The East African Community (EAC) relies greatly on the abundance and diversity of wildlife in the region. Wildlife is a major piece of the tourism industry, helping boost economic growth, supporting foreign exchange earnings and creating jobs.

Conversely, wildlife conservation largely depends on tourism revenue. Yet travel restrictions and other measures that have been put in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a loss of this money, with far-reaching implications for wildlife conservation in East Africa.

On June 23 we hosted representatives from the EAC along with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for a discussion about the impact of COVID-19 on wildlife conservation in the region and plausible recovery measures for the region’s tourism and wildlife sectors. You can watch a full recording of the webinar below.

Guest speakers

• Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, Deputy Secretary-General Productive and Social Sectors, East African Community (EAC)
• Brig. (Rtd.) John Waweru, Director General Kenya Wildlife Service, Republic of Kenya
• Hatungimana Jean Berchmans, Head Of Wildlife Management Authority (OBPE), Republic of Burundi
• Eugene Mutangana, Conservation Management Expert Rwanda Development Board, Republic of Rwanda
• Sam Mwandha, Executive Director Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Republic of Uganda
• Aurelia Micko, Environment Office Director, USAID/KEA
• Luther Bois Anukur, the Regional Director Eastern and Southern Africa, IUCN

Presentations

• The East African Community (Hon. Christophe Bazivamo)
• Kenya Wildlife Service (Brig. (Rtd.) John Waweru)
• Uganda Wildlife Authority (Sam Mwandha)
• Rwanda Development Board (Eugene Mutangana)

Banner image: A four-wheel drive drives past wildebeest in the Masai Mara wildlife reserve in Kenya / Credit: David Clode on Unsplash