The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) board chairperson Hon. Justice Steven Kavuma has formed a National Committee on Wildlife Hazards Management to address rising wildlife strikes near airports across the country.
“This is one area of aviation safety where proactive and collaborative management can make a real and lasting difference, the formation of this National Committee is both timely and necessary” he said.
Justice Kavuma added, “It signals a decisive step forward in the Government of Uganda’s commitment to systematically address the risks posed by wildlife around airports and in airspace. It brings together the essential minds from the aviation industry, Makerere University, environmental science, wildlife, airport management and government agencies,” he said.
Kavuma who made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing officials in Kampala on Wednesday noted that the increasing frequency of wildlife strikes, particularly bird strikes, poses a significant challenge to aviation safety not only for Uganda, but across the globe.
The Director General UCAA, Mr. Fred Bamwesigye, who is the Chairperson of the Committee, emphasized the importance of a coordinated, data-driven approach in managing threats such as bird strikes, which remain a serious global and local challenge.
“This Committee is not simply a formality, it is a working body with a clear mandate, measurable outcomes, and accountability to the aviation industry,” Mr. Bamwesigye noted.
The Committee established under the Civil Aviation (Aerodromes) Regulations, 2022, marks a key step in Uganda’s proactive efforts to mitigate wildlife related risks to aviation safety, especially the threat of bird strikes, among others.
