Pian Upe cannot depend indefinitely on philanthropic grants and donor support. The partnership is building revenue that lasts.
The co-management partnership is developing sustainable revenue streams, principally carbon finance and responsible tourism, that can contribute to reserve management costs over time, reducing reliance on grants and donations and putting the reserve's protection on a durable financial footing.
Protection that pays its own way is protection that survives.
Carbon finance
An agreement to develop a carbon sequestration project has been signed between the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Space for Giants. The project is being developed under the Verra Verified Carbon Standard, built principally on adaptive, community-led grazing that restores rangeland health, with reforestation adding further potential. It is designed to strengthen pastoral livelihoods even as it stores carbon.
The programme has not yet launched and is awaiting Ministry approval.
Responsible tourism
As wildlife populations recover and infrastructure improves, the reserve can attract visitors seeking an authentic, off-the-beaten-track East African wildlife experience.
Development is deliberate: real revenue for reserve management and tangible benefit for communities, without compromising the qualities that make Pian Upe special.
Progress toward sustainable finance is tracked through carbon readiness, tourism infrastructure, and the share of management costs covered by earned revenues rather than grants and donations. The 2030 target: 50% of operational costs covered by earned sustainable revenues.
What the finance protects
