Project update - April 2005

Elephants, Crops & People, Uganda

The history of Uganda evokes images of genocide, poverty and corruption and, in terms of wildlife and tourism, the worst ivory poaching that Africa experienced bringing rhino to extinction and elephant numbers crashing by 95%. -------- Stop that thought, whack the brakes on! --------- that was over two decades ago before and in the early days of Margaret Thatcher!

Today, Uganda is a very different country. It is a story of courage and gradual stability brought about by President Yoweri Museveni. This has been matched by the growing self-esteem and ability of the people. Wanton destruction has been replaced by regeneration; poverty into grass root self belief; economic collapse into acclaimed recovery; ignorance into education enrichment for everyone.

When quizzed on the state of wildlife and conservation in Uganda, Michael Keigwin (Founder Trustee of the Uganda Conservation Foundation and DSWF ECP project) said:

"Uganda is lucky to be so fertile and to have been blessed with an abundance of natural resources and welcoming people. There is potential everywhere. However, whether it is acknowledged or lost is another question altogether! Her wildlife has prospered over the past two decades; there is plenty of game to see in the main 'honey pot' areas. Elsewhere the recovery will take a few more decades and needs much more law enforcement and judicial support."

Land availability for wildlife crashed from 60% to less than 3% within four decades. People have encroached into every corner and pose continual pressure from cultivation, deforestation, mining and poaching. "The result is the gradual demise and erosion of a proud people's heritage and one of the World's and Uganda's most acclaimed and valuable protected area systems. Yet the potential for the region and for Ugandans, in terms of revenue generation, international acclaim and development and employment, is vast", he added.

Ugandan wildlife management involves brave wardens and rangers who protect their parks both from poachers and those trying to abuse the system for personal gain. This is often extremely dangerous work. They are the unsung heroes, and it is they who protect vital fisheries, water catchments, forests and wildlife. This is crucial for basic human survival and the future prosperity of the area.

However, they also protect the local communities from wildlife and where possible, share a percentage of park revenues with the bordering communities. These would be specialist jobs anywhere else in the world, yet in Uganda, the Ugandan wildlife staff roll their sleeves up and do their best. The fact remains, whilst there are benefits to a recovery and the protection of vital 'life and industry resources', there are costs. These affect the subsistence farmers when the recovery of the elephant population results in the destruction of their crops - these are the silent victims of Uganda Wildlife Authorities (UWA) management success. They should not be forgotten, lest they find themselves forced to break the law in order to survive. Their plight does not reach the worldwide press: of being unable to feed their families or of sending their children to school due to elephant damage to their crops property or even to loss of life. These are the same communities that endured the Amin era, the Rwanda genocide, Interhamwe and ADF rebel attacks, the Kunungu Cult murders, malnutrition, malaria and of course, HIV.

For eight years, Michael Keigwin has cut through the popular project regions and fashions and got stuck into an area and people in crisis.

Michael's stance is hard: "These are good people and under no circumstances should we expect them to be in this situation. They need employment opportunities, protection from the wildlife and the security to give them self belief. The conservation world has few doers and many talkers. All too often conservation revolves around observing problems rather than solving them, writing enormous reports, and doing little about them; and finally moving on to the next topical crisis".

His conservation based management orientated research project focused on the vital and largest area connecting the Parc National des Virunga, Democratice Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park. It focused on two industrial areas, wildlife conservation and tourism, and agriculture. He found no officials during his feasibility study who could tell him what was left of the elephant population, whether it was viable and what the threats were to the elephants; neither could he find out what was being done to resolve the 'denied' crop raiding problem. He, single handily, raised just about enough funds to operate, and for eight years, unpaid, has provided the basis for action - which has already started. DSWF picked up on his efforts in 1999 and has continued to support ECP ever since.

