Visions on Mount Elgon

Project goal: Working with local populations to find ways to make a living without endangering Mount Elgon's ecosystem
Project size: There are more than 6,000 households around Mount Elgon. Some 600 have taken part in training
Project volume: Around 2.5 million euros ($2.8 million) in the framework of the International Climate Initiative and around 2 million euros ($2.3 million) from the Ugandan government
Special species: Lobelia elgonensis, a bellflower unique to Mount Elgon, as well as the black and white colobus monkey, whose fur is often a part of traditional costume.

Mount Elgon rises up 4,300 meters into Uganda's skies. The extinct volcano is the fourth-highest peak in East Africa; imposing not only in terms of height but also biodiversity. Still, numbers of elephants, leopards, buffalo, and large wild boar have dropped drastically in the past few years. Many indigenous birds are veterans on the endangered species list, as are some plants. Local communities living around the peak are behind the problems, mainly thanks to poaching, deforestation and water extraction. But now training is educating people on how to protect the ecosystem and still have enough firewood, farmland and food.

A report by Florian Nusch