Bridging the Gap: How the PARKS Project in Uganda Empowers Local Communities While Protecting Biodiversity

Conservation initiatives, such as establishing national parks and protected areas, are vital in our fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. But, too often, the human impact of these initiatives is overlooked. 

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Conservation is frequently viewed as a purely environmental issue, sidelining the precarity of the communities living in and around protected areas. 

In Uganda, Kibale National Park is a prime example of how well-intentioned conservation measures can clash with the needs of local communities. Living in extreme poverty and struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis, these communities are now finding that their livelihoods, whether it is farming practices that damage the environment or relying on illegal poaching and lumbering, are under threat. 

While conservation projects are focused on protecting biodiversity and animal populations, they are inadvertently taking away families’ income sources and putting their lives in danger. The contrast is striking. For conservation to truly succeed, we can’t take away people’s ability to earn a living, especially for the most vulnerable populations living in extreme poverty. 

One effective solution to this challenge is the poverty graduation model. This is a multidimensional and holistic approach that promotes economic opportunities, social inclusion, and propels communities towards sustainable livelihoods. 

This model equips people to break the cycle of extreme poverty, providing them with lifelong business skills and paving the way for lasting change. 

Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park is an impressive swathe of western Uganda, home to around 170,00 people, who live alongside 1,500 chimpanzees and 351 different species of trees. Critically, it boasts the largest population of endangered chimpanzees in the world. Famous for its outstanding beauty, the park is also home to the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa. 

However, over the past three decades, deforestation and overuse have devastated the park’s biodiversity. For nearby communities, the abundance of natural resources have become essential lifelines.

Climate-smart, Localized Solutions 

Poverty alleviation NGO Village Enterprise has partnered with the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project, with funding from the Arcus Foundation, to spearhead projects that unite people and planet. 

The project, called PARKS, offers local communities in Kibale National Park the opportunity to receive Village Enterprise’s flagship enterprise training, seed capital grant and business mentorship, enabling them to form climate-smart and resilient business groups. 

So far, 3,823 entrepreneurs have launched 1,077 conservation-friendly microenterprises, from retail and grocery shops to agribusinesses, animal husbandry, and beekeeping. These businesses now support over 20,000 people living in the park. 

The program has two other key components: the creation of business savings groups and conservation champions. Savings groups are crucial for the success of the model, as, by pooling capital together,  they offer entrepreneurs a financial safety net as they develop their business. Each savings group also has a designated conservation champion. This person ensures that all of the newly launched businesses comply with eco-friendly practices.

By providing individuals with business training, the program offers them a sustainable alternative to generate income, increase their savings, and eliminate their reliance on illegal hunting or deforestation. Village Enterprise has been evaluated in two independent, high quality studies and is proven to significantly increase consumption, assets, income, savings, net wealth, nutrition, and food security for the most vulnerable populations living in extreme poverty. 

The launch of over a thousand new microenterprises via the program has led to a sharp decline in hunting and habitat destruction in the park. In its next phase, the program will train an additional 1,890 local community members. 

Scalable Solution

What is perhaps most exciting about the PARKS project is its scalability. This initiative has the potential to be replicated across national parks and rural communities in Africa and anywhere in the world where the priorities for people and planet are clashing. 

Empowering local communities is key to long-term sustainability, poverty alleviation, and ecosystem protection. Projects like PARKS give people the opportunity to build sustainable livelihoods, and by equipping them with climate-smart business education, they are less dependent on illegal activities that are environmentally destructive. This has the potential to be a path forward to safeguard nature, protect endangered species, and end extreme poverty. 

We need more projects like PARKS that foster both conservation and the entrepreneurial spirit. Aligning entrepreneurship and conservation is fundamental to the success of both people and the planet. 

Featured image: Jjumba Martin.