Mandates of the Wildlife Authority in Uganda: The Uganda Wildlife Authority is known to be a government agency, responsible for the maintenance and preservation of all national parks in the country, as it known that the country is home to over 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves and 14 wildlife sanctuaries filled with various attractions.
the Uganda Wildlife Authority was first established in 1996, following the merging of UNP (Uganda National Parks) and the Game Department, along with the enactment of the 2000 Uganda Wildlife Statute/Act.
With a vision ‘To be the leading, self-sustaining wildlife conservation agency that transforms Uganda into one of the best ecotourism destinations in Africa.’ And a mission to ‘Conserve, economically develop and sustainably manage the wildlife and protected areas of Uganda in partnership with neighboring communities and other stakeholders for the benefit of the people of Uganda and the global community.’
By implementing conservation strategies to maintain the ecological integrity of the beautiful landscapes. Hence helping in the increase of the number of wildlife species in the country, which are considered to be among the top tourist attractions, which lead many individuals to travel from different parts of the world to visit within Uganda hence leading to the development of the tourism industry.
Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters are based in Kampala City, on Kira Road, just opposite the Uganda National Museum and this is the only organization that provides all the necessary documents to have numerous safari activities carried out in the national parks of Uganda such as; Gorilla trekking, lion tracking, chimpanzee tracking and so many other.
in the context below; we will delve more into the key aspects of the UWA’s mandate hence covering its objectives, the challenges it faces and its functions;
Protected Area Management.
the Uganda Wildlife Authority manages all the national parks in the country together with the wildlife reserves and all other protected areas and this is one of the main functions the organization has to ensure that it carries out and in doing this, it always involves monitoring and protecting the ecosystems within different areas, preventing illegal activities such as poaching and logging.
Community Engagement and Benefits.
The UWA is mandated to engage and work together with the neighbouring communities around all these protected areas by involving collaborative initiatives, which are aimed at promoting the coexistence between wildlife animals, and people.
Law Enforcement and Anti-Poaching Efforts.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority has a major role in enforcing wildlife laws and regulations for people to follow in order to combat illegal activities such as poaching, wildlife trafficking, and habitat destruction.
Education and Awareness.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority is mandated to educate tourists and the local people about the awareness and importance of wildlife conservation and by doing this it raises awareness about the value of biodiversity and the role of ecosystems in supporting human well-being.
Challenges Faced.
Despite the fact that UWA has fought hard to see that it fulfills its mandate, there are still various challenges that it faces during the process. These include; Illegal activities such as poaching and habitat destruction, insufficient funding and resources hindering the effective implementation of conservation programs, and Human-wildlife conflict poses challenges in achieving harmonious coexistence between wildlife and local communities, Climate change further exacerbates these challenges, affecting ecosystems and the survival of certain species.
Contact our trusted tour operators for more information about the Mandate of the Wildlife Authority in the country and then book with our tours and travel companies such as; Achieve Global Safaris who offer the best tour packages while on your safari in Uganda.
