Ringer, Greg

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Greg Ringer, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor

International Studies Program

University of Oregon

Eugene, OR 97403 USA

tel: +1 541 346-5051
fax: +1 541 346-5041

email: gringer@uoregon.edu

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Open Access
Sustainable communities & ecotourism in Uganda: the Katonga Wetlands Conservation Project
(1998-06) Ringer, Greg
Perhaps more than any other region of the world, Africa’s dependence on natural resources makes it especially vulnerable to environmental change. To confront the growing social and natural problems, many sub-Saharan countries are now turning to ecotourism, with governments and residents alike attracted by suggestions that ecotourism can simultaneously sustain communities and the natural environments which surround them. Indeed, the success of nature-based tourism in Uganda — now the fastest growing sector in the country — makes clear its potential for economic development. Such windfalls do not come without social costs, however, and the manner in which ecotourism develops directly affects the sustainability of local areas. Yet, tourism proponents throughout East Africa continue to stress upscale facilities and the desires of affluent international visitors over the quality of choice afforded indigenous people in conserving their natural heritage and traditional practices. The challenges and opportunities of such an approach are highlighted in this examination of sustainable tourism and wildlife protection in Uganda's newest protected area and former game preserve, Katonga.