The effects of covid 19 on biodiversity in Kikube- Uganda has been managed through our grant of Darwin Rapid response grant.

Through this grant, we realised that the effects of covid 19 on biodiversity can be managed through; create more awareness about the spread of the virus geared to encourage farmers living along the chimp corridors of unprotected areas in Western Uganda.

The project had 3 key areas of focus which include:

COVID-19 pandemic on farmer livelihood around Bugoma Forest Landscape.

To curb the negative effects of covid 19 on biodiversity through humans. During this project, we engaged public health, social-economic, and biodiversity Experts.

They conducted action-based research/surveys that informed the Chimpanzee Trust and future conservation projects in the landscape to prepare and incorporate possible pandemic/epidemic effects to conservation projects.

Rapid awareness-raising aligned to conservation and zoonotic disease transfer especially COVID-viruses to minimize spread in communities and transmission to wild chimpanzee populations in the Bugoma Forest Landscape.

The project prepared radio messages for DJ mentions and Radio announcements that are continuously run on Spice radios in Hoima which is listened to by many.

The project further contributed to the change in the cropping regime by providing farming inputs to 320 farmers.

We provided different farmers with three types of seedlings that are Irish potatoes and onions. Out of those, 250 farmers were provided with Irish potato seed and 70 farmers with onion seed.

The farmers who received Irish potato seed each planted half an acre totalling 125 acres grown while the Onion farmers planted half an acre totalling 35 acres of onions grown.

This project was completed in April 2021 thanks to the UK-aid with its donors for the support given to the valuable communities.