Browsing by Author "Byakagaba, Patrick"
Now showing 1 - 20 of 26
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Above-ground biomass and carbon stocks of different land cover types in Mt. Elgon, Eastern Uganda(International Journal of Research on Land-use Sustainability, 2014) Buyinza, Joel; Balaba Tumwebaze, Susan; Namaalwa, Justine; Byakagaba, PatrickThis research applied selected allometric models to estimate the total above ground biomass (TAGB) and carbon stocks in the different land-use/ land cover (LULC) types in Mt. Elgon National Park, in Eastern Uganda. The LULC types identified for the study were – tropical high forest (THF) - normal, THF- degraded and grasslands. The vegetation in each land cover type was assessed at four levels i.e. the mature trees, poles, saplings and undergrowth. Tree diameter and height of each sampled tree were also measured. In each plot, one sapling was randomly selected, uprooted and sub-samples of the foliage, bole and root components were collected, and their fresh weight was determined in the field. Calculation of the Mean Squared Error (MSE), Prediction Sum of Squares (PRESS) statistic and Predicted R2 values of the selected equations was done to establish the most appropriate equation for biomass and carbon estimation. The TAGB was 652.15t/ha, 55.16t/ha and 41.7t/ha in the THF-Normal, THF-Degraded and Grasslands respectively. The carbon stocks in the THF-normal were 293.65tC ha-1, 25 tC ha-1 in the THF-degraded and 18.76 tC ha-1 in the grasslands. Over 90% of sequestered carbon was lost due to land cover change from THF-Normal to THF-Degraded. This calls for policy makers to urgently come up with interventions to address forest degradation.Item Agrobiodiversity of homegardens in a commercial sugarcane cultivation land matrix in Uganda(International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management, 2016) Mwavu, Edward N.; Ariango, Esther; Ssegawa, Paul; Kalema, Vettes N.; Bateganya, Fred; Waiswa, Daniel; Byakagaba, PatrickABSTRACT Understanding biodiversity in homegardens embedded in landscapes dominated by commercial monoculture agriculture is critical for sustainable management of agrobiodiversity and meeting rural households’ needs in the face of global changes. We assessed agrobiodiversity in the 120 homegardens and its contribution to rural household livelihood strategies within a commercial monoculture sugarcane cultivation land matrix in eastern Uganda. We recorded a total of 68 plant species from 46 genera representing 27 families. Species richness spanned 6 to 19 species, and α-diversity (H’) ranged from 0.6 to 2.3; with 86.67% of the homegardens having H’ >1. Species composition differed significantly (global RANOSIM = 0.153, p < 0.001) among the villages. The most important and commonly maintained plants were those that provided food, fuelwood and money income and included Zea mays L., Manihot esculenta, Phaesolus spp., Coffea sp., Musa spp., Ipomea batatus and Artocarpus heterophyllus. Most of the crops cited as useful by households were also frequent and visible in many of the homegardens. Although homegardens still hold some valuable plants, there is also loss of important plants from the agricultural system including cowpeas, soya beans, bambara groundnuts, finger millet, cotton, aerial yams and oysternut essential for sustaining household livelihoods. This loss, precipitated by increased land-use/cover change to commercial sugarcane plantations threatens agrobiodiversity conservation and the benefits households derive from homegardens. Our findings underline the importance of homegardens in the conservation of indigenous agrobiodiversity, and indicate that with the continued expansion of commercial sugarcane cultivation this opportunity may be lost.Item Analysis of Uganda’s policy and legal framework for the implementation of REDD+(Environmental Science & Policy, 2019) Namaalwa, Justine; Byakagaba, PatrickA supportive policy and legal framework is critical for the implementation of interventions to mitigate climate change such as REDD+. This paper analyses Uganda’s policies and laws, with the purpose of determining whether the policy issue, objectives of policies and laws provide for a supportive environment for REDD+ activities. The policies and laws analyzed include those indicated in Uganda’s Readiness preparedness proposal and any other relevant public policies. The following questions guided the analysis: Are the REDD+ activities as prescribed in proceedings of the 16th COP to UNFCCC recognized in the policy issue and characterized? Are the REDD+ activities reflected in the object and subsequent provisions of the laws reviewed? From the analysis, it was found that deforestation and forest degradation, loss of protected areas, failure to sustainably utilize natural forests, and limited implementation of forest enhancement activities are recognized as a policy issue in some but not all policies. The characterization of deforestation and forest degradation is