Melanie Shepherd says "Worldwide conservation had forgotten this region and Elephants Crops People (ECP) was the first ever project to focus on these trans-boundary elephants. With Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area (QECA)/ Parc Nationale de Virunga being the largest network of protected areas in the Albertine Rift which includes this area of extraordinary biodiversity, we at the DSWF supported ECP's determination. Thanks to ECP, we now know that this area contains the largest and most viable elephant population in Uganda and in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, many of which are migratory. We now know what and where the critical threats are and dare push to solve them".

The QECA region is estimated always to hold between 500 to 1000 elephants within the Maramagambo Forest and south to the Ishasha River. These elephants remain aggregated due to their fear of humans and hide in forested areas during the daytime. However, at night the elephants' attention turns to feeding on the subsistence farmers' crops along the hard edge Eastern Border of QE. Despite ECP not recording evidence of direct poaching pressure in Southern QECA, the community are killing elephants in retaliation to crop raiding, using poisoned spears and arrows. There are also casualties when elephant are hit by speeding lorries and coaches. We would estimate that some 15 to 20 elephants are killed through Elephant - Human Interaction across QE each year. However, the most significant losses are in the DRC where armies are also heavily involved in poaching wildlife.

Elephant - Human Interaction in QECA is one of the most significant problems that the park faces, and it is getting much worse as the human population soars. Since 2001 ECP has recorded every single incident of crop raiding in this region.

One law abiding but poverty stricken farmer explained: "How can I be expected not to take water, wood and wildlife from the park. For decades I have cultivated my small half acre piece of land to feed my parents, my wife and my children and each season the elephants trample and eat my food. My family goes hungry. How do I stop them? I can't, but who will? I get no compensation and get told to 'keep happy about the wildlife animals' that threaten me every day. This is my land, my country and my family - these are my crops and my goats - I am simple but the park bleeds me".

ECP has shown that this park border region experienced 1403 crop raids between May 2001 and July 2003. These raids are spread along the 50km border, and for over two decades have exacerbated the poverty and hunger in the region. Without compensation the communities face a torrid time, and are extremely keen to resolve this acute problem.

With 100% of the raids being at night, it makes chasing the elephants very dangerous - especially as 75% of the crop raiding is being done by family groups - who will defend their young against people chasing them out of crops.

However, ECP went on to show that 76% of the crop raiding is happening in the Ntungwe region and is worst between May - July and December - January, just when the crops are nearing maturity. The Ishasha Region has its worst crop raiding between December - March. In both regions 93% of the crop raiding has been within 1km of the border. The damage, therefore, is very localised and tends to affect the same families. With this data, efforts to reduce the problems can be focused and be far more effective.

With low ranger numbers for law enforcement, and with the essential anti-poaching operations, crop raiding puts a further strain on already stretched resources. ECP, having targeted and understood the growing problem, is now ready to offer support towards the park's ability to reduce this ever-increasing problem.

Thanks to DSWF we are reopening access roads, providing rangers with bicycles and making them more able to react to crop raiding situations; communications systems between the farmers and the rangers are being put in to enable a quick reaction force to get to crop raiding situations. We have also donated mosquito nets to help keep Rangers malaria free and thus increase their presence in the park. ECP is also looking to dig a trench along the Bukorwe ridge to support the temporary efforts at containing the elephants.

About 50 miles north of Ishasha is the vital 400km² Kitomi Forest Reserve. It is one of the extremely important connections between the immensely biodiverse and rich habitats that contribute to QECA's network of parks and habitats. It is also the most vulnerable.

When Dr Emily Otali, the Uganda Conservation Foundation project officer, was asked why it was so vulnerable, she said:

"It is under extreme pressure by encroachment, illegal charcoal making, deforestation and poaching. We know that well over 200 elephants use it on a seasonal basis and that there are around 390 chimpanzee and other critically endangered flora and fauna species at risk".

