Uganda has abandant fresh water resources including 36,527.4 sq.Km of open water bodies with large active storage capacity in the lakes including Victoria, Albert, Kyoga, George, Edward and major water rivers such as Nile,Muzizi, Semliki, Sezibwa,Kafu,Katonga, Kagera among others.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
The abundant water provides an opportunity to tap water resources for Uganda's economic development.

The National development plan prioritises sufficient water as a vital input for Agriculture, Tourism and the Industrial sectors. However, Fresh water resources are being affected by the changing climate; pollution; over utilization; encroachment on wetlands, River banks and lake shores; poor managemnet of waste and industrial effluent among others.This therefore calls for innovation and sustainable management of these resources if they are to continue providing the economic, ecological and social services.

Did you know?
Uganda is a true description of a pearl. 25% of the country is covered with fresh water.

© Susan Tumuhairwe
WHAT IS WWF DOING?
WWF-Uganda is currently promoting the preservation of priority water catchments in Uganda in order to sustain water quantity and quality and ecosysytem functions for sustainable livelihoods and production.

WWF UGANDA STRATEGIC PLAN 2021-2025
Delivering bigger conservation impact

WWF AND NILE BREWERIES SIGN OFF PARTNERSHIP FOR WATER CONSERVATION
Last week, Nile Breweries, through its parent company ABInBev symbolically handed over a dummy chaque worth $138,000 (about UGX 505 Million) towards the conservation of River Rwizi located in Mbarara.

RECENT REPORT
Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) is an innovative conservation financing mechanism that rewards people for maintaining good practices that support ecosystem service provision, often using but not limited to financial incentives.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Join the Campaign. Cut down on the length of your shower to save water for generations to come.

FORESTS AND BIODIVERSITY
Uganda hosts about 60% of the global population of the rare and endangered mountain gorilla.

© Susan Tumuhairwe
Forestry and Tourism are important contributors to Uganda's economy with a 6% and 9% contribution to GDP respectively. Uganda's touristic products are largely nature based and centered on distinct geographical areas especially the Albertine rift region. While the vast majority of Uganda's biodiversity is found in natural forests, Uganda's forest cover has drastically declined from 4.9M ha in early 1990s to 1.8 M ha in 2015.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Forests and Wildlife play a significant role in national development through their contribution to the ecological balance, energy and industrial activities.

Forests are also home to the great apes which are the greatest tourism attraction in the country. Mountain Gorilla tracking and Chimpanzee viewing top the list with Gorilla tourism reported to contribute more than 50% of tourism revenue in Uganda.
Other important Wildlife resources of Tourism value inculude the Big Cats (Lions, Leopards and cheetahs); Elephants; Hippopotamus; Pangolin among others marjority of which are in National Parks, Wildlife reserves and Forest reserves.

However, Forest and Biodiversty loss caused by encroachment for agriculture, illegal logging, charcoal production, illegal wildlife trade, retaliatory killings of wildlife, poaching, Oil&gas exploration and climate change account for the decline of important wildlife resources.

Did you know?
Chimpanzees share 98% of human genes, care for their young, can walk on two limbs and use tools to trap insects and crack hard nuts?

© Susan Tumuhairwe
WHAT IS WWF DOING?
Through the Forest and Biodiversity program, WWF-Uganda is working with partners (Government Ministries, Agencies, Local Governments, Private Sector and communities) to conserve the integrity of Uganda's protected areas and habitats on private land. This is being done with a balanced mix of forest and wildlife policy, expansion of forest estate, good governance and community livelihoods interventions.

FEATURED PROJECT
The overall objective of the project is that by 2025, rural livelihoods are improved and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced through widespread access to clean and renewable sources of energy in Uganda.

EARTH HOUR AMBASSADORS HAILED FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
It is graduation season at Makerere University and World Wide Fund for Nature- Uganda Country Office (WWF-UCO) would like to congratulate all students that have successfully completed their studies but more so to the Earth Hour ambassadors, the young and zealous individuals who have committed to working towards conserving nature.

RECENT REPORT
This is an abridged version of the Hydrological and Agronomic study report that was conducted in order to inform the design and monitoring of the PWS on the Nyamwamba and Mubuku watersheds of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Support WWF’s conservation work and stay up to date on exciting conservation news and special behind-the-scenes stories.

CLIMATE, ENERGY & EXTRACTIVES
Climate change is real.

© Susan Tumuhairwe
The planet is getting dangerously warmer! All nations need to move rapidly away from the fossil fuels of oil, coal and gas to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and waves. Uganda has ample renewable energy potentials. Given even conservative estimates of commercially viable biomass, hydro solar and geothermal resources, Uganda can with determined efforts put its self in a position that it will not need any fossil fuel energy by 2050.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Uganda is endowed with abundant renewable energy potential from sources such as biomass, water, wind and the sun.

