USAID/Uganda RFI/SSN - Healthy Ecosystems and Resilient Thriving Societies (HEARTS)

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Uganda is seeking interest and feedback from potential local and international sources that could potentially provide services for a new USAID Biodiversity Conservation Activity entitled “Healthy Ecosystems and Resilient Thriving Societies (HEARTS)”.

HEARTS Preliminary Purpose, Objectives, and Country Context:

● The preliminary purpose is to enhance biodiversity conservation in key priority areas while improving the prosperity and well-being of communities, for long-term environmental and economic sustainability.

● The preliminary objectives are to:

1. Consolidate and upscale viable conservation enterprises

2. Enhance coordination, policy and institutional capacity and partnerships

3. Promote sustainable practices in agriculture, wildlife, and forestry to balance human needs with the preservation of ecosystems,

4. Build appreciation of the value of biodiversity among stakeholders

About 85% of the Ugandan population are directly dependent on biodiversity for income, food, biomass fuel & pasture. However, there are various threats to the country’s biodiversity, including habitat loss leading to loss of species and ecosystems, increasing wildlife crime, retaliatory killings, poaching and illegal wildlife trade. Other challenges to biodiversity conservation include human-wildlife conflicts, gaps in wildlife and forest policies, limited private sector engagement and sustainability and scalability of green enterprises. Despite this, Uganda has made notable progress in protecting priority landscapes and improving livelihoods of people living adjacent to protected areas. HEARTS will seek to accelerate the progress made and ensure scalability, sustainability and impact.