Environmental Governance and Partnership

The NEA, Cap 181 mandates NEMA to coordinate activities of all lead agencies relating to environmental management. The Act also mandates the lead agencies to plan, regulate and manage the segment of the environment within their jurisdiction. NEMA has established strategic national and international partnerships for sound environmental management. The Authority has coordinated and strengthened capacity of lead agencies to deliver their mandate related to environmental management and enhanced environmental information generation and reporting by lead agencies and other partners.

Coordination of Lead Agencies

The NEMA lead agency coordination is premised on the NEA, Cap 181 and 2021/25 strategic plan. The coordination and integration strategy aims at enhancing participation of lead agencies with respect to implementation and compliance to their environment management mandate. The Authority has recruited Lead Agency Coordinators to advance coordination activities of Lead Agencies.

The Authority continues to strategically coordinate and enhance the capacity of Lead Agencies to support compliance monitoring of environment management in the country. For example, during the reporting period, the Authority trained technical officials from 11 district LGs and nine cities and urban authorities on the process of developing state of the environment reports for districts. Several meetings were also held with Lead Agencies and to review the status of environment management and issues of non-environment protection compliance in the country.

Activities that build/strengthen the capacity of lead agencies to perform their environment management mandates, coordinate and implement Multi-Lateral Environment Agreements, UN processes and other partnerships and carry out regulation, coordination, monitoring and collaboration with the private sector, social sectors, and civil society organizations in ENR management.

In the financial years 79 district local government officials were trained in environment legal frameworks to strengthen their capacity on scope of key laws, policies, and regulations on environment in Uganda. Environment officers from 11 cities and urban authorities were trained on the process of developing City State of the Environment. The Authority also trained 45 (nine females and 36 males) district natural resource officers, district environment officers, and district physical planners within Lango sub-region ((Alebtong; Amolatar; Apac; Dokolo; Kole; Kwania; Lira; Otuke; Oyam; Lira City) in mitigation hierarchy and biodiversity offsets. The training was funded by WCS under the COMBO+ biodiversity project.

The Authority developed the Lead Agency and Non-State Coordination Strategy for the period 2025-2029. The process of developing this strategy involved consultations from lead agencies and non-state actors, that is, NGOs and the private sector. The strategy is expected to guide coordination and management of environmental activities in the country.

Meetings and Engagements with Lead Agencies and Other Stakeholders

The Authority participated in a number of meetings and engagements with lead agencies and non-state actors. This was done to ease coordination and monitoring of environmental activities in the country to improve environment protection and management. The engagements are listed below, among others:

1. Participated in a meeting with World Bank to assess the Ministry of Kampala City and Metropolitan Affairs’ readiness for implementation of the economic strategy infrastructure projects in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area; and to streamline environment and social component content in the Project Operational Manual (POM) and Project Appraisal Document (PAD).
2. Environmental Compliance monitoring of the GCF Water Retention, Fishponds, and Irrigation schemes in Western Uganda to identify areas of compliance and non-compliance to Environmental and Social safeguards and recommend possible mitigation measures.
3. A meeting with KCCA to guide on planned establishment of a temporary Busega-Katoogo Taxi Park off Mityana Road that is aimed at reducing traffic grid in Kampala City. NEMA was concerned about the sensitivity of the site, size of the land and the legal framework within which they intend to operate the taxi park given that the area is within a road reserve and wetland boundaries.
4. A stakeholder meeting on implementation of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) that brainstormed and agreed on areas for partnership in support of implementation of the KMGBF.
5. Capacity building and planning meeting for restoration of Nambigirwa Wetland System in Mpala, Katabi Town Council, and Wakiso District. Field reconnaissance inspections of the targeted area for restoration were conducted to evaluate the extent of degraded section of the wetland, recommendations were made including need to carry out further awareness meetings with the community and their leaders.
6. Kampala Industrial and Business Park Infrastructure Development Project stakeholder engagement to provide input in the development of critical infrastructure at the park in Namanve. The project infrastructure includes the construction of a road network and the provision the following: water supply system, sewerage network system, sewerage treatment plant, solid waste holding facility, fibre optic services and CCTV services, street lighting, and serviced sites for SME workspaces and other amenities such as the gym, common parking, and green zones.
7. Developed a concept on greening and clean-up of cities and selected peri-urban districts in preparation for AFCON 2027
8. Presented on status of biodiversity and its impacts on communities and opportunities it presents, during the launch of “Ekibira Kya Kabaka Initiative (EKKI)” at Bulange. Expected outcome is tree planting in 18 counties in Buganda Kingdom with focus on indigenous tree species.
9. COMBO biodiversity project launch, a project of the Inter Religious Council of Uganda that is aimed at reducing climate change vulnerability in Uganda. The project targets to plant 250 million trees by 2030, and it will be undertaken in Buganda and Busoga regions.
10. An interactive capacity building workshop for environment and bulungi bwansi leaders from all 18 counties within Buganda Kingdom at Bulange Mengo. The discussions focused on the critical role of land restoration in mitigating climate change impacts and enhancing environmental resilience. NEMA provided participants with insights into the importance of preserving natural landscapes and adopting sustainable land management practices to safeguard air quality and promote a healthier environment.

