Mapping private sector investments and their impacts on great ape habitats in Uganda's Albertine ...

50 Pages·2015·7.8 MB·English

Mapping private sector
investments and their
impacts on great ape
habitats in Uganda’s
Albertine Rift region
Denis Kyongera
PCLG reSeArCh rePort
MAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GREAT APE HABITATS IN
UGANDA’S ALBERTINE RIFT REGION

Acknowledgements
This study was commissioned by the Uganda-Poverty and Conservation Learning Group (U-
PCLG). This work was supervised by Dr. Samuel Mugisha and Prof. Derek Pomeroy of
Makerere University, College of Natural Sciences. Special thanks go to the private, public
and non-government organisations that provided information for this research. However, the
views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of these organisations.
Additionally, thanks go to Alessandra Giuliani and Dilys Roe (IIED) for providing and
suggesting useful sources of information. Finally, this work would not have been possible
without the support of all U-PCLG members, in particular Mark Infield and Panta Kasoma,
who provided constructive comments and advice throughout this research project.
Partner information
Uganda Poverty and Conservation Learning Group (U-PCLG)
(http://povertyandconservation.info/en/pages/uganda-pclg) is a learning network that brings
together Ugandan conservationists and development practitioners to share their experiences
and to work together to better inform development and conservation policy and practice. U-
PCLG is coordinated by the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) Uganda, with support from the
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

Author information
This report was prepared by Denis Kyongera ([email protected]), candidate in the
MSc in Zoology at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Photo credits
All photos used in this research report were taken by Denis Kyongera in Uganda in 2014.

Published March 2015.
MAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GREAT APE HABITATS IN
UGANDA’S ALBERTINE RIFT REGION
Recognising the threats posed by growing private
sector land investments to local livelihoods and
biodiversity conservation, the Uganda Poverty and
Conservation Learning Group (U-PCLG), a learning
network of Uganda based conservationists and
development practitioners, undertook a study to
explore the overlap between existing and planned
private sector land investments and great ape
habitats in the Albertine Rift region of western
Uganda. This study shows that many current and
planned land investments overlap with, or are in
close proximity to great ape habitats. While more
research is needed to understand the effects of
different types of land uses on great ape
conservation, it is clear that the effectiveness of any
future great ape conservation strategy in this region
will depend on the successful engagement of small
and large scale private investors.

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MAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GREAT APE HABITATS IN
UGANDA’S ALBERTINE RIFT REGION
Table of contents

Table of contents iii
List of figures v
List of tables vi
List of acronyms vii
1. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Objectives 2
2. METHODS 2
2.1 Study area and useful definitions 2
2.2 Approach to producing the current map of great ape habitats in the Albertine Rift
region 3
2.3 Mapping the existing medium to large private sector investments and their
overlap/proximity to great ape habitats 5
2.4 Mapping of the planned investments and their overlap/proximity with great ape
habitats 5
3. FINDINGS 6
3.1 Current extent of great ape habitats 6
3.1.1 Loss of great ape habitats in the Albertine Rift region, western Uganda 7
3.2 Existing medium to large scale private sector investments in the Albertine Rift
region and their overlap/proximity with great ape habitats 8
3.2.1 Private land use investments adjacent to Budongo Forest Reserve 8
3.2.2 Private land use investments adjacent to Bugoma Forest Reserve and
surrounding forest reserves 13
3.2.3 Private land use investment adjacent to Kibale National Park 19
3.2.4 Tea plantations adjacent to Itwara Forest Reserve 19
3.2.5 Private land use investments adjacent to Kalinzu Forest Reserve 22
3.2.6 Forest plantation adjacent to great ape habitats 24
3.2.7 Existing medium to large scale private sector industries overlapping or in close
proximity to the great ape habitats 26
3.2.8 Tourist lodges and labourers camps 29
3.2.9 Mining companies overlapping or in proximity to great ape habitats 32

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MAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GREAT APE HABITATS IN
UGANDA’S ALBERTINE RIFT REGION
3.2.10 Oil and gas drilling in the Albertine Rift region 32
3.3 Planned medium to large private sector investments and their overlap or
proximity to great ape habitats in the Albertine Rift region 34
3.3.1 Planned infrastructure developments overlapping with great ape habitats in the
Albertine Rift region 34
3.3.2 Threats of proposed infrastructure to great ape habitats 35
4. DISCUSSION 37
5. RECOMMENDATIONS 38
References 40

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MAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GREAT APE HABITATS IN
UGANDA’S ALBERTINE RIFT REGION
List of figures

