[mountain gorillas]] in the [[Bwindi Impenetrable National Park]], gorillas and [[golden monkey]]s in the [[Mgahinga Gorilla National Park]], and [[hippo]]s in the Murchison Falls National Park.<ref>{{cite book|title=Watching Wildlife: East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda|year=2009|publisher=Lonely Planet}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of Protected Areas in Uganda]]
* [[National Cultural Sites of Uganda]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{Cite book
| publisher = PublicAffairs
| isbn = 9780786728381
| last = Meredith
| first = Martin
| title = Elephant Destiny: Biography of an Endangered Species in Africa
| date = 2009-04-27
}}
*{{Cite web
| author = Wildlife Conservation Society
| title = Uganda
| year = 2012
| access-date = 2012-08-05
| url = http://www.wcs.org/international/Africa/uganda
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090207134947/http://www.wcs.org/international/Africa/uganda
| archive-date = 2009-02-07
| url-status = dead
}}
*{{Cite web
| author = International Trade Centre 
| title = Trade Map
| year = 2011
| access-date = 2012-08-05
| url = http://www.trademap.org/tradestat/Service_SelCountry_TS.aspx
}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* James Kalema; Henk Beentje. (2012). ''Conservation checklist of the trees of Uganda.'' Richmond, Surrey, UK : Kew Pub. {{ISBN|9781842463772}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070520063432/http://www.wcs.org/international/Africa/uganda www.wcs.org]

{{Protected Areas of Uganda}}
{{Uganda topics}}
{{World topic|prefix=Conservation in|title=Conservation by country|link_Thailand=Thailand#Biodiversity_and_conservation|noredlinks=y}}{{conservation of species|state=expanded}}

[[Category:Nature conservation in Uganda| ]]