Multi-Lateral Environmental Agreements

Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) are international agreements that are intended to promote international cooperation to address global environmental challenges that today the world is facing such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and waste. Some of the MEAs that NEMA subscribes to include; Minamata Negotiations on Mercury, Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. In the financial year, NEMA received funds to implement these agreements under the following projects:

1. Ozone Project. The project is in line with the implementation of the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer and those that cause global warming. The project premises on creating capacity building of refrigeration and air conditioning technicians who are the main users of the controlled substances (inter alia, hydro chlorofluorocarbons/HCFCs, hydrofluorocarbons/HFCs, and chlorofluorocarbons/CFCs), capacity building of law enforcement officers and importers, among others. The project also looks at licensing of importers, among others. Some of the project achievements include.A total of 300 RAC technicians (260 males and 40 females) in good RAC practices around the country and 39 RAC technicians (36 males and three females) in safe handling of HFC/ HCFC alternatives were trained. Amelo Technical Institute and Kasese Youth Polytechnic were supported with state-of-the-art refrigeration and air conditioning training toolkits. A total of 12 freezers to help in the training of RAC technicians in line with adopting hydrocarbons (HCs) were purchased and 12 importers (10 males and two females) were trained in licensing and quota system under the Montreal Protocol. The technicians were also taken through the application process for authorization and the permitted quota for 2024, two importers submitted applications for authorization to import R-22 which is an HCFC. A study was also undertaken to establish the atmospheric concentration of substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol.
2. Pilot project on the management of single use plastics. NEMA received funding (USD8,000) from UNEP as the competent Authority for the Basel Convention to conduct a pilot project on management of single use plastics in the cities of Mbarara, Gulu, Mbale and the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. The single use plastics project is currently being conducted as a pilot project and will build on the existing studies conducted in the country. The project also has a provision for implementation of a pilot project on plastic management best practices in a community within Mbarara City. The objective of the pilot project is to generate information on best practices that can be adopted for the management of single use plastics, in particular polyethylene and PET and awareness raising materials for public education on options for management of single-use plastics in order to facilitate the desired behavioural change among communities.
3. Project for the review and update of the National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the Stockholm Convention. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS) seeks to protect human health and the environment from a group of chemicals known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Uganda assented to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutant (POPs) on 20^th July 2004 and, like all parties to the convention, Uganda was required to develop National Implementation Plan (NIP) describing how the country would meet its obligations set by the Convention. As such, Uganda developed the first NIP basing on the original 12 POPs and was transmitted to the Stockholm Convention Secretariat in January 2009. As a requirement of the convention and in line with the convention obligations, a review and update of the NIP was conducted, and a report submitted to the secretariat in 2015. The review and update of the NIP is dependent on the chemicals that have been listed or banned during the conference of parties which members should accordingly take on/adopt.It is against this background that Uganda obtained funding of USD297,000 to participate in the third global project to review and update the national implementation plan for the Stockholm Convention after four new chemicals were added on the list for restricted use and banning. The outcome of the review shall form the 3^rd NIP report that shall be submitted to the Stokholm Secretariat and form a basis for the Conference of Parties meetings and discussions and decisions in 2025.
4. Capacity Building and Regional Cooperation for Detection, Prevention and Management of Transboundary Zoonotic Diseases at the Human-Wildlife-Livestock Interface across Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan. The project was supported by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity through Bio-Bridge Initiative (BBI). The project was jointly implemented by Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda and Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). The goal of the project was to foster long-term cooperation between Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan in the detection, prevention, and management of transboundary zoonotic diseases at the human-wildlife-livestock interface. This goal was realised, in part, through catalytic funding support provided to Government of Uganda through NEMA from the Secretariat to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Bio-Bridge Initiative (BBI) and through project activities. Other Biodiversity projects include:
   • Early Action Project on alignment of NBSAP to the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Minamata project
   • Biodiversity Finance Initiative II (BIOFIN II) that includes PES (Payment for Ecosystem Services)
   • COMBO+ (Conservation, Mitigation of Impacts & Biodiversity Offsets)

