Tropical Biology Association

Network:

British American Tobacco Biodiversity Partnership

TBA's work in Uganda: Biodiversity & ecosystem conservation across agricultural landscapes

Since 2006, TBA has been working directly with BAT Uganda to address help them conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services within their operational areas, at the same time as bringing tangible benefits to local communities in the tobacco growing regions of Uganda. TBA works to develop on the ground solutions and works directly with in-country partners a Ugandan NGO, Nature Harness Initiatives (NAHI), and with local communities and research institutes.

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Key achievements

• Community tree nursery established and 35,000 native tree seedlings raised for live barn establishment and forest restoration
• Tree nursery established in partnership with Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust and 85,000 seedlings raised
• Forest restoration work brought two main forest blocks under sustainable management; Itohya and Wambabya, both of which are important habitat for chimpanzees
• 35,500 seedlings procured directly from private nursery operators and distributed to farmers
• 400 farmers growing ‘live' indigenous tree species tobacco curing barns
• 1,300 ha of forest under sustainable management
• 115 bee hives managed in Bujawe plantation set aside
• 55 farmers supported in fruit tree growing; 2,050 fruit trees planted to-date
• 600 community members trained in various sustainable farming techniques
• Development of a monitoring system for BATBP activities
• Partnerships with key conservation organizations, government institutions; and community based organizations such as NAVODA

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Natural forest restoration & conservation

Forest restoration

Over 1,200 hectares of native forest in Western Uganda have been brought under sustainable management through TBA's work under the BATBP. As part of this work, a number of tree nurseries have been established to supply indigenous tree seedlings to farmers for restoration of degraded forest areas, and for the construction of 'live' tobacco curing barns.

The construction of tobacco curing barns typically requires over 2,000 wooden poles per barn, which are then rebuilt every three to four years, but live barns replace upright poles by living trees, reducing wood use by approximately two-thirds.

The tree nurseries set up under the project involve the local communities in maintenance and management, which helps to ensure long lasting commitment to the work and a sustainable supply of seedlings to farmers. Farmers involved in the project are consequently now better managing their forests and vigilantly monitoring illegal activities, such as cutting for timber and cultivation.

Alternative livelihoods

Local communities also have been provided with incentives to conserve natural forest areas. In some areas communities have been given cattle grazing rights and permission to collect dead fuel wood in BAT plantations, reducing pressure on native forests. In other areas the local communities have received specialist training on non-timber forest products (NTFPs), such as beekeeping; over 115 bee hives are now located in BAT biodiversity set asides. Numerous farmers are involved in fruit growing activities; planting a total of 2,050 fruit seedlings of mangoes, oranges and avocados. The fruit trees have been quick to mature, and communities have been able to produce enough fruit to supplement their incomes with the sale of the surplus. Finally, the collection of Shea butter nuts used for making Shea nut oil, from trees within BAT biodiversity set-asides, is proving especially lucrative for local communities.

These enterprises provide local communities with direct tangible benefits from their conservation efforts, an alternative income and additional food sources.

On-going training and targeted capacity building in various conservation activities has been provided through the project, which helps to ensure sustainability of the project outcomes.

Awareness raising for biodiversity & ecosystem conservation

The TBA led project in Uganda developed conservation awareness messages, now provided to over 30,000 BAT farmers through integration into their farming guidelines. Messages are presented as simple pictures and text in both Swahili and English. The messages demonstrate the importance of:

• conserving a 30 metre buffer zone of riparian vegetation to protect rivers from agricultural pollution;
• conserving forests to protect watersheds; and,
• conserving forests to sustainably utilise non-timber forest products as an alternative form of income.

Messages have also been communicated by using signboards, prominently placed in key tobacco growing areas and endorsed by the National Environmental Monitoring Authority (NEMA), and through the distribution of 1400 posters and 1000 calendars. These messages stimulate discussion amongst farmers and the wider local community and therefore have the power to affect change beyond the farmer level. These communications are having a far ranging impact, with significant numbers of farmers changing their behaviour.

A number of information materials on BATBP activities in Uganda have also been produced and shared with relevant stakeholders.

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Freshwater conservation and monitoring tool

In Uganda, ever greater pressure on land has resulted in forests and natural vegetation being cleared to make way for agricultural and urban expansion. This practice removes the natural buffer between human activities and freshwater and allows unfiltered pollutants to flow directly into rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes and ponds. The increased incident of nutrients causes eutrophication, which limits oxygen availability and greatly reduces water quality. In the absence of vegetation to stabilise river banks, they are also liable to collapse; and with increased loading of sediments running-off from adjacent agricultural land, water courses can eventually dry up. Not only does this affect the quality and security of water supply, it also increases the incidence of destructive flash floods, with storm waters having nowhere to flow once they fall on the land.

Water of suitable quality and quantity is essential to the maintenance of biodiversity, and also paramount to the long-term sustainability of agricultural activities and local livelihoods.

In response to the wide scale clearance of bankside vegetation for agriculture, and consequential silting and pollution of waterbodies, a field-based tool to rapidly assess freshwater quality has been developed by TBA, in partnership with Prof. Brian Moss of the University of Liverpool and a Ugandan researcher based at Makerere University. This simple tool helps agricultural managers assess and monitor the quality of freshwater rivers and streams quickly, without the need for elaborate chemical testing or identifying intricate species. The user can then determine possible sources of pollution on adjacent land, and then recommend practices for correcting the condition. Through regular assessment, change in water quality can be monitored from year to year.

The use of the tool by BAT staff has greatly raised awareness of the need for and ways to assist freshwater conservation in Uganda. The tool has also been shared with the BAT operational company in Lombok, Indonesia, and through this was refined for use in other countries.

programme of work is now being undertaken, led by TBA, to restore and conserve bankside habitats in Uganda, through reforestation, livelihood diversification, awareness raising and training.

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Current & future TBA work in Uganda

Within Uganda, from 2011 to 2015, TBA is looking to build on our strong foundation of conservation work, and to expand into new areas, bringing together both existing and new stakeholders to improve sustainable ecosystem management in tobacco growing regions and to enhance livelihoods, biodiversity and ecosystem services across the landscape. The project in Uganda will work towards and focus on a longer-term goal, and by doing so will lay the foundations for a wide-scale project with an intended duration of 15 to 20 years, helping to ensure long lasting and sustainable biodiversity outcomes.

An initial project scoping phase has been undertaken in the first part of 2011, activities include:

The scoping work has finalised the desired outcomes of the project, areas of work to be undertaken, and how this will help the project to meet both the long term and short term goals.

More details of TBA's current BATBP project work and information on the other BATBP partner projects can be found on the BATBP website.