UWA and WCS Sign 10-Year Conservation Deal for Uganda's Ishasha Sector
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have signed a 10-year Conservation Management Partnership (CMP) for the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth Protected Area. The agreement aims to strengthen conservation and management of the area through improved wildlife protection, habitat restoration, tourism development and measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict, while fully upholding UWA's statutory mandate and Uganda's sovereignty over the protected area.
A key priority of the partnership is the restoration of Ishasha's iconic tree-climbing lion population, which has declined sharply from an estimated 80 individuals in the 1970s to only a small number today. Where scientifically justified, carefully planned lion translocations may be undertaken in line with national laws and IUCN guidelines. The Ishasha Sector forms part of the Greater Virunga Landscape - one of Africa's most biodiverse transboundary ecosystems - connecting Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park and neighbouring forests with Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The partnership builds on more than five decades of collaboration between UWA and WCS.
