Paul Hatanga
Examining effects of road construction on ecosystem services in Murchison Falls Conservation Area, Uganda
Fellowship Year:
2019
Degree:
MEM
Research Country:
Uganda
Research Continent:
Africa
Partner Organizations:
The Willdlife Conservation Society
Fields of Interest:
Ecosystems services, road construction in protected areas
Abstract:
The primary objective of my research is to assess the effect of road construction on ecosystem services important for local communities in Murchison-Semliki Landscape, Western Uganda. Many developing countries are investing in large infrastructure projects to spur economic growth. In Uganda, a new and ambitious road infrastructure development program may disrupt ecological functioning of critical ecosystems and the supply of ecosystem services to local communities. Whereas a wide range of studies have assessed long term impacts of road infrastructure development on ecosystems in different contexts, limited information is available on environmental effects to local communities during the construction phase, and how environmental management systems are established and implemented to mitigate these effects. My research seeks to answer two key questions: 1). What environmental effects to local communities attribute to road construction and how are they spatially distributed?; 2. What mechanisms exist among stakeholders to monitor, report and mitigate these effects?
