What is the role of the Uganda Wildlife Authority? Uganda Wildlife Authority is a Ugandan Government agency that has a main responsibility of managing, protecting and conserving all the wildlife resources and activities within the country. Uganda wildlife authority manages 10 national parks, 14 wildlife sanctuaries, and 12 wildlife reserves in Uganda.
In August 1996, the Uganda wildlife statute led to the establishment of the Uganda wildlife Authority after the merging of the Uganda National Parks and in 2000, the statute became an Act of the parliament.
Uganda as a country has been marked among the best four tourism destinations in the whole world. The Ministry of tourism in Uganda has laid many strategies that have promoted and led to the growth of the tourism industry because the number of tourists coming to Uganda have increased on a daily basis. Uganda Wildlife authority has a vision and a mission which help them to focus, make decisions and helps them on laying strategies that will help to attract tourists in Uganda and these are;
Mission.
The Uganda wildlife mission is to manage, economically develop, conserve, develop and protect all the wildlife areas that are within and outside the protected areas in Uganda and this benefit the people and their communities.
Vision.
The vision of the Uganda Wildlife Authority is leading a self-sustaining conservation agency with healthy ecosystem that transforms Uganda in to an outstanding ecosystem destination in the whole world.
Role of the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The Uganda wildlife Authority plays a number of roles that lead to the development of the tourism Industry in Uganda and these roles include;
- Uganda wildlife Authority is supposed to protect all the wildlife animals in order to keep them safe from the poachers who kill the animals and it is good that in Uganda, poaching activities have reduced because people have followed and obeyed the strict laws that were set by the Authority.
- It plays a big role of educating local people who leave within and around the wildlife areas about the importance and contributions of the wildlife to the communities and the welfare of the people.
- The Authority leads to the development of the tourism industry of Uganda by encouraging and recruiting the private investors such as the tour operators.
- The Uganda Wildlife Authority provides tourists with the up to date information about the 10 national parks in the country and provides its visitors with tour guides and rangers who lead them through during their tour and answer any questions as they give detailed information that is needed by the tourists.
- Uganda Wildlife Authority also has a main role of identifying and spotting out game reserves that have the potential to be gazette and designated as national parks in order to provide natural habitats to the animals and protection to the eco system in Uganda.
- The Authority has a responsibility of patrolling through the national parks on a daily basis to make sure that the protection of the animals is safe and highly maintained.
- Its plays a role of giving in quick feedback about any reported cases to animal-related problems within the community.
- It also helps to book for the tourists who have interest in going for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking their Chimpanzee trekking permits and Gorilla trekking permits.
- The Uganda Wildlife Authority provides jobs to the local people by recruiting in local people as guides and game rangers and other offices.
- It is also responsible for advertising the beautiful places within the country through its various ways of marketing such as Online marketing, organizing firm trips, brochures attending trade shows, and putting out flyers.
- The main role of the Uganda Wildlife Authority is to protect the wildlife animals, control, and supervise all the activities done in the national parks, game reserves and all other unprotected areas, which are managed by the Authority.
However, this authority has played big roles to protect the wildlife conservation in Uganda, it has also faced a number of challenges and these include; the wildlife animals attacking the farms and the people leaving in the neighbouring communities and this has led to human- wildlife conflicts living people aggravated after their properties have been destroyed.
More so, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has made some achievements that the country has gained and these include; this Authority has led to the improvement of the living standards of people living with the neighbouring communities by providing job opportunities which are available for the local people and it has also donated the 30% off the park entrance fees to the neighbouring communities within and outside the National Parks.
Where is Uganda Wildlife Authority located?
The Uganda wildlife authority is located at plot 7 on Kira road, which is opposite the Uganda National Museum in the central division of Kampala city neighbouring Kamwookya. Its headquarters are found in between the Uganda Museum from the west and the east of the British High commission.
In conclusion, tourists who wish to book their Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits, pay the park entry fees and among others can make inquiries from the local tour operators or contact the Uganda wildlife Authority directly.
