What is the Uganda Poverty and

Conservation Learning Group?

Dr Panta KasomaDirector of the Jane Goodall Institute-Uganda and U-PCLG Coordinator

What is U-PCLG?

Uganda Poverty and Conservation Learning Group (U-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.

Poverty and Conservation Learning Group• An international network of conservation, development

organisations concerned with the links between conservation and poverty

• Established by IIED in 2005• Collect and disseminate information on conservation

and poverty linkages, undertake or support research on specific themes, organise targeted learning events

• Latest phase (from 2008) funded by the Arcus Foundation which led to its focus on great apes

National PCLG groups• PCLG workshop in November 2010 held in Masindi,

Uganda• Brought together conservation organisations from

different African ape range states to share experience on what works (and what doesn’t) in linking conservation and poverty alleviation

• Participants agreed that it would be useful to establish national chapters of the PCLG network

• Uganda PCLG and Cameroon PCLG started in 2011, DRC PCLG in 2014 and currently discussing the opportunities for setting up a PCLG group in Rwanda

• Second round of funding from Arcus foundation from 2013 to 2015

The Uganda Chapter The Ugandan Chapter was founded in 2011 It is currently coordinated by JGI-Uganda Membership is open to a wide variety of stakeholders

including conservation agencies, policy-makers, development agencies, CSOs, private sector and interested individuals

About 30 organisational members to date Funding from the Arcus Foundation Regular group meetings Regular steering committee meetings Website and social media presence (twitter, Facebook)

Some of U-PCLG activities to date: U-PCLG conducted a three year research to policy

project (R2P) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park The group has been involved in advocacy work

following the recommendations of the R2P project E.g. the group recently published posters in

Rukiga and Rufumbira explaining the workings of UWA’s revenue sharing scheme.

During an ARCUS-funded project, the group supported a Master’s student to map out private sector investments in relation to Great Ape habitats

THE FUTURE

We are keen to get a broader membership especially from the private sector.

We want to explore mechanisms through which our activities could become more sustainable.

http://povertyandconservation.info/en/pages/uganda-pclg