Balancing development and conservation is Uganda’s next big test

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OPINION

By Bashir Hangi

As Uganda accelerates infrastructure growth, I argue that true progress must safeguard the country’s natural heritage - the backbone of its tourism and economy.

Uganda stands at a defining crossroads. As the country races to modernise, building roads, power plants, oil pipelines, and new towns, we must ask whether our development path will protect or destroy the natural heritage that sustains us. Forests, wetlands, savannahs, and rivers are not barriers to progress; they are its foundation. Yet they face greater pressure today than ever before.

The expansion of infrastructure and human settlements around protected areas has become a double-edged sword. Development promises better livelihoods and economic growth, but also fragments wildlife habitats, heightens human-wildlife conflict, and undermines the ecosystems that make Uganda one of Africa’s top biodiversity hotspots. The question is not whether to develop, but how to do it responsibly.

Across the country, the footprints of progress are clear. In the Albertine Graben, oil exploration is reshaping the economy. New roads are connecting remote communities to markets, and electrification and irrigation programmes are improving lives. Yet many of these projects cut through sensitive ecosystems such as Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Kidepo Valley National Parks, where biodiversity and tourism are critical to livelihoods and national revenue.

As roads and settlements push closer to park boundaries, wildlife corridors are shrinking and migration routes are disrupted. Elephants, buffalo, and lions now stray into farms and homesteads in search of food and water, creating conflict that often ends in loss of crops, livestock, or even lives.

Conservation and development can coexist through comprehensive and deliberate planning and dialogue. The Hoima–Kaiso–Tonya and Masindi–Para–Buliisa roads incorporated speed humps and wildlife signage to reduce road kills. This shows that even modest measures can save wildlife.

Fencing around Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks is reducing animal incursions into communities and promoting safer coexistence between people and wildlife. Practical interventions such as trenching, electric fencing, and chilli-based deterrents are also helping communities live peacefully alongside wildlife.

At the heart of this balance are the communities living around protected areas. Their aspirations to live better, access services, and earn a livelihood mirror those of the wider country. Conservation succeeds only when they benefit from it. Through revenue sharing, Uganda Wildlife Authority allocates 20 percent of park gate collections to community projects such as schools, health centres, and water points—initiatives that build ownership and goodwill. The government’s compensation scheme for losses caused by wildlife outside protected areas further strengthens trust, ensuring that conservation does not impoverish those who live with its risks.

Tourism already contributes about 5.7% of GDP and directly supports over 803,000 jobs and many small businesses. The very roads that bring tourists to our parks must not destroy the beauty that draws them there. A degraded park or polluted wetland hurts not only wildlife but also tourism, local jobs, and Uganda’s reputation as a sustainable destination. When people see tangible benefits and protection, they become allies of conservation, not adversaries.

Uganda’s forthcoming National Development Plan IV envisions infrastructure-led transformation under the Tenfold Growth Strategy, which identifies four anchor sectors: Agro-industrialisation, Tourism, Mineral Development, and Science, Technology and Innovation (ATMS) as engines of growth. Tourism, inseparable from conservation, thrives only when wildlife and natural ecosystems remain intact.

Safeguarding biodiversity is therefore central to achieving ATMS goals. Strategic Environmental Assessments must become standard practice to ensure all major projects align with conservation priorities. Vision 2040 already recognises tourism and natural resources as key drivers of inclusive growth; protecting them is an economic and national security imperative.

Balancing development and conservation is not UWA’s job alone. It demands collaboration across government, the private sector, civil society, and communities. Every new road, oil well, or estate must be designed with environmental consciousness, recognising that today’s choices will echo through generations.

The private sector can lead by investing in green practices, supporting conservation partnerships, and promoting sustainable tourism. Communities must act as stewards of nearby resources, while policymakers must uphold the principle that no economic gain justifies the loss of irreplaceable biodiversity.

Uganda’s progress will not be measured only by roads built or factories opened, but by forests restored, species protected, and ecosystems sustained. Development and conservation are two sides of the same coin—each incomplete without the other.

If we achieve harmony between the two, Uganda will not just grow but thrive, becoming a model for Africa on how to build prosperity without losing the soul of its natural heritage. That is our next great test and one we cannot afford to fail.

The writer is Asst. Commissioner – Communications, Uganda Wildlife Authority