Figure 1: The Albertine rift region indicating the locations of great apes habitats in the red
blocks. 3
a) A section of Budongo Forest Reserve 4
b) A section of Kagombe Forest Reserve 4
Figure 2: The red lines show the previous extent of the forest habitat (FAO, 2000), the blue
lines show the current extent of the forest habitat (leaf green) that has been reshaped in
ArcGIS software. Spaces in-between the lines are habitats lost or degraded. 4
Figure 3: The current extent of great ape habitats (leaf green) in the Albertine Rift region,
Western Uganda. 6
Figure 4: Proportions of medium to large scale private sector land use investments which
overlap with, or can be found in proximity to, great ape habitats in the Albertine Rift region,
based on the information from table 1. 8
Figure 5: Budongo Forest Reserve in leaf green and adjacent medium to large scale
sugarcane plantations in orange. 10
Figure 6: Sugarcane plantations adjacent to Budongo Forest Reserve, which is an habitat of
the eastern chimpanzees. This picture shows that there is no buffer zone between the two
land uses. 11
Figure 7: Local community members going to fetch water in one of Kinyara Sugar Works
Limited’s wetlands. 12
Figure 8: Wambabya, Bugoma and Kasota Forest Reserves in leaf green and tea plantations
in yellow. 14
Figure 9: Forest habitats within tea plantations. 16
Figure 10: Signpost along one of the company roads. 16
Figure 11: Signpost to guide fumigators where to stop when spraying. 16
Figure 12: Signpost to ensure protection of company natural forests. 16
Figure 13: Kagombe, Kitechura, Ibambaro, and Matiri Forest Reserves in leaf green, tea
plantations in yellow and coniferous plantations in pink. 18
Figure 14: Itwara Forest Reserve and Kibale National Parks in green. Tea plantations in
yellow and rice plantations in coral. 21
Figure 15: Kasyoha-Kitomi, Kalinzu/Maramagambo Forests Reserves in leaf green, tea
plantations in yellow, and broad-leaved plantations in purple. 23
Figure 16: Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks (gorilla and chimpanzee
habitats), Echuya Forest Reserve (chimpanzee habitat) in leaf green and coniferous
plantations in pink. 25
Figure 17: Existing medium to large private sector agricultural investments and tourism
infrastructure overlapping/in close proximity to great ape habitats. (Sources of information:
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal, Livestock and Fisheries, tourism infrastructure from the
PRIME WEST Project). 26

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MAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GREAT APE HABITATS IN
UGANDA’S ALBERTINE RIFT REGION
Figure 18: Timber inside Kalinzu Forest Reserve where one company has been licensed by
NFA to carry-out selective logging. 28
Figure 19: Tea plantations adjacent to great ape habitats in Kalinzu Forest Reserve that
were mapped on satellite imagery. 28
Figure 20: Tree nursery of a large tree plantation investor leased land by National Forestry
Authority. 29
Figure 21: Some of the tourism infrastructures that require large investments near great ape
habitats. 30
Figure 22: Labour camps of large tea estates next to great ape habitats. 30
Figure 23: Existing medium to large private mining companies and their overlap/proximity
with great ape habitat. (Source of information: Ministry of Local Government). 31
Figure 24: Status of licensing of oil and gas companies (PEPD August 2014) and their
overlap with great ape habitats (source of information: Petroleum Exploration and Production
Department). 33
Figure 25: Planned medium to large private investments and their overlap/proximity with
great ape habitats in the northern section of the Albertine Rift region. (Sources of
information: PEPD, UNRA, UMEME, UETCL). 34
Figure 26: Proposed medium to large private sector investments and their overlap with the
great ape habitats in the southern section of the Uganda’s Albertine Rift region. 36

List of tables
Table 1: Land cover/use classes of the Albertine Rift region. 7
Table 2: Land allocation of Kinyara Sugar Works Limited. 9
Table 3: Land allocations by McLeod Russel Uganda Limited Tea Estate. 15
Table 4: Summary of the medium to large private agricultural enterprises and tourism
infrastructure that were mapped in the Albertine Rift region. 27

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MAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GREAT APE HABITATS IN
UGANDA’S ALBERTINE RIFT REGION
List of acronyms

ARCOS Albertine Rift Conservation Society
DRC Democratic Republic of Congo
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation
GIS Geographic Information System
GPS Global Position System
IIED International Institute for Environment and Development
IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature
JGI Jane Goodall Institute
KSWL Kinyara Sugar Works Limited
NFA National Forestry Authority
PRIME Productive Resources Investment for Managing the Environment
TAMTECO Toro and Mityana Tea Company
TIES The International Eco-lodge Society
U-PCLG Uganda-Poverty and Conservation Learning Group
UETCL Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited
UIA Uganda Investment Authority
UWA Uganda Wildlife Authority
VSTP Volcanoes Safari Trust Partnership
WCS Wildlife Conservation Society

