REPA stands for Rights Equity and Protected Areas Programme. The project strengthens the role of local communities in the development of sustainable land use and forestry in and around the protected nature parks in Southwest Uganda. This is primarily done by building the capacity of several local organizations, which play an important role in improving living standards for poor people dependent on forestry and land use. The project also attempts to minimize social and political discrimination against ethnic minorities, including the Batwa.

Target group

The primary target group are poor people, who live in and around the national parks in the Southwestern part of Uganda, and who depend on access to natural resources. The project will work directly with 75,000 people. The project will also collaborate with local civil society organizations, whose capacity will be improved through the project.

Activities

The project will:

- develop management agreements between the Government and Uganda and local communities in order to support more participatory governance of forests and wetlands.

- create access to natural resources, for example medicinal plants and herbs, building materials and clean water for the local community.

- protect the poor farmers' fields from wild animals from the national park, for example by making ditches and planting haw thorn hedges. The project will work with the authorities to build their capacity to protect farmers and to hold the authorities accountable in case of mismanagement.

 - start economic development for the Batwa through savings and loan grouns and provide support to agricultural production. The project will also work to reduce social and political discrimination against the Batwa, who today live as outcasts.

- Build capacity in civil society organizations as well as influence national policies, which are are relevant to the target group.

Area

Inside and on the fringes of national parks in Southwest Uganda.

Duration and budget

The project runs from 2008 to 2013 with a budget of 27.5 million DKK funded by Danida.

Contact

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