Uganda's Biodiversity

Uganda is home to nearly 19,000 species of flora and fauna. This includes around 380 species of mammals, over 1,000 species of birds, and a significant number of reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Uganda, like the rest of the world, celebrates the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) on May 22nd to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and the need for its conservation, commemorating the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992. 

The theme of the International Day for Biodiversity 2025 is "Harmony with nature and sustainable development" underscores conservation efforts, recognizing the economic benefits of biodiversity and the importance of protecting it.

National Guidelines for Biodiversity and Social Offsets

In a bid to ensure that development projects do not adversely affect biodiversity which is critical for peoples’ wellbeing and livelihoods, the Government of Uganda has put in place policies and legal frameworks aimed at adopting and implementing international best practices and standards that ensure No Net Loss (NNL) and preferably a net gain of biodiversity and related social benefits. To this end, the National Environment Act 2019 requires developers of projects for which Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) or environmental risk assessment is required, to apply the mitigation hierarchy principles including biodiversity offsets as appropriate. The Act also mandates the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to issue guidelines for biodiversity or other offsets, based on best practices. It is in this context that these Guidelines have been developed. They provide guidance to project developers, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders on different aspects concerning biodiversity offsets to ensure mitigation of residual impacts and achieve measurable conservation outcomes. To be uploaded soon...