Projects Funded by Development Partners.

In the financial year, NEMA received funds from other development partners to implement projects that contribute to its mandate. The funds received from the Government are inadequate and cannot, therefore, sufficiently support Authority functions and operations. Besides funds from UN conventions, NEMA implements other projects funded by other development partners. The project includes:

1. Promoting integrated landscape management approach for conservation of the Mount Elgon ecosystem in Eastern Uganda
2. Institutional Capacity Strengthening for Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing in Uganda
3. Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action on Integrated Waste Management and Biogas Production project in Uganda (NEMA Waste to Biogas Project)

Promoting Integrated Landscape Management Approach for Conservation of Mount Elgon Ecosystem in Eastern Uganda (Mt Elgon Project)

The project is funded by the GEF and UN Environment with a budget of USD9,433,027 for a period of five years from September 2022 to December 2027. The project aims to enhance conservation of ecosystems crucial for rural livelihoods and food security in the Mt. Elgon landscape. The project is implemented by NEMA in collaboration with national and district-level partners, the project seeks to transition the Mt. Elgon landscape into a sustainable, biodiverse, climate-resilient, and integrated landscape with efficient coffee and staple crop value and supply chains. Among the 11 partners implementing the project include; MWE, MAAIF, IUCN, NFA, UCDA, ICRAF, and Bugisu Cooperative Union.

The project is in its early stages of implementation; however, it has made significant progress. The project was successfully launched on May 22, 2024 in Kapchorwa where a number of activities were carried out including restoration of River Kaptokwoi in Kapchorwa District and River Sironko in Sironko District, institutional greening of headquarters and Elgon Primary School (1,000 Bamboo trees and 1,295 different tree species were planted for greening), and distributed seedlings to farmers.

Institutional Capacity Strengthening for Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing in Uganda (ABS)

The project is financed by Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to a tune of USD2,560,842 for a period of four years, that is, Jan 2021 to June 2025. The project aim is to conserve Uganda’s genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge and ensuring equitable and sustainable access and benefit sharing. The project is implemented with partners including Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, Uganda Wildlife Authority, National Forestry Authority, and others.

The project has achieved numerous milestones including; creating awareness through radio talk shows, formulating ABS Policy and Regulations, developing ABS training manual and toolkit, Establishing a National ABS Committee, Developing research protocols, conducting ethnobotanical baseline surveys, mobilizing and sensitizing local authorities and communities, reviewing Collaborative Management Agreements, developing digital data collection tools, establishing sandalwood tree nurseries, conducting surveys, establishing institutional ABS Committees, developing guidelines, integrating multilateral systems, evaluating consultancies, preparing annual work plans and budgets, and presenting technical and financial reports to the Project Steering Committee, all contributing to the effective implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing in Uganda.

Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action on Integrated Waste Management and Biogas Production project in Uganda (NEMA Waste to Biogas Project)

NEMA in partnership with Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development with support from the United National Development Program (UNDP) and funding from the GEF have been implementing the “Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action on Integrated Waste Management and Biogas Production project in Uganda. This is a five-year project which commenced in September 2018. The project received a no cost six-month extension up to 31^st March 2024. The overall objective of the project is to improve waste management practices in cities/municipalities through the introduction of integrated waste management, and deployment of biogas energy systems based on organic fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW), agro-processing waste (combined with municipal solid wastes), sewage sludge and wastewater for biogas energy generation in Uganda. The project is implemented through a multi-stakeholder partnership involving institutions with a lead role in waste management including, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, local governments, civil society, and the academia.

