Learning Across Borders: Uganda and Tanzania Strengthen Wildlife Conservation Partnership

Wildlife does not respect borders. Neither does knowledge. In April 2026, a delegation of senior Ugandan government officials traveled to Tanzania to exchange lessons, share experiences, and deepen a cross-border wildlife conservation partnership that both countries are committed to sustaining long into the future.

The visit was supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by the World Bank Group under the Global Wildlife Program (GWP) Twinning Initiative, which pairs GEF-funded projects across countries to accelerate peer-to-peer learning and strengthen collective impact. This exchange brought together Uganda's GEF-8 Kidepo Landscape Integrated Conservation and Development Project (KLICDP) and Tanzania's GEF-6 project on Combating Poaching and the Illegal Wildlife Trade through an integrated approach (IWT) . Tanzania's project is in its final phase and has accumulated years of experience in community-based conservation and coordinated law enforcement. Uganda's KLICDP is just getting started and was eager to learn from a country that had already navigated many of the same challenges.

The exchange was two-way by design. Tanzania, in turn, gained new perspectives from Uganda's successful model of nature-based tourism revenue sharing with communities, including its globally recognised Gorilla and Chimpanzee tourism.

Seeing Conservation in Action

From April 19 to 25, 2026, the Ugandan delegation, led by Permanent Secretary Ms. Doreen Katusiime of the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, traveled from Uganda to Dodoma and Arusha for a week of field visits, institutional meetings, and open dialogue with Tanzania's project team and government counterparts.

The teams visited communities in Itigi, where beekeeping associations demonstrated how nature-based livelihoods create real economic alternatives to poaching. At Randilen Wildlife Management Area, they explored how communities are empowered to manage and benefit directly from wildlife. A visit to Manyara National Park brought to life Tanzania's coordinated approach to combating poaching, one that brings together government agencies, law enforcement, and international partners working in close collaboration. The week also included visits to Tanzania's national wildlife research institute and park management institutions, with rich discussions on digital tools for wildlife crime monitoring and data sharing across borders. The visit was concluded at the famous Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a world heritage site and a cradle of man kind

What Each Country Is Taking Forward

Uganda returned with concrete plans. The team is looking to adopt digital wildlife crime monitoring tools, develop community livelihood programs including beekeeping in the Kidepo landscape, and strengthen inter-agency coordination for anti-poaching efforts. Both teams also identified nature-based revenue opportunities, including carbon trade initiatives and canopy walks, as areas for further exploration.

For Tanzania, the exchange brought fresh thinking on tourism revenue sharing as a long-term conservation incentive, and renewed momentum around formalising transboundary cooperation with Uganda, particularly around shared ecosystems along the Kagera river.

An Agreement in the Making

Perhaps the most significant outcome of the exchange was the commitment by both governments to work toward a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on combating illegal wildlife trade and managing transboundary landscapes. Building on the foundation of the 2014 Arusha Declaration, the MoU is expected to be finalised by June 2026 and will provide a lasting framework for cross-border cooperation between the two countries.