mostly linked to proximate drivers while barriers to conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks is linked to underlying drivers. Reducing deforestation and forest degradation are the most provided for activities in the policy issue and characterization, while enhancement of forest carbon stocks and sustainable management of forests are the least considered. Reducing forest degradation and conservation of forest stocks are the most provided for in the object and subsequent provisions of the Laws, while enhancement of forest carbon stocks is the least. Conservation of forest carbon stocks and reducing forest degradation are reflected in both policy issue and laws. The current policy and legal framework is suitable mainly for addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation as well as addressing the barriers to conservation of forest stocks.Item Decentralisation of Forest Management — Is it a Panacea to Challenges in Forest Governance in Uganda? Turyahabwe, N., Byakagaba, P., & Tumusiime, D. M. (2015). Decentralisation of Forest Management—Is it a Panacea to Challenges in Forest Governance in Uganda?. In Precious Forests-Precious Earth. IntechOpen.(In Precious Forests-Precious Earth, 2015) Turyahabwe, Nelson; Byakagaba, Patrick; Mwesigye Tumusiime, DavidDecentralisation of forest management is currently implemented in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America as a governance strategy aimed at enhancing forest resource conservation, poverty alleviation and equity in forest resource utilisation. In Uganda, the overarching aim of decentralisation of the forest sector was to shift responsibility of forest management to lower elected local government councils so as to increase participation and accountability in the forest sector. In this chapter, we investigate whether decentralisation has led to transfer of “real” power to local authorities and the extent to which the original objectives of decentralised forest service delivery have been achieved and challenges encountered in the implementation. We used questionnaires, unstructured observations and interviews to collect data from three districts of Uganda. We found that District Forest Departments of local government are mostly involved in revenue generating activities and protection of local forest reserves with only a very limited focus on activities that endear people towards participation in the management of local forest reserves. Power sharing of District Local Governments with lower local institutions and local communities is extremely limited. Contradictory policies about forest resource governance, inequitable sharing of revenues generated from forest resources between the District and Sub-county governments, rent seeking and political corruption amongst actors who are charged with forest law enforcement are the major challenges in dispensing decentralised forest governance. There is need to increase space for citizen participation in the management of forest resources, holding accountable of the duty bearers and equity.Item Defects of Tourism Revenue Sharing Policies and Practices in East Africa(Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 2019) Mwesigye Tumusiime, David; Byakagaba, PatrickSharing of tourism revenues with local communities has for long been regarded as a key instrument in the arsenal for contemporary conservation. The approach is favored for its ability to simultaneously deliver both conservation and rural development moreover in mutually reinforcing ways. This paper reviews literature covering the practice at Protected Areas (PAs) in East Africa and a number of critical inadequacies are revealed. These include the marginal scale of benefits as observed in an evaluation of a regional project where per capita investment averaged only $ 0.36 over a five year period (2006-2010). Moreover, these revenues are frequently invested in public assets (e.g. schools and roads) which communities have limited appreciation of on the argument that these should be primary responsibilities of national and local governments to whose coffers the communities contribute through taxation. Even when individual households are targeted through household level projects, the sharing is plagued by a variety of governance failures including elite capture, and distributive inequity where for example the poor (the lower two to three quintiles) tend to be excluded. Inequity also exists at community level where some local administrative units are marginalized, and in other instances the revenues are used to reward loyalty while also there is a significant leakage of revenues along the vertical distribution chain of local government implementing the revenue sharing. Thus a lot remains to be done if these schemes for sharing tourism revenues are to deliver as premised. There is need to substantially increase the magnitude of the local share which then must be secured by competent and legitimate, but closely supervised, local institutions to ensure