Kampala - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the government of Italy and the Catholic Church for a project to conserve biodiversity around Mount Moroto and promote nature-based solutions to the climate change challenge in the region.

The partnership between UNDP, Italy and Moroto Diocese will see the implementation of activities that will support the designation of Mt. Moroto as a Man and Biosphere (MAB) site, so that the landscape and its surrounding forest reserve are protected to provide essential ecosystem benefits and support livelihoods of communities.

The agreement for the, Moroto Integrated Territorial Development Programme: Towards a Possible UNESCO Biosphere, was signed by the UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, and the Bishop of Moroto diocese, His Lordship Damiano Guzzeti, and witnessed by the Italian Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Massimiliano Mazzanti.

UNDP is contributing USD 50,000 (about Shs 193,011,900) funding to the Project Initiation Plan to facilitate preparation of an inclusive and gender-responsive feasibility study and business plan. This will facilitate the finalization of the application for designation of Mt. Moroto as a Man and Biosphere reserve in Karamoja by UNESCO. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Attafuah underscored the importance of nature-based solutions to achieving sustainable development goals, tackling climate change and promotion of peace and security in Karamoja region. She pointed out that the launch of the project was a key milestone as it provides a gateway for solutions to Karamoja’s unique development challenges.

“Nature-based solutions are an essential component of the overall global effort to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. They are a vital complement to de-carbonisation, reducing climate change risks and establishing climate-resilient societies,” Ms. Attafuah said.

She, however, pointed out that the state of ecosystems and biodiversity, which provides the foundation for nature-based solutions, is declining at a very fast rate. In Uganda, wetlands cover reduced from 13% to 10.9% from 1986 to 2018 and forest cover reduced from 20% to 9.5% over the same period.

“As a result, the ability of these ecosystems to retain, purify and avail clean water has been constrained with adverse impacts on vulnerable communities especially women and children,” Ms. Attafuah noted. Reversing the rate of ecosystem and biodiversity loss, she explained, requires partnership between state and non-state actors; especially cultural and faith-based institutions.

On his part, H.E. Massimiliano Mazzanti commended UNDP Uganda for supporting the plan to designate Mt. Moroto as a Man and Biosphere (MAB) reserve. “I commend UNDP and the bishop of Moroto for supporting this cause and making Moroto an example in the perspective of good conservation, environment protection and investment.”  

He said the Embassy of Italy is honoured to be a partner institution of the project, given the Italian government’s involvement in the organization of COP26 on climate change and the 2020 Africa Climate Week.

About Mt. Moroto Forest Reserve:

Mt. Moroto Central Forest Reserve supports livelihoods of marginalised, forest-dwelling, indigenous people known as Tepeth, who are among the smallest tribes in Uganda with a population of 25,288 people (52.5% female). They use the forest as shelter against other armed neighbouring ethnic groups and as source of food, honey, herbal medicine, energy and spiritual values.

For centuries, the Tepeth have applied and practiced traditional norms to protect the forest cover and the unique trees. However, in the recent past, utilisation of forest resources has been commercialised, forest cover converted to crop fields, leading to degradation of the forest reserve and the livelihoods of indigenous people. The nature reserve that encloses Mount Moroto measures 483 square kilometres (119,000 acres) and contains over 220 bird species, monkeys and wild cats.

The forest reserve is equally experiencing human pressure in form of deforestation, mineral exploitation, fires, conversion to agricultural fields, charcoal burning and overgrazing, which has exacerbated forest degradation and traditional norms that for a long time had enabled local people to protect the forest.

Under this project, the Italian government, UNDP, UNESCO, the Moroto diocese through Caritas Moroto and other stakeholders will collaborate in setting up the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme which is envisaged to improve human livelihoodsand safeguard natural and managed ecosystems for human security.

With UNDP support, Uganda will soon be able to increase Man and Biosphere reserves to three; after Mt. Elgon National Park (1979) and Queen Elizabeth National Park (2005).

About the Project:

Discussions to start the Moroto Integrated Territorial Development Programme: Towards a Possible UNESCO Biosphere started two-year ago in in February 2018; with an initial meeting between the Italian ambassador and UNDP.

It was reinforced with findings of a mission carried out by a delegation of the University of Padova (Italy), locally supported by the NGO Insieme Si Può (ISP) and Moroto Diocese.

Given the national programmes and the regional pacts (between Uganda and Kenya) for the region, the University of Padova team proposed adoptionof UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of the relationship between people and the environment.

This project is aligned to the UNDP nature-based solutions flagship programme and the Kenya- Uganda Cross-border programme for sustainable development of the Karamoja cluster launched in September 2019. The project is also in support of Government of Uganda Vision 2040, the UN’s 2030 Global Sustainable Development Agenda and the National Development Plans. 

This project builds on several other UNDP-supported sustainable development initiatives in Karamoja region like; the Kidepo Critical Landscape Conservation Project which focused on sustainable use of shea nut trees; Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in Karamoja in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); and Building Resilience in Karamoja aimed at building the capacity of Karimojong communities to manage shocks due to disasters.

Article by Violet Namata