Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda
The Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda is a non-governmental organization and non-profit organization established in Uganda in 1999. The organization focuses on conserving biological diversity and enhancing social welfare through sustainable environmental management practices. ECOTRUST works on a principle of delivering conservation funds and finances.
History
ECOTRUST was established in 1999 with the primary mission to address the nexus between biodiversity conservation and community welfare in Uganda. The organization works to combine conservation of natural resources with livelihoods improvement for local communities.Overview
Established in 1999, ECOTRUST operates national wide within Uganda with its concentration on three main landscapes with the country which are; Murchison-Semliki landscape in the Albertine region of South-Western Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park landscape and Mount Elgon Landscape in Eastern Uganda. All these are internationally recognized as biodiversity significance landscapes. These Landscapes are also zones for climate change induced disasters like floods, mud slides and changing weather patterns which cause frequent and unexpected droughts and prolonged rainy seasons.Mission and activities
The organization's core mission is to conserve biological diversity and enhance social welfare by promoting innovative and sustainable environmental management practices. ECOTRUST deploys conservation incentives in ways that enable the organization to consider investments that traditional conservation organizations cannot. The trust works with different communities and stakeholders across Uganda to conserve natural resources and biodiversity while supporting local livelihoods. The organization works nationwide within Uganda with concentration on three main landscapes: the Murchison-Semliki landscape in the Albertine region, Queen Elizabeth National Park landscape, and Mount Elgon landscape in Eastern Uganda.Partnerships
The World Land Trust is one of the funders of ECOTRUST which funded supported the establishment of a Corridor Restoration Fund.The United Nations Development Programme, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee and the Ministry of Water & Environment funded ECOTRUST under a project called Restoration of Wetlands and Associated Catchments Project in Eastern Uganda. This project was conducted in five districts that have direct access to Lake Kyoga; Butaleja, Budaka, Kibuku, Namutumba, and Kaliro. The organization is also featured on various conservation platforms and databases that track restoration efforts across Africa.