equitable distribution between and within local communities.Item Development Induced Displacement; A Review of Risks Faced by Communities in Developing Countries(Sociology and Anthropology, 2019) Aboda, Caroline; Mugagga, Frank; Byakagaba, Patrick; Nabanoga, GorettiAbout 15 million people every year are forced to live their homes to give way for huge development projects such as dams, highways, and mining. In most developing countries, such projects have been noted to increase ecological and social vulnerability, thus leaving the affected people displaced, disempowered and destitute. The literature review paper focused on the different risks communities are exposed to due to development induced displacement and resettlement. The data presented is review of online peer-reviewed and grey literature between the years 1980 through 2018. The risks analyzed through the Impoverishment, Risk and Reconstruction (IRR) model acts as a guide in selecting and understanding the risks of development induced displacement and Resettlement (DIDR) during social vulnerability assessment. Often the question of social vulnerability has been largely ignored due to the difficulty in quantification. Risk analysis also provides ground to further investigate reasons for the occurrence and persistency of the risks, in developing countries such as India, Sudan and Kenya. The findings of the review through the IRR model indicated that displacement and resettlement exposes project affected people to some opportunities, but largely associated with more risks. Some of the reasons for the persistency of the risks included; compensation for lost properties and lack of experience and capacity to handle resettlement processes. Identifying reasons for the persistency of the already known risks, especially in developing countries builds on the previous work on DIDR risks by Micheal Cernea and other researchers.Item Discovery of Oil: Community Perceptions and Expectations in Uganda’s Albertine Region(Journal of Sustainable Development, 2018) Mwesigye Tumusiime, David; Mawejje, Joseph; Byakagaba, PatrickThis study was conducted to interrogate local perceptions and expectations from the discovery of oil in the Albertine Graben of Uganda. We interviewed 50 residents (30 men and 20 women) from Butiaba and Wanseko (Buliisa district), Kyehoro and Kabaale villages (Hoima district). The villages were purposively selected to have a representation of the districts in the Albertine region where Oil discovery activities are currently being implemented but also to explore any differences in perceptions that may be linked to livelihood options of the respondents. We applied narrative analysis. Overall, we observed minimal pessimism as residents expressed concerns over environmental degradation, political tensions and land conflicts following oil activities, but there was a dominance of optimism as communities envisaged that the oil industry will create employment, infrastructural development, improved access to electricity, and enhanced social status. The findings demonstrated that communities living in areas where extractive resources such as oil and gas have been discovered tend to be more optimistic with very minimal pessimism in their expectations during the phase of upstream activities of the oil value chain. The findings challenge the dominant narrative that residents where energy development and other land use changes are being implemented tend to have negative expectations -a phenomenon known as NIMBY (Not-In- My-Back-Yard). We identify the need to develop strong institutional frameworks that harness benefits from oil to improve local livelihoods without compromising the environment and enhancing participation of locals in decision making processes.Item Expansion of Commercial Sugarcane Cultivation among Smallholder Farmers in Uganda: Implications for Household Food Security(Land, 2018) Mwavu, Edward N.; Kalema, Vettes K.; Bateganya, Fred; Byakagaba, Patrick; Waiswa, Daniel; Enuru, Thomas; Mbogga, Michael S.Understanding the impact of commercial agriculture in the face of global change is critical to support strategies that ensure food security and alleviate poverty among households. We assessed the contribution of commercial sugarcane cultivation to household-level food security among smallholder farmers in Busoga sub-region, eastern Uganda. Land use changes are motivated by quick commercial gains rather than sustained food production; a situation that influences food security. The majority of households cultivate few crop varieties, lack adequate and nutritious foods, and have inadequate income to purchase food to meet their needs. Inadequacy of food within some commercial sugarcane-cultivating households suggests that generating income does not necessarily increase food security. To cope with food insecurity, households offer labour in exchange for food, borrow food, ration food, and at times steal. This is exacerbated by increasing food crop failures, large family sizes, trade in