Scientists Identify Important Plant Areas in Uganda, Stress Community Collaboration to Foster Conservation 

A team of scientists from Makerere University, in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom Department of Plant Sciences have identified and documented 42 Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in Uganda, aligning with the Global Plant Conservation Strategy.

Speaking at the Uganda Tropical Important Plant Areas (TIPA) workshop held at Makerere University College of Natural Sciences, Professor Buyinza Mukadasi, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics at Makerere University, emphasized the significance of plant life for human well-being and the need for conservation efforts.

“Plant life provides medicine, food, energy, and other essential resources. However, with Uganda’s growing population and increasing demand for land, some of these vital plant areas are facing degradation and overexploitation,” Professor Buyinza said.

He noted that the identified IPAs cover various regions in Uganda, with approximately 80% overlapping with existing protected areas. The remaining areas are unprotected and require urgent conservation attention.

Professor James Kalema, a lead researcher on the project, highlighted the importance of community collaboration in conserving these critical plant areas.

“Our main strategy is to establish a nexus between communities and conservation efforts, recognizing that community livelihoods are crucial. We must ensure community ownership and participation to succeed,” Professor Kalema said.

To protect the unprotected IPAs, the research team is looking at community-led initiatives like ecotourism. Ecotourism provides tangible and intangible benefits to communities, incentivizing them to conserve habitats.

Dr Iain Darbyshire, another researcher on the project, emphasized the collaborative approach used to identify the IPAs.

“We combined data with in-country expertise, relying on evidence from collections and engaging with local experts who have field knowledge of the identified sites,” Dr Darbyshire said.

The research team aims to develop a database of the IPAs, providing accessible information for stakeholders, including government officials, policymakers, researchers, and local communities.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to conserve Uganda’s plant diversity, aligning with the Global Plant Conservation Strategy. 

By collaborating with local stakeholders, the team aims to develop effective conservation strategies that balance community needs with environmental protection.

The identification of these sites was based on three global criterias; the presence of threatened species, exceptional botanical richness, and threatened habitats. 

Among the designated IPAs are well-known protected areas such as Semuliki, Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls, Kibale, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks as well as Mabira, Budongo, and Kashoya-Kitomi Central Forest Reserves.

However, several identified sites remain unprotected, including Tororo Rock, Buwerere, Kacumbala Rock, and Buhweju, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts beyond Uganda’s formal protected area network.