The project has supported awareness raising amongst cities/municipalities and other waste sector stakeholders (93 people) in waste management hierarchy/flow surveys, waste management planning, technology options, attracting investment, and participatory approaches, supported training of promoters (technical officers, civil society organisations and practitioners in waste management including private sector players (135 people) involved in waste management value chain in integrated waste management and source separation for the cities/urban authorities of Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (KCCA, Mukono, Wakiso), Jinja, Mbale, Masaka and Mbarara and development of a user’s manual for separation of the organic component of waste streams.

The Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action on Integrated Waste Management and Biogas Production project has help improve waste management in the project towns in these various forms; supported training of promoters (technical officers, civil society organisations and practitioners) in waste management, supported the development of gender responsive waste management plans, strategies and ordinances, supported awareness raising amongst cities/municipalities and other waste sector stakeholders and developed a user’s manual for separation of the organic component of waste streams, and supported KCCA, Jinja City and Mukono Municipal Council each with an organic compost sorting machine.

In the FY2023/2024, NEMA participated in a number of Multi-Lateral Environmental Agreements, among which include;

1. Engagement meetings for Montevideo Steering Committee meeting on periodic review of implementation and enforcement of environmental laws.
2. AFRICA Group of Negotiators Meetings in preparation for INC-3 on Plastics.
3. LDC strategy meeting in preparation of the SBs 60 in Bonn, Germany.
4. G77 Strategy meeting to harness coordination of thematic groups. (note that Uganda is Chair for G.77)
5. stakeholder consultative meeting in Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania to discuss restoration of Lake Victoria
6. 7thGlobal Policy Forum on Natural Capital in Kigali, Rwanda. The forum focused on implementation of the global biodiversity framework: leveraging natural capital data, accounting, and analysis to inform decision making.
7. UNEA-6 meeting at UNEP in Nairobi. The meeting focus on management of the triple planetary crisis – pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss.
8. A workshop on enhancing packaging and handling for the fruits and vegetable exporters at the Factory organised by East African Packaging Limited
9. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission on the draft spent fuel and radioactive waste management strategy for Uganda organised by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, department of nuclear energy.
10. Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 25).
11. COP5 Minamata, Geneva, Switzerland from 30^th October 2023 to 3^rd November 2023.

High Level Policy Engagement on Environment Management and Sustainability in Busoga and Kigezi Sub-Regions

Uganda’s wetland systems face severe threats from encroachment and unsustainable development practices. The country has lost 30% of its wetlands in the past 25 years, with significant losses in Bukedi, Kigezi, and Busoga sub-regions. This degradation has led to deteriorating water quality, and loss of biodiversity. Despite efforts to address this issue, including Presidential Directives and conservation initiatives, wetland encroachment persists. Evicted encroachers often return, undermining conservation efforts. This ongoing degradation threatens ecological balance and community livelihoods.  It is with this background that NEMA, OWC, and UNDP organised a high-level stakeholder engagement to engage the Kigezi and Busoga communities in implementing the Presidential Directives on environment and livelihood enhancement to promote sustainable livelihoods and environmental conservation.

NEMA in collaboration with the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), therefore, conducted a High Level Policy Engagement on Environment management and sustainability in the two sub-regions with a theme of “Promoting Sustainable Livelihood Programmes and Protection of the Environment in the Regions” and the purpose of the engagement was to generate policy ideas that will shape the role of OWC in scaling up livelihood programmes and guide NEMA operations towards effective use of the environment and natural resources. The primary objective to create awareness on the President’s Directive on sustainable use and management of wetlands, identify alternative sources of livelihood for the communities living around wetlands and consultatively determine a multi-sectoral approach for sustainable wealth creation. Key issues and recommendation discussed are outlined in the tables below;

