Research findings presented by:

Kyongera Denis (Makerere Univ.)

BSc Conservation Biology (Honors)

MSc in Zoology (Wildlife Option): 2013-2015

September 2014

Mapping of Medium to Large Private Sector Investments and their Overlap with Great Apes’ Habitats in the Albertine Rift Region, Western

Uganda

1. INTRODUCTION

Of all the tropical rain forests in Uganda, it is only those in

western part of the country that are habitats of great apes.

This is because of the historical geographical connection of

the great apes that inhabit the Congo Basin.

The habitats of great apes have been under threat over

many decades from different types of land uses, including

medium to large scale private sector investments.

However, there is scanty information regarding the

relationship between medium to large scale private sector

investments and their overlap with the great apes’ habitats

which was the focus of my study.

The general objective was to:

assess the likely factors (due to private investments) that

would have the greatest future impacts on the habitats of

great apes in Western Uganda in order to identify key

areas for conservation focus.

The specific objectives were to:

1. identify and map the current extent of great apes’

habitats in the Albertine Rift Region, Western Uganda

2. Objectives

2. identify and map the existing and planned medium to

large private sector investments,

3. determine the overlap between the mapped private

sector investments and great apes’ habitats in the

Albertine Region to identify key areas of conservation

concern.

Specific Objectives cont’

The Albertine rift region indicating the locations of great apes habitats

Study Area

a) Acquired Landsat ETM+ satellite data of 2011

b) Processed them (georeferencing, rectification and

mosaicking)

c) Acquired the 2002 Uganda land cover map produced by

FAO and translated it’s legend to NFA classification

legend

d) Superimposed the FAO map onto the satellite imagery

and reshaped the forest polygons to fit the current extent

3. STUDY APPROACH

1. Current extent of great apes’ habitats:

Red lines show the previous extent of the forest habitat (FAO 2000), blue lines show the current extent of the forest habitat (leaf green); that were reshaped/resized in ArcGIS software ( on the left is a section of Budongo and on the right Kagombe Forest)

Illustration

2. Location of medium to large private sector investments:

a) Ground truthing was conducted using a GPS

receiver/existing maps to correlate satellite image

characteristics with large scale commercial plantations

i.e. tea, broadleaved and coniferous plantations, sugar

and rice.

b) The information obtained was then used to interpret and

classify Landsat ETM+ imagery acquired in 2011.

c) Existing spatial information from different government

agencies & private companies was also obtained and

integrated with information derived from satellite images.

Study approach cont’d

3. Mapping of planned medium to large private investments

a) Information from the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA)

about planned investments was obtained.

b) The approximate position of these investments was

established and then mapped based on the physical

address.

c) Additional information from PEPD , UNRA, UETCL was

obtained and mapped.

d) The planned investments were integrated with great

apes’ habitat map to indicate the overlap(s).

Study approach cont’d

4. FINDINGS

Land cover/use class Area in Km2

Great apes habitat coverage

(protected and non protected):

1. Tropical high Forest 4,328

1. Degraded Forest 1,443

Sub total 5,771

Large scale investments (crops):

1. Sugar cane plantation 147

1. Tea plantation 144

1. Rice Plantation 59

Subtotal 350

Planted forestry:

1. Broad Leaved Plantation 16

1. Coniferous Plantation 76

Subtotal 92

Other land cover/use types: 48,548

Grand Total 54,763

General land cover/use types of the Albertine Rift Region:

2. Existing Medium to Large Private Investments

Budongo Forest Reserve in leaf green and

sugar plantations in orange color

Wambabya, Bugoma and Kasota ForestReserves in leaf green, Sugar plantationin orange and tea plantations in CitroenYellow

Semuliki, Mt. Rwenzori, and Kibale National Park, Kitechura, Ibambaro, and MatiriForest Reserves in leaf green. Tea plantations in Citreon Yellow and rice plantations inNubuck Tan, sugar plantations in Orange

Existing Medium to Large Private Investments cont’d

Kasyoha-Kitomi , Kalinzu/Maramagambo Forests Reserves in leaf green and tea Plantations in Citroen yellow

Bwindi Impenetrable and MgahingaNational Park, Echuya ForestReserve in leaf green. andconiferous plantation in pick

Existing Medium to Large Private Investments Cont’d

Existing agriculture investments and tourism

infrastructure overlapping with great apes’ habitats

Type of Investment

No.

investments

Agricultural enterprise

Tea factories 18

Cotton Ginneries 5

Coffee factories 46

Cocoa factory 1

Dairy 22

commercial farms 10

Horticulture 2

Saw Mills 10

Research centrres 2

Tree planting 1

Irrigation sites 1

Fish processing plants 14

sub total 132

Tourism Infrastructure 32

Grand total 164

Summary of the mapped Investments (point data)

Existing mining companies overlapping with the habitats

Mining: zoomed-in to a portion of

the Albertine Region

Status of licensing of oil and gas companies in the

Albertine Region

Planned medium to large private investments in the northern section of Albertine Region overlapping/in proximity with great apes’ habitats.

3. Planned Medium to Large Private Investments

Planned private sector investments in the southern section

of Albertine Region

Conclusions

It is evident that the private sector investments overlap or

are in close proximity with the great apes’ habitats.

The overlap (hot spots) could be a threat to the great apes’

habitats.

These hot spots could be a basis for conservation focus for

the great apes in the Albertine Region.

Way Forward

1. The next step is to ask for an extension of two months to

allow me carry out ground truthing exercises regarding

the accuracy of mapped medium to large scale private

investments; and

2. Prepare a final report.

End!

Any Suggestion for improvement?