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MAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GREAT APE HABITATS IN
UGANDA’S ALBERTINE RIFT REGION
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The Albertine Rift region contains more great apes than any other eco-region of the world
(Plumptre et al., 2007), yet no systematic study has been carried out to date to explore how
land use in this region is linked to the current and future decline of the habitats of the eastern
chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) and mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei
beringei) in Uganda.
Gorilla beringei beringei is found in two isolated subpopulations, one in Bwindi Impenetrable
National Park, Uganda, and the other one in the Virunga Volcanoes Region of Rwanda,
Uganda, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (Robbins & Williamson, 2008). The
eastern chimpanzee occurs across much of the north and north-eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo and reaches western forests and woodlands of Burundi, Rwanda,
Tanzania and Uganda (Plumptre et al., 2003).
Recent surveys indicate increases in the number of gorillas in Uganda (McNeilage et al.,
2001; McNeilage et al., 2006; Guschansiki et al., 2009; and Roy et al., 2014) with a current
estimate of about 430 individuals in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Roy et al., 2014).
The increase in the number of gorillas is due to what is often referred to as “extreme
conservation”, which includes approaches like veterinary care and close monitoring of
individual animals (Robbins et al, 2011; Roy et al., 2014). This is not the case with the
chimpanzees whose numbers are decreasing. For example, two chimpanzee surveys done
in 1999 and 2010 in Bugoma and Kagombe Forest Reserves indicated a significant decline
in density of the chimpanzees from 1.87 per km2 in 1999 to 1.24 individuals per km2 in 2010
(Plumptre et al., 2010). Still, despite the recent increase in the number of gorillas in Uganda,
all great apes living in Uganda are classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species (IUCN, 2010), hence the importance of conserving their habitats in the
country.
While habitat destruction is one of the main causes of the declining numbers of great apes, it
is worth mentioning that other factors contribute to the decline of these species, mainly
bushmeat hunting, poaching, killing of adults to capture infants for the pet trade, and
diseases (Hill et al., 2002). Great apes, such as the eastern chimpanzees, have a relatively
slow reproductive rate, with one infant born every 4-5 years. They need large areas of
habitat to maintain a viable population, and they take a long time to recover from any
decrease in population numbers (Plumptre et al., 2003). For all these reasons, it is important
to reduce the threats to great apes population if we want to preserve them from extinction.
This study focuses on the destruction (past, present and future) of great ape habitats in the
Albertine Rift region of western Uganda due to medium to large scale private sector
investments from various types of commercial ventures. A satellite image analysis for the
period 1980s–2000s showed that about 800Km2 of great ape habitats were lost during this
period (Plumptre, 2002). Building on Plumptre’s study of 2002, this study seeks to analyse
what has happened to great ape habitats in the Albertine Rift region in the period since
2000. It also seeks to understand the relationship between this loss of habitats (past, present
and future), and medium and large scale private sector investments in the Albertine Rift
region of western Uganda. Ultimately, the goal of this study was to improve our
understanding of how great ape habitat in the Albertine Rift region of western Uganda is
likely to change (loss and modification) due to medium to large scale private sector
investments, in order to provide information on where conservation efforts should focus.

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MAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GREAT APE HABITATS IN
UGANDA’S ALBERTINE RIFT REGION
1.2 Objectives
The overall objective of this study was to assess the likely impacts of medium to large scale
private sector investments on great ape habitats in the Albertine Rift region of western
Uganda in order to identify key areas for conservation focus. More specifically, this study
aimed to:
a) identify and map current extent of great ape habitats in the Albertine Rift region, both
within and outside protected areas;
b) identify and map the existing and planned medium to large scale private sector
investments in the Albertine Rift region; and
c) explore the overlap between the mapped private sector investments and great ape
habitats to identify key areas of conservation concern.

2. METHODS
2.1 Study area and useful definitions
This study focused on the Albertine Rift region of western Uganda (Smith, 2012). “The
Albertine Rift is the western branch of the African Rift Valley, extending from the northern tip
of Lake Albert to the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika, straddling the borders of 6 different
countries: eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo, western parts of Uganda, Rwanda,
Burundi, and Tanzania and northern part of Zambia” (ARCOS, 2013). The study area
contains small to large forests including, Echuya, Maramagambo, Kasyoha-Kitomi, Bugoma,
Budongo, Kagombe, Mpanga, Matiri, Kitechura, Ibambaro and the national parks of
Mgahinga, Bwindi Impenetrable, Kibale, Rwenzori, and Semuliki that are habitats to great
apes (Plumptre, 2003).
For the purpose of this study, a medium enterprise is defined as an enterprise employing
more than 50 people but less than 150; and with annual sales/revenue turnover of more than
Ugandan Shillings 360 million but less than 30 billion and total assets of more than Ugandan
Shillings 360 million but less than 30 billion (UIA, 2014). A large enterprise is defined as an
enterprise employing more than 150 people; and with annual sales/revenue turnover/total
assets of more than Ugandan Shillings 30 billion (UIA, 2014).

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