Issues in Kigezi Sub-Region

Issue	Proposed Solution
Relocation from wetlands	Compensation where applicable and support to wetland-dependent communities
Wetland degradation due to population pressure, extensive agriculture and use of substandard agro chemicals in wetlands	Alternative sources of livelihoods like Apiary, fish farming, sweet potatoes, Hot chilis, fresh fruits, coffee and vegetables Promotion of irrigation schemes and quality assurance of agrochemicals
Food insecurity leading to malnutrition and dietary disease burden	Promotion of food security programmes including proper feeding initiatives
Lack of community participation in government programmes due to poor coordination and supervision by different stakeholders	Foster community participatory approaches in government programmes.
Siltation of water sources leading to lack of clean and safe drinking water and water for production	Conservation of water catchment areas through afforestation, good farming practices like terraces and mulches

Issues in Busoga Sub-Region

Issue	Recommendations
The escalating cultivation of rice in wetlands	Perform a cost-benefit analysis. Offer sustainable alternatives, such as cultivating Hass avocado, to support local communities. Gather data on rice growers and provide compensation to those impacted in wetlands. Relocate from wetlands and transition to commercial farming on uplands
The extensive cultivation of sugarcane on seasonal swamps, facilitated by numerous government-licensed sugarcane factories such as Kakira Sugar Factory, raises concerns about wetland preservation in Busoga.	NEMA to cease issuing licenses to individuals in wetlands. Discontinue the granting of licences by NEMA for wetland development in any part of the country
Encroachment of wetlands exacerbated by the pressures of high population density, which compel people to seek settlement in the fragile ecosystems.	Engage in consultations with residents of those areas. Compile comprehensive statistics of all Basoga for effective planning. Promote birth control methods in Busoga region
Land fragmentation; division of large land parcels into smaller, often irregularly shaped pieces leading to reduced biodiversity	Raise awareness about the hazards of high population density
Authorising factories using wood as an energy source through licensing	Implement stricter regulations: Enforce stringent environmental standards for factories utilising wood energy, ensuring sustainable sourcing and emission controls. Promote renewable alternatives: Encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, or biomass that have lower environmental impacts compared to wood.
Unfulfilled presidential promises	Hold government representatives accountable for ensuring the fulfilment of pledges made to the region, with clear consequences for failure to deliver
Lack of alternative crop options tailored to the Busoga sub-region	Embrace emerging crops such as Hass avocado, which offer strong market potential, alongside dairy farming. Explore alternative crops such as cocoa, maize, and coffee for diversified agricultural production. Establish stock farms limiting agricultural diversification and economic opportunities. Need for alternative livelihoods and agricultural practices to enhance resilience and reduce poverty
Aquaculture operations established in swamplands.	Implement pond-based fish farming by digging ponds, offering training support, and subsidizing inputs. Create market for catfish as a viable alternative to tilapia and Nile perch
Substantial quantity of inadequately constructed pit latrines	Establish a fish factory in the region. Replace pit latrines in the region with eco-latrines to ensure the harvest of high-quality fish
Lack of coordination between government MDAs impacting efficiency and effectiveness of initiatives	Enhance coordination among government MDAs to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of initiatives
Top-down approach of programs leading to disconnect between policy implementation and grassroots needs	Implement a bottom-up approach in program design and implementation to ensure alignment with grassroots needs and priorities
Operation of MDAs in silos hindering holistic approaches to addressing environmental and social challenges	Foster collaboration and integration among MDAs to facilitate holistic approaches for addressing environmental and social challenges
High fees charged on education limiting access and opportunities for youth	Implement policies to reduce education fees, thereby increasing accessibility and opportunities for youth.
Inadequate skills among the youth affecting employability and capacity for sustainable development	Enhance skill development programs for youth to improve employability and foster sustainable development. Establish a skills hub in the region
Lack of industrial parks in the region compared to other regions	Establish industrial parks within the Busoga region. Include plans for the establishment of parks in district budgets
Non-functional infrastructure and/or power hindering development	Improve infrastructure and power reliability to stimulate development and economic growth
Poor social amenities affecting quality of life.	Enhance social amenities to enhance the quality of life for residents.
Poverty in the Busoga region contributing to socioeconomic challenges	Implement poverty alleviation initiatives in the Busoga region to address socioeconomic challenges and promote inclusive development like fish farming in ponds, growing of upland rice

Partnerships

NEMA has leveraged on partnerships to enhance its institutional capacity to deliver its mandate. Strong partnerships with an emphasis on collaboration can go a long way in helping the Authority to strengthen its capacity to carry out monitoring and coordination of compliance of environment management. The Authority has signed MOUs with government MDAs, the private sector, academic institutions and non-governmental organisations. These MOUs are intended to improve environmental management in the country.

