Kyenjojo District will this year host the United Nations World Wildlife Day celebrations at National level on 3 rd March 2024. This was revealed by Hon. Tom Butiime, the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, while addressing a press conference at Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday.
Hon. Butiime said in a statement that; on 20th December 2013, the Sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the 3rd March of every year a World Wildlife Day to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the benefits of conservation to humanity.
“Uganda will, therefore, join the rest of the World to celebrate United Nations World Wildlife Day on the 3rd March 2024 in Kyenjojo District, where H.E President Yoweri Museveni will be the Chief Guest,” he said.
Minister Butime was accompanied at the press conference by officials from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Africa Tourism and Environment Initiatives among other Tourism Private Sector and Civil Society players.
“Uganda ranks among the top most biodiversity-rich countries globally. It is host to 53.9 percent of the World’s remaining population of Mountain gorillas, 11 percent of the World’s recorded species of birds, which is 50 percent of Africa’s bird species richness, 8 percent of the global mammal diversity, which is 39 percent of Africa’s mammal richness, 19 percent of Africa’s Amphibian species richness, 14 percent of Africa’s reptile species richness and 1,249 recorded species of butterflies,” Minister Butime further elaborated.
Hon. Butiime reiterated that; the Ministry of Tourism recognizs the relevance and importance of digital innovations in addressing the current wildlife conservation threats and challenges.
“Digital technology has significantly transformed traditional wildlife conservation strategies. While we cope with human-induced conservation challenges, digital innovations such as drones, satellite tracking, DNA barcoding, and social media have become critically relevant to the contemporary practice of wildlife conservation by improving our understanding of wildlife behavior, tracking illegal wildlife trade and trafficking, predicting biodiversity threats and informing effective conservation strategies,” he emphasized.
He said his Ministry will promote more investments and research into these digital approaches to ensure we secure a future where humans and wildlife thrive and live in harmony.
Mr. Sam Mwandha, the Executive Director, UWA, said the 2024 World Wildlife Day theme is: “Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation”. He said Digital innovations offer unique opportunities to redefine the connection between people and the planet.
“Exploiting the potential of technologies can lead our World to a sustainable future, establishing a harmonious relationship between the environment and its inhabitants,” he said.
Mr. Mwandha pointed out that; the 2024 World Wildlife Day celebrations will, therefore, focus on raising awareness about the application of digital technologies and interventions to promote wildlife conservation and management and sharing emerging positive impacts on ecosystems and livelihoods in Uganda.
“The celebrations will highlight new technological tools and related developments to complement Uganda’s efforts in safeguarding biodiversity and harnessing benefits from wild animals and plants. They will highlight key examples of digital innovations that have been used to enhance wildlife conservation efforts and, hence, could inspire practitioners to strengthen ongoing efforts to protect wildlife,” he added.
On Wildlife growth in the National Parks, Mr. Mwandha said between 1983 and 2021, buffalo increased from 25,000 to 44,163, elephants rose from 2000 to 7,975, and giraffes increased from 350 to 2,072.
“Similarly, the number of mountain gorillas has increased from 320 to 459 between 1999 and 2022. The Government has successfully reintroduced Rhinos in Uganda, which had gone extinct in the early 1980s,” he added.
Mr. James Musinguzi, UWEC Executive Director, said the 2024 International World Wildlife Day celebrations will target the youths and leverage partnerships with other key stakeholders like schools, communities, civil society organizations, and political leaders to disseminate information on the use of technology in wildlife conservation and the need for enhanced collaboration.
“The occasion presents an opportunity to share efforts being made by the Government to protect and replenish the Country’s fauna and flora for the benefit of Ugandans and the global community,” he said.
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