food items, and declining availability of food and land for food production. Commercial sugarcane cultivation is the main driver of food insecurity but given its perceived economic benefits, future sugarcane plantations expansion in the region is probably inevitable. Therefore, future policy should be designed to provide triple-win strategies (i.e., food security, poverty alleviation, and climate change adaptation) that provide sustainable livelihoods.Item Impact of Collaborative Forest Management on Forest Status and Local Perceptions of Contribution to Livelihoods in Uganda(Journal of Sustainable Development, 2013) Turyahabwe, Nelson; Tumusiime, David Mwesigye; Byakagaba, Patrick; Tumwebaze, Susan BalabaThis study assessed the impacts of Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) initiatives on forest status of Budongo Forest reserve in Uganda and perceptions of the participating communities on the contribution of CFM towards their livelihood. Impact on conservation was assessed by applying a Participatory community based Forest Resource Assessment (PFRA) method to examine population structure, dynamics, and incidences of human disturbance across two forest compartments under CFM and comparing these with the status in two compartments without CFM, but otherwise similar to the former in terms of forest type, history of resource use-patterns, silvicultural management practices and location (in the production zone of the forest and close proximity to local communities). Impact on local livelihoods was examined through a survey that involved ten focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews among 140 randomly selected forest neighbours. With the exception of tree regeneration, CFM improved forest status in terms of more live stems of timber, pole tree species, trees with harvestable logs, merchantable volume, and lowered incidences of human disturbances. However, local people do not perceive CFM to have contributed to their livelihoods because whereas CFM created opportunities for income generation particularly through bee keeping, the in-forest activities it halted were superior sources of livelihood. As a result, nearly 50% of the respondents explicitly reported dissatisfaction with the CFM arrangements. Other reasons for dissatisfaction included the inability of CFM to deliver benefits as promised in the signed agreements, local people were frequently not consulted or involved in making key management decisions, and inequality in sharing CFM benefits amongst members of the local community. CFM at Budongo forest reserve has thus contributed to improving forest status, but is perceived to have had limited benefits to local livelihoodsItem Industrial forest plantations in Uganda: Local adjacent community perspectives(Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 2017) Byakagaba, Patrick; Muhiirwe, RuthIndustrial forest plantations are both hailed and vilified for their socio-economic effects on local communities. As such, we posed the following questions: (1) what opportunities do industrial forest plantations bring to local communities? and (2) what benefits are lost with the establishment of industrial forest plantations? Households neighboring industrial forest plantations in five villages of mid-western Uganda were surveyed. A large majority of the respondents (92.6%) stated that they had benefited from forest plantations, while a minority (7.4%) stated they did not. Fuelwood and employment were the most mentioned benefits. Approximately 47.9% of respondents stated that they had lost certain benefits due to the establishment of industrial forest plantations, while 52.1% stated they lost no benefits. Occupation, the number of people in a household and the length of residence in the area influenced responses on whether participants had lost certain benefits. Access to land was the most mentioned (82.2%) benefit lost due to industrial forest plantations. The study supports the notion that industrial forest plantations can provide certain benefits in the initial years of establishment but may also deny local communities historically established customary access and user land rights. Local livelihoods should be integrated into forest plantations management plans.Item Interconnectedness of Ecosystem Services Potential with Land Use/Land Cover Change Dynamics in Western Uganda(Land, 2022) Kaheesi Kusiima, Samuel; Egeru, Anthony; Namaalwa, Justine; Byakagaba, Patrick; Mfitumukiza, David; Mukwaya, Paul; Mensah, Sylvanus; Asiimwe, RobertUnderstanding the evolution of land use/land cover change (LULCC) and how it shapes current and future ecosystem services (ES) supply potential remains critical in sustainable natural resource management. Community perception of historic LULCC was reconciled with previous study via remote sensing/geographical information systems using recall data in the Budongo–Bugoma landscape in Uganda. Then, a CA-Markovian prediction model of a LULC situation in 2040 under business as usual (BAU) and forest restoration scenarios was constructed. Additionally, we assessed the perceived proximate and underlying drivers of LULCC, and how LULCC shapes ecosystem services potential using household surveys. The perceived LULCC trend for the past three decades (1990–2020) corresponded with previous studies showing grassland, bushland, tropical high forest, and wetland cover declined greatly, while subsistence farmland, commercial farmland, and built-up areas had a great increment. The predicted LULC under (i) the business as usual scenario showed a continued decline of natural LULC while anthropogenic LULC increased greatly, tending to cover half of the landscape area; (ii) forest restoration under different levels showed an improvement of forest cover and other native LULC classes with a decline in mostly subsistence farmland. The proximate drivers were in three principal components (soil infertility, subsistence farming, drought; infrastructural development, commercial farming, overstocking of livestock, pest and disease challenges; tree planting), while underlying drivers were in two principal components (technology adoption, corruption of environment stewards, policy implementation gaps; cultural gaps). Food and cash crops were perceived to be the most important ecosystem services in the landscape. Generally, the landscape ES supply potential was dwindling and predicted to continue with a similar trend under BAU, despite the increment in ES contribution of subsistence and commercial farmland. Forest restoration would slightly improve the landscape ES potential but would cause a decline in subsistence farmland, which would result in either a threat to food/livelihood security or a livelihood shift. We recommend combined interventions that seek to achieve a progressive frontier that achieves development needs and priorities based on national need such as food security through local level production with recognition for sustainable availability of ecosystem services.Item Local Institutions and the Governance of Tree Resources: The Case of the Shea Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F Gaertn.) in West Nile Region of Uganda(Conservation & Society, 2021) Acema, Dan; Byakagaba, Patrick; Banana, Abwoli Y.; Turyahabwe, NelsonThe role of institutions in conservation of biological resources is globally recognised. This study is aimed at assessing institutions governing conservation and management of the Shea tree in West-Nile region of Uganda where it is at risk of extirpation. Arua and Nebbi districts which are dominated by different ethnic groups were selected for the study. The study involved 200 respondents, six focus groups and 20 key informants. Chi-square tests were used to analyse the origin and level of compliance to institutions between the two districts. A multinomial logit model was used to analyse factors influencing levels of rule enforcement. Content analysis was used to analyse data from key informants and focus group discussions. The results showed the existence of seven different rules that were categorised as management, conservation and harvesting rules. The level of compliance to rules for the Shea tree was higher in Nebbi than Arua. Involvement in rule crafting, clarity of resource boundary, age, education level and ethnicity of respondents significantly influenced participation in rule enforcement. The study concluded that traditional institutions are relevant in the conservation of Shea trees. It is therefore, vital to incorporate them into statutory laws in the quest for sustainable management of Shea tree.Item Oil, Gas, Wild life & Communities: Capacity Building to Mitigate Conflicts in Uganda(Bridging Ecology, Culture, & Governance for Effective Conservation, 2016) Lacher Jr., Thomas E.; Byakagaba, PatrickAt the crest of a dry plateau of scrub forest, the road suddenly reaches the edge of a precipitous drop. From there the road winds down a series of narrow switchbacks. At first glance, the view presents an expanse of hazy, yellowed scrub on the plain below. Further in the distance is a large, pale blue lake, which fades into the horizon. It is a stunning view, the Albertine Rift. Perhaps more stirring is what we know but do not see; that a mere 200,000 years ago the first members of our species walked that valley. Two hundred thousand years is barely a note in the evolutionary symphony. We are a young species compared to most, but we have come a long way from our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Our demands on the environment have amplified. Uganda is one of the newest inland oil exploration frontiers in Africa with an estimated 6.5 billion barrels and the larger potential of 8 billion barrels. Most known reserves lie in the Albertine Graben, adjacent to Lake Albert, one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.Item Pastoralism in Africa: A land-based livelihood practice analogous to swimming against the tide(South Central Review, 2020) Byakagaba, PatrickAfrica has been