Partners	Purpose of MOU
Private Sector Foundation of Uganda	The purpose of the MoU is to establish a cooperation anchored on the development of entrepreneurial skills and the provision of knowledge on environment management for the GROW Project beneficiaries as a means to facilitate sustainable business production.
Chimpanzee Sanctuary	The MoU is aimed at realising a partnership in areas of biodiversity conservation of endangered species like the chimpanzees in a captive environment, survival of other populations in the wild and sustainable resource use.
The Climate Change Research Consortium at Mbarara University of Science and Technology	A partnership for implementation of activities for the UNEP project on institutional capacity strengthening for implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing in Uganda.
Busitema University	This collaboration is anchored on a collaboration to raise environmental literacy and capacity building.
National Housing and Construction Company Limited	The collaboration is to effect the design and construction of the headquarters and regional offices for NEMA that are to be located in: North-West (Arua), North (Gulu), South-West (Mbarara), West (Hoima), East (Mbale), and Central Region.
Ministry of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs	The purpose of the collaboration is for NEMA to obtain funding under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP)
UPPC	The purpose of the collaboration is the provision and receipt of printing services for Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials produced by NEMA
Gulu University	This partnership is anchored on a collaboration to raise environmental literacy and capacity building.
Uganda Biodiversity Trust Fund	The purpose of this MoU is to achieve environment management and biodiversity conservation through resource mobilisation, creating awareness, sharing expertise, developing policies, planning, coordination, and implementation of such policies.

Biodiversity Conservation Activities

NEMA on behalf of Government of Uganda received funding from GEF through UNEP to align the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) II to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). KMGBF was adopted during the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Framework aims to catalyse, enable and galvanise urgent and transformative action by governments, and subnational and local authorities, with the involvement of all of society, to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

The key initial project output is a report on alignment gaps of NBSAPII to the Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework. The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on behalf of Government of Uganda is also implementing a project on “Building Transformative Policy and Financing Frameworks to Increase Investment in Biodiversity Management (BIOFIN)-Phase II’ in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The BIOFIN-Phase II project is being funded by the Government of Germany and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). The BIOFIN-Phase II project aims at addressing national biodiversity finance challenges and enabling government increase investment in sustainable and equitable management, protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems. Achieving the project aim will among others, require effective engagement of the BIOFIN-Phase II Technical Steering Committee in decision making and project implementation.

Achievements of Biodiversity Projects

1. Reviewed Biodiversity related Environment and Social Impact Assessments, Environment Audits, Terms of References, Biodiversity assessment reports, action plans and strategies and supported restoration plans. Co-reviewed conditions of approval for the Environmental and Social Impact Statement for the proposed gazetting of Kafuga Pocket Forest into a local forest reserve located in Nombe Ward, Rubuguri Town Council, Bufumbira County, Kisoro District (EIS11621, PB4948, PB4938, EIS11511, EIS11586, and EIS11540)
2. Reviewed UNEP/GEF concept on ‘Tackling the global environmental triple threat: Climate change, mercury pollution and biodiversity loss in the context of rangeland restoration and artisanal and small-scale gold mining in East Africa.
3. Reviewed National Biodiversity Strategy and aligned it to the agricultural related targets and goals of the KMGBF. The review was done through several meetings that were attended by technocrats from government MDAs, CSOs, NGOs and academia. The different meetings were attended by 138 participants (25 females and 113 males).
4. Developed Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) guidelines for Uganda. This was done by Biodiversity Technical Working Group (TWG) and representatives of MDAs, and development partners. The process was funded by GOU/UNDP under the BIOFIN II project.
5. Developed a biodiversity financing (BIOFIN II) plan aligned NBSAP.
6. Advised government on international and regional programmes, agreements and protocols on biodiversity, chemicals, and waste related commitments. For example, the Authority prepared a draft response for financial support for implementing Mubende Women Gold Miners Association sensitisation programme on mercury free gold mining.