Bzzzy Earnings – Promoting beekeeping in the Mount Rwenzori region

Summary

In 2010, the Rwenzori Mountain Development Association (REMODA) targeted communities around Mount Rwenzori in Kasese, western Uganda, with the intention to teach and train villagers, specifically women, in sustainable beekeeping as an alternative source of income.

In the surrounding areas of Mt. Rwenzori, the majority of the population relies on agriculture for their livelihoods. However, the area is prone to frequent flooding that affects crops and homes. In May and July 2021, for example, two consecutive floods affected communities in Kasese, displacing at least 1,000 people. In addition, warmer temperatures and erratic rainfall pose significant challenges for those households that rely solely on agriculture, especially when crop production is affected.

Diversification of household revenue sources is necessary for communities in and around Kasese to avoid unsustainable practices that have negative consequences for forest cover. In particular, it is very relevant for women, who usually bear the main burden of agricultural practices and cooking, which most of the time consumes fuelwood. Therefore, to empower communities and promote sustainable practices, women play a key role and need to be supported with income opportunities.

Activities of REMODA under this solution focused on training women in sustainable beekeeping and general environmental conservation, as well as in simple ways to build modern beehives and harvest honey without destroying the hives or bee colonies. Training was also delivered on where to successfully locate new hives – which depends on the accessibility of the terrain and the presence of forage nearby to attract wild bees. Hives can be located on fertile or non-fertile lands.

Overview

Location:

• Uganda

Implementation sites:

• Single country
• Single location

Mountain region:

• Mount Rwenzori

Province:

• Western Uganda

Site locations:

• Buhuhira and Bwesumbo Communities

Solution scale:

• Local

Ecosystem type(s):

• Forest
• Grassland

Solution type(s):

• Education and awareness
• Land use practice

Sector(s):

• Agriculture
• Forestry

Climate impact(s) addressed:

• Drought
• Flood

Climate impact time-scale(s):

• Slow Onset

Main benefit associated with the solution:

• Economic benefits (e.g. job creation, tourism)

Co-benefit(s) associated with the solution implementation:

• Climate risk reduction (e.g. reduced risk from floods)
• Environmental benefits (e.g. biodiversity preservation, water security, food security)
• Social benefits (e.g. poverty reduction, inclusiveness and equity, health and well-being)

Implementation timeline:

• 2010

Sendai targets:

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SDGs:

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Solution details

Main beneficiaries & outcomes

REMODA has supported over 20 women’s groups – with just under 200 women in total who keep bees as a source of livelihood, which sustains their households and enables them to generate monthly savings.

Planning and implementation

Rwenzori Mountain Development Association (REMODA) was the leading organisation in the implementation of the solution. REMODA targeted the communities in and near Rwenzori, identified women and helped them to form and build groups. Activities included training in sustainable beekeeping as an alternative source of income. The women would pass on information to their colleagues and put into practice the knowledge from the training.

Finance

Project started with grant support from BeeSupport Foundation. 

Innovation

The solution helped the women to improve the techniques of beekeeping by adopting modern methods such as use of modern beehives. 

Capacities for design and implementation

Outlook & Scalability