She explained why the area could not be protected as an isolated area:
" For a chimpanzee population to be viable there must be well over 400, which we fall short on. However with the adjoining Kyambura Wildlife Reserve chimps, both populations are made viable! As for the elephants, they continuously come and go through what is left of the Kyambura - Kitomi forest connection, except now the migration passage means there is no alternative to moving through illegal crop and farms - of course they devastate the farms".

She was right. On inspection there remain only 100 metres width of connection left. That is on an escarpment, which is impassable by elephants. The Uganda Conservation Foundation identified this and has already undertaken a feasibility study with the Jane Goodall Institute and National Forestry Authority in order to increase the low levels of protection and policing of the area. Along with UCF's support to the tourism sector, Michael Keigwin is looking to ensure a permanent presence and sustainable income to deter all illegal activity in Kitomi.

Michael proposes that the UCF partnership will clear the region of its snares and traps, pursue professional law enforcement BUT to do this alongside a well thought out education and local community revenue sharing and employment scheme. "This is just common sense - not rocket science. The area can and should be a better economic and natural resource, without destroying it!"

Forests can regenerate fast and it is believed that with swift action, success can be attained. However, it is abundantly obvious to everyone who is in the front line of wildlife management and conservation, that the longer the problems are left, the more irreversible they become. We cannot wait for wildlife conservation and forward thinking 'industry politicians' to be voted in. People will vote for what is good for them right now. They will vote for those who will not deny them access to protected and uncultivated, 'free' land and resources.

The partial success story is one that has not ended. Subsistence farming will one day be replaced by mechanised industry and there will be a landscape of extremely defined protected area borders. These are revolutions that are already emerging under the progress banner. Let us not forget the economic investment value that protected areas have brought: tourism, roads, communications, clean water, employment, trading markets and so on….

Uganda is regenerating and recovering but not sustainably, and continues to lose its life supporting landscape heritage, so crucial to future economic investment, human survival and prosperity. Wise and constructive actions are needed now to solve this urgent problem.

In summary:

• After a long period of strife, Uganda is now a stable fertile country with abundant wildlife

• Land availability for wildlife has crashed from 60% to just 3% in 40 years

• Ugandan wildlife management rangers not only protect parks but also local communities from elephants raiding crops

• Local communities need employment opportunities and, protection from wildlife raids

• Michael Keigwin's conservation based management orientated research project focuses on the vital and largest area connecting the Parc National des Virunga DRC and Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park. DSWF has funded this work since 1999.

• Elephants Crops and People was the first ever project to focus on tran-sboundary elephants.

• The QECA region is estimated always to hold between 500 to 1000 elephants within the Maramagambo Forest and south to the Ishasha River which is the largest and most viable elephant population in Uganda and in the Eastern DRC, many of which are migratory.

• Elephant - Human Interaction and conflict is one of the most significant problems that the area faces, and it is getting much worse with 15 to 20 elephants killed through elephant - human interaction annually

• 93% of the crop raiding has been within 1km of the border with very localised damage affecting the same families. With this data, efforts to reduce the problems can be focused and be far more effective.

• The Kitomi Forest Reserve is an important 'corridor' between the immensely biodiverse and rich habitats under extreme pressure by human encroachment, illegal charcoal making, deforestation and poaching with over 200 elephants and around 390 chimpanzee and other critically endangered flora and fauna species at risk.

• Elephants use what is left of the Kyambura - Kitomi forest connection having to migrate through a narrow 100 metre passage leaving them no alternative to moving through crops.

• A well thought out education and local community revenue sharing and employment scheme means a better economic and natural resource and a reduction in the widespread destruction.

• Inevitable progress means that subsistence farming will one day be replaced by mechanised industry and there will be a landscape of extremely defined protected area borders. Protected areas have brought investment in: tourism, roads, communications, clean water, employment and trading market and will need to be continued to be protected against progress in their borders.

• Wise and constructive actions are needed now to solve the urgent problem of Uganda needing regeneration using sustainable methods or it will continue to lose its landscape heritage which is crucial to future economic investment, human survival and prosperity.

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