Woodlots, Woodfuel and Wildlife: Lessons from Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Abstract

"Many integrated conservation and development projects aimed at addressing human impacts on protected areas in developing countries use strategies of 'resource substitution', where alternative sources of products obtained from protected areas (such as firewood and building poles) are encouraged through their production on-farm. In this paper, the experiences of such an approach in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda show how without a deep understanding of the full socio-economic conditions of the communities impacting upon the protected area, such solutions can be ineffective, or can even exacerbate the problem. In an attempt to reduce the perceived impact of local timber and firewood collection on the park's ecology, a woodlot programme was developed. Whilst the initial results of the programme appear to be impressive, deeper investigation reveals that rather than alleviating the problems between the park and the people, the project may have worsened them."