Gov’t signs MOU to promote conservation

KAMPALA - The Government of Uganda has signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to strengthen collaboration on the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of natural resources.

The MoU, signed on Tuesday (July 8) at Four Points by Sheraton in Kampala, aims to foster cooperation between the Ministry of Water and Environment and IUCN in managing Uganda’s water, wetlands, forests, catchments, and biodiversity.

The new agreement builds on a longstanding partnership that dates back to 1996, when Uganda became a state member of IUCN under Article 112 of the organization’s statute.

Since then, IUCN has supported Uganda through various technical and financial interventions in forest management, climate adaptation, and environmental restoration.

Speaking at the ceremony, Alfred Okot Okidi, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Water and Environment, hailed the MoU as a timely intervention that aligns Uganda’s conservation priorities with global environmental best practices.

“This collaboration will anchor on the sustainable management of Uganda’s natural resources, with a focus on forest landscape restoration, managing fragile ecosystems and catchments, transboundary water resource management, and the conservation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,” Okot said.

He explained that the MoU is more than a symbolic gesture—it is a functional framework to drive Uganda’s green growth agenda and enhance the country's resilience to climate change.

Okot also highlighted IUCN’s role in helping Uganda develop programs that build local technical capacity while unlocking external support for environmental initiatives.

“We are committed to realigning our national priorities with the support of IUCN and other UN partners. This will enable us to meet both national and international sustainability targets,” he added.

Representing IUCN at the event, Luther Anukur, Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, reaffirmed the organization's commitment to supporting Uganda’s journey towards environmental sustainability.

He said the renewed partnership would take a natural resources-wide approach, focusing on land-based restoration, equitable project implementation, integrated resource management, and biodiversity conservation.

“Our collaboration with the Government of Uganda aims to strengthen conservation efforts while creating opportunities for sustainable development. Uganda has already made commendable progress, and this MoU enables us to scale up those efforts,” Anukur stated.

Anukur further noted that the partnership will be guided by Uganda’s 10-Year Action Plan for Environmental and Land Restoration, which was developed with IUCN’s support and approved by sub-national and national structures.

“We’re not starting from zero. The restoration plan gives us a strategic blueprint for scaling impact and ensuring that interventions are results-oriented,” he added.

Both parties pledged to operationalise the MoU through technical assistance, joint project design, and monitoring frameworks to ensure the effective implementation of environmental and conservation programs.

The signing ceremony brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, and international development agencies. It marks a renewed commitment to tackling Uganda’s environmental challenges through collaborative, science-based, and inclusive approaches.

The MoU is expected to guide future projects on forest regeneration, climate adaptation, water governance, and biodiversity protection, positioning Uganda as a regional leader in sustainable natural resource management.