written about from the time of “Explorers,” missionaries, and anthropologists, with several perspectives, narratives and discourses emerging which are often used to characterise and generalise about the continent. Many of these are construed as stereotypes especially among African scholars because of the lack of local context. The existence of pastoralism in nearly all the 54 countries in Africa at some phase of their existence, is arguably the most “correct” about Africa. Pastoralism is a land-based livelihood strategy that involves keeping livestock through opportunistic utilisation of existing grazing and browsing resources in natural landscapes called rangelands through cyclic movement of herds on communally owned land.1 This practice is informed by seasonality of grazing and browsing resources that characterise the areas occupied by pastoralists. The movement of herds is a response to social, political and environmental changes.2 It is usually regular and seasonal, based on range condition and water, and often determined by climatic conditions.3 Pastoralists can be nomadic, seminomadic or transhumant.4 Transhumance involves seasonal predictable movement of an entire herd between two relatively distant and ecologically distinct rangeland landscapes that thrive following specific climatic cycles.5 Nomadism involves continuous, short-range movements while semi-nomadism involves occasional and relatively unpredictable or opportunistic movements of herds and household members in search for fresh forage for their livestock.6 The movement of herds and people in pastoralism usually follows well-established, traditional routes.Item Predicting Attitudes towards Protected Area Management in a Developing Country Context(Journal of Sustainable Development, 2018) Mwesigye Tumusiime, David; Byakagaba, Patrick; Tweheyo, Mnason; Turyahabwe, NelsonBiodiversity conservation through use of protected areas relies significantly on the attitudes of local adjacent communities. Some studies suggest that attitudes are often shaped by the associated positive and negative externalities and socio-demographic and economic characteristics of local communities living adjacent to protected areas. The current study sought to identify useful predictors of local attitudes towards protected area management. It was conducted at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda where several interventions in form of benefits to improve local people’s attitudes towards the park have been implemented for the last 30 years. The study examined the extent to which these benefits can influence local people’s attitude towards management of the Protected Area (PA). A household survey was conducted among 190 randomly selected respondents and Generalised Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) fitted where the dependent variable was a binary “Good” or “otherwise” response to how the respondent considered own relationship with park management. Socio-economic attributes of the respondents were used as control variables. The importance of cost variables (e.g. crop raiding) was also examined. The study found that only direct and material benefits were consistent predictors of a positive attitude towards management. Non-material and indirect benefits as well as the socio-economic factors and costs did not influence the attitude of local communities towards management. It can be concluded that positive attitude towards protected area management is determined by access to direct and material benefits by local communities and not socio-economic factors or costs incurred. Interventions intended to influence local communities to have a positive attitude towards management ought to emphasize direct and material benefits.Item Regional difference in land tenure security in Uganda(Social Science Research Network, 2021) Nakanwagi, Teddy Triza; Tumusiime, David M.; Byaruhanga, Michael Bruce; Byakagaba, Patrick; Bashaasha, BernardThis study aimed at analyzing regional differences in land tenure security using 2019 AIDA project cross-sectional data set. The study found that Kanungu (South-Western region) had higher levels of tenure security in terms high land documentation, unconditional ability to sell/mortgage land, perceived security of land access and lower levels of past land conflicts compared to Nakasongola (Central region) and Nwoya (Northern region).Item Respondent perceptions of positive and negative changes due to presence of commercial land-based investments in Uganda: Regional Comparison(SSRN, 2021) Nakanwagi, Teddy Triza; Tumusiime, David M.; Byaruhanga, Michael Bruce; Byakagaba, Patrick; Bashaasha, BernardThis study examined the positive and negative perceptions of commercial land-based investments in three regions of Uganda: Kanungu (South-Western), Nakasongola (Central) and Nwoya (Northern) using data that was collected a decade after the 2007/2008 food and energy crisis. We found that Northern region district had the lowest percentage of respondents with positive