However, this potential has not been fully utilized resulting in a situation where 15% of the population has access to electricity while the majority (Over 90%) depend on unsustainably used biomass and use rudimentary technologies to meet their energy needs.

It is clear that the provision of sustainable energy solutions in Uganda is crucial for alleviating poverty, strengthening the county's economy and protecting the environment.

Did you know?
The Uganda Constitution (1995) and the Energy Policy (2002) emphasize to meet the energy needs of Uganda's population for social and economic development in an environmentally sustainable manner!

© Happy Ali
WHAT IS WWF DOING?
WWF-Uganda is developing and promoting access to cost effective and environmentally friendly energy solutions for domestic, institutional and productive energy needs of the country. This is done through:

Continuous support to compliance to energy legislation to mitigate negative energy developments, promoting access to clean and renewable energy, advocacy for equitable sharing and utilization of petroleum revenue in Uganda and support to the main streaming and implementation of climate change adaptation and resilience practices in a t least two priority landscapes.

OUR HISTORY
We are WWF. The World Wide Fund for Nature.

© Happy Ali
Founded in 1961 in Switzerland, WWF is one of the world’s most recognisable and respected independent conservation organisations.

BEGINNINGS
In 1961, a broad call for support was signed by 16 of the world’s leading conservationists. It was called the Morges Manifesto. This manifesto stated that while the expertise to protect the world environment existed, the financial support to achieve this protection did not.

From this, the decision was made to establish the World Wildlife Fund as an international fundraising organisation. The intention was to work in collaboration with existing conservation groups and bring financial support to the worldwide conservation movement.

As the World Wildlife Fund grew in the 70s and 80s, it began to expand its work to conserve the environment as a whole. This reflected the interdependence of all living things, rather than focusing on select species in isolation.

Did you know?
While continuing to use its well-known acronym, WWF's name changed in 1986 from the World Wildlife Fund to the World Wide Fund for Nature.

© Happy Ali
WWF UGANDA
WWF started operating in Uganda in 1992, as a project coordination office implementing projects for East and South Africa regional program office.

In October 2009, WWF Uganda Country Office (UCO) was established. The office reports to the regional office of Africa and ultimately WWF International.

The legal status of WWF in Uganda was first negotiated in 1992 and later renegotiated under a new hosting agreement with the government of U Uganda in 2014. WWF is now included on the schedule of the Diplomatic Privileges Regulations under Statutory Instrument No.201-1 in Uganda.

Over 80% of our work in Uganda is concentrated in the Albertine Rift Region which is one of WWF's global priority places.(The African Rift lakes).This is important because it has the highest biodiversity value in Uganda as well as main land Africa. The Abertine Rift is under threat from oil, gas and other development plans.

LOOKING TO OUR FUTURE
WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Amidst decreasing species and wild spaces, increasing natural disasters and frequent extreme weather events, we need hope more than ever. We are working towards a future with food and fresh water for all, forever! A future of well being and hope. For nature. For you.

The time to inspire positive change – to change our future – is now!

OUR COMMITMENT
We all depend on nature.

© Susan Tumuhairwe
Nature is not only a beautiful thing to behold or a restorative retreat for the weary soul, it is the quintessential life provider: supplying food that nourishes, water that replenishes and the raw energy that ignites so many aspects of our modern mostly urban world.

OUR SHARED FUTURE
From our impact on our fast changing climate to our free flowing rivers, expansive life giving oceans to vast food supplying landscapes, WWF Uganda Country Office catalyses strategic initiatives where there is the greatest need to restore balance, reduce impact and protect our country’s vital resources and natural biodiversity.

By ensuring healthy functioning natural systems, and the species and communities that are an integral part of them, we can help restore and reinforce our planet’s natural defences.

Did you know?
WWF’s Mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

© Susan Tumuhairwe
OUR CONTRIBUTION
To achieve our mission – our vital contribution as WWF is to work towards;

-Conserving the world's biological diversity
-Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
-Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption

WWF Uganda Country Office specifically delivers its conservation out comes through three thematic programs; Forestry & biodiversity, Energy & climate and Fresh water. This is done under three broad strategic objectives:

1. To conserve the integrity of Uganda's forest ecosystems with a balanced mix of forest policy, wildlife, expansion of forest estate, good governance and community livelihoods interventions.

2. To develop and promote access to cost effective and environmentally friendly energy solutions for domestic, insttutional and product energy needs of the country.

3. To promote the preservation of priority water catchments in Uganda in order to sustain water quantity, quality and ecosystem functions for sustainable livelihoods and production.

SUPPORT
We need the support of everyday citizens to provide small regular donations so that we can continue to do the vital work that we do.