By THE INDEPENDENT UG
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | While technology is playing a pivotal role in the conservation of endangered wildlife species globally, Ugandan rangers seem reluctant or uninterested in acquiring these skills. The lack of support from some development partners to fund technology-led initiatives further compounds the issue.
This concern has been raised by Sam Mwandha, the Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and other conservationists as Uganda prepares to celebrate World Wildlife Day. The theme for 2024 is “Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation,” emphasizing the crucial role of digital innovation in wildlife conservation efforts.
Mwandha informed journalists in Kampala that despite technology becoming an integral part of conservation efforts, park workers’ reluctance to use and deploy these tools is hindering their adoption. While the Authority invests significantly in training personnel to operate these technologies, many rangers reportedly use them for just a couple of days until higher authorities follow up on the results.
In addition to the lack of interest, Mwandha highlighted that the technologies are expensive to purchase and maintain due to frequent upgrades. The absence of a unified system for multiple results further complicates matters, with each unit serving a different purpose, necessitating additional expenses for purchasing upgrading licenses and retraining staff.
Digital technologies are globally integrated into wildlife conservation and trade efforts. As the human population increases, human-wildlife conflicts are expected to rise, making technology a cost-effective option for monitoring conservation areas. Daniel Ndhizikiwe, the manager for protected areas and conservation at the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), stressed the need to adopt modern technology for Uganda to achieve its conservation goals.
Ndhizikiwe also pointed out that the lack of coordination within civil society contributes to the duplication of technologies being used. Nature Uganda’s Executive Director, Achilles Byaruhanga, acknowledged challenges in the digital approach to wildlife conservation but emphasized the necessity of continuing to deploy these technologies for effective monitoring of protected areas and wildlife.
According to Byaruhanga, in the current era, using digital technology is not a luxury but a mandatory requirement to address problems that humans alone cannot handle.
World Wildlife Day 2024 will be held in Kabarole under a global theme, aiming to raise awareness about the latest applications of digital technologies in wildlife conservation and trade, and their impact on ecosystems and communities worldwide. The celebrations will explore digital innovation and how these technologies can drive wildlife conservation and human-wildlife coexistence.
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