Dr. Medard Twinamatsiko

Dr. Medard Twinamatsiko is a Development Conservationist with over 12 years of progressive research and academic engagement half of which have resulted into the successful implementation of two Darwin Initiative projects in collaboration with the International Institute for Environment and Development, London (https://www.iied.org/users/medard-twinamatsiko).

Dr. Twinamatsiko has a PhD Policy Management and Natural Resource Governance and is a Senior Researcher and Lecturer in the Department of Environment and Livelihood Support Systems, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies at Mbarara University of Science and Technology(MUST), Uganda. He also works as the Ag. Deputy Director for the Centre for Innovations and Technology Transfer (CITT) -MUST.

The Centre is in charge of all innovations, skills development and technological transfer at MUST.He is also a Senior Social Research Consultant at the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation (ITFC), a postgraduate and research Institute of MUST, located in BwindiImpenetrable National Park where he has previously worked as the Head of Social Research Department for four and a half years. 

At Bwindi, just like some other protected areas in Uganda, Dr. Twinamatsiko has facilitated research to action community based conservation interventions that link local people to sustainable conservation through enhancement of alternative livelihood options that reduce pressure on Protected Area resources and save the extinction of Endemic species such as tropical mountain gorillas. 

The key focus in alternative livelihoods has been on the dimensions of equity and application of governance principles. In this context, he has led the pilot studies of Social and Governance Assessment of Protected Areas methodologies commonly known as SAPA and GAPA. In advancing GAPA methodology, he was the chief actor in the governance assessment documentary funded by the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA)https://www.iied.org/understanding-governance-equity-conservation. He has done several researches around protected areas in the Albertine rift and has been actively involved in developing an equity framework in protected area management with Kate and Phil from UK. 

In addition, he has been the Lead Researcher on several social research projects funded by Darwin Initiative, Conservation International, Great VirungaTransboundary Collaboration, BwindiMgahinga Conservation Trust, Birdlife International, International Institute for Environment and Development, Flora and Fauna International (www.iied.org/uganda-project-strengthen-policies-link-poverty-conservation;darwin.defra.gov.uk/newsletter/july2013newsletter.pdf) and currently the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund project that enhances the biodiversity of Bwindi using a Batwa cultural co-management approach

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