This edited volume is a fascinating, useful book as it combines a case study of conservation and development in Uganda with more theoretical and methodological perspectives. Uganda is biologically diverse and its protected areas support species such as the gorilla, chimpanzee and elephant. But at the same time its agricultural sector accounts for 25% of GDP and 70% of employment, with 75% of this production coming from small-scale or household farms. Thus, when animals such as elephants leave a park to eat a farmer's crops, there is conflict—a group of elephants can cause a great deal of damage in a short period of time. One reason this edited volume is of such interest is that Uganda has been a country where many of the different approaches to conservation and development have been tried, evaluated and contrasted, and there are many scholars who have written on conservation and development in the country. As a result, Uganda has an interesting story to tell and readers can glean many insights by reading this edited volume.
The book contains 13 chapters in five sections. The first section provides a historical perspective about the conflict between conservation and development and allows the reader to understand the context that rural people dealt with and thus why they take some of the perspectives they do. These reflections go back to 1896, during the colonial time, when the first laws relating to wildlife were passed, through the Idi Amin time with its civil war, to the present. For each time period the outcomes of the different management schemes on biodiversity and local livelihoods are presented.
The second section presents three ‘celebrity sites’ as case studies: Bwindi, Budongo, and Mount Elgon. These are very interesting descriptions as they provide insights into the nature of conflicts and how resolutions were attempted or achieved. It would have been nice to have chapters on some of the other important national parks, such as Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, and Murchison National Parks, as they have experienced different management approaches and resettlement programmes.
The third section takes more of a methodological perspective and examines various conservation and development tools that have been used over the years in Uganda. The first chapter of this section deals with carbon offset programmes in Uganda, which have taken on global significance. Since they were started in 1992 the efforts of the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Forests Absorbing Carbon Emissions Foundation to plant native trees have grown to the extent that Uganda's production accounts for the fourth largest market share of carbon credits globally. The next chapter deals with the tourism sector, which has also grown to be significant in Uganda, accounting for 9% (USD 2.2 billion) of the county's GDP, and that has focused on a successful gorilla ecotourism programme. The final chapter deals with the need to harmonize local cultural values with conservation and development—an issue that is often neglected and can lead to project failure.
The last section of the book deals with the interplay between the productive sectors of Uganda's economy and conservation and development, and begins with the agricultural sector, which experiences significant conflict with wildlife. The forestry sector is considered next. There has been a historically troublesome institutional arrangement leading to inefficiency in conservation and development programmes and poor management of nature reserves. There have been a number of international players over the years, including the USA, UK, Germany, and Norway, and the lack of coordination has caused disharmony. The last chapter deals with the relatively new oil industry, primarily in Murchison Falls National Park, and outlines conflicts among conservation groups, the state and the oil industry. It is estimated that Uganda has 6.5 billion barrels of oil in place and between 1.4 and 1.7 billion more barrels that could be recovered. With these sorts of reserves there are bound to be conflicts between the oil industry and conservation.
The book ends with a discussion of future research that should be a priority and future policy that would be useful to adopt. The topics in this section range from neglected communities, landscapes, and protected areas, interdiscipliarity and epistemological reflections, to hybrid knowledges and forms of science. These topics would be good for researchers, managers, and policy makers alike to evaluate in detail.
So who should read this book? Anyone who is engaged in conservation and development or interested in the varied tools this field uses will find the book to be of value. African scholars will find the book useful for understanding contemporary issues. The book would also be useful for classroom debate, as the case studies provide sufficient context to understand the setting and to delve into the issues involved.