or negative perceptions of commercial land-based investments.Item The role of fallowing in the restoration of woody species in the Woodlands of Northern Uganda(African Journal of Ecology, 2021) Byakagaba, Patrick; Okullo, John Bosco L.; Eilu, Gerald; Mwavu, Edward N.The study sought to determine the extent to which fallowing can lead to recovery towards an historic woody vegetation of Sudanian woodlands in northern Uganda. Fallow sites of three distinct ages were assessed. Plots were established in crop fields that had been under cultivation for over 10 years, sites that had been under fallow for 3–6 years (young fallow) and fallow sites of at least 9 years (old fallow) in three districts. In each plot, all woody plants were enumerated and species composition, diversity and richness assessed. Young fallow plots were dominated by pioneer species such as Piliostigma thonningii and Annona senegalensis, while old fallow by a mix of late and early successional species such as Vachellia hockii (formerly Acacia hockii) and Combretum collinum. Vitellaria paradoxa (Shea butter tree) was the most abundant in all fallow categories. Species composition in crop field was different from young and old fallow. Species richness increased significantly from abandoned Crop field to Young fallow and then to Old fallow. Simpson's Diversity Index showed similar trends. V. paradoxa contributed most to overall similarity among the fallow categories. Fallowing can facilitate restoration of characteristic species of Sudanian woodlands.Item The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation(Ecology and Society, 2021) Dawson, Neil M.; Coolsaet, Brendan; Sterling, Eleanor J.; Loveridge, Robin; Gross-Camp, Nicole D,; Wongbusarakum, Supin; Sangha, Kamaljit K.; Scherl, Lea M.; Phuong Phan, Hao; Zafra-Calvo, Noelia; Lavey, Warren G.; Byakagaba, Patrick; Idrobo, Julián; Chenet, Aude; Bennett, Nathan J.; Mansourian, Stephanie; Rosado-May, Francisco J.Debate about what proportion of the Earth to protect often overshadows the question of how nature should be conserved and by whom. We present a systematic review and narrative synthesis of 169 publications investigating how different forms of governance influence conservation outcomes, paying particular attention to the role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities. We find a stark contrast between the outcomes produced by externally controlled conservation, and those produced by locally controlled efforts. Crucially, most studies presenting positive outcomes for both well-being and conservation come from cases where Indigenous peoples and local communities play a central role, such as when they have substantial influence over decision making or when local institutions regulating tenure form a recognized part of governance. In contrast, when interventions are controlled by external organizations and involve strategies to change local practices and supersede customary institutions, they tend to result in relatively ineffective conservation at the same time as producing negative social outcomes. Our findings suggest that equitable conservation, which empowers and supports the environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples and local communities represents the primary pathway to effective long-term conservation of biodiversity, particularly when upheld in wider law and policy. Whether for protected areas in biodiversity hotspots or restoration of highly modified ecosystems, whether involving highly traditional or diverse and dynamic local communities, conservation can become more effective through an increased focus on governance type and quality, and fostering solutions that reinforce the role, capacity, and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. We detail how to enact progressive governance transitions through recommendations for conservation policy, with immediate relevance for how to achieve the next decade’s conservation targets under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.Item Securing Communal Land and Resource Rights in the Albertine Region of Uganda: The Case of Hoima and Buliisa Districts(CRED, 2015) Byakagaba, PatrickLand is essential for the livelihoods and wellbeing of rural communities and has cultural significance that may go beyond production and monetary realms. The policy and legal framework of Uganda provides for communal land tenure system but operationalization of the provisions has not taken place in many parts of the country including the oil rich Albertine region. This scenario has left communal land in this region to be perceived as “open access”, land with no defined owners - hence rendering it susceptible to land grabbers. This has not only raised anxiety within the community but is affecting the livelihoods of hundreds and thousands of the local people. It is still unclear which model of land management will ensure that communal land rights are secure amidst the current threats associated with the nascent oil and gas industry.