The National Committee on Wildlife Hazard Management, aimed at analyzing Wildlife Hazard challenges at aerodromes, undertaking research and development, and reviewing the effectiveness of mitigation measures in place was officially inaugurated on Wednesday, 21st May at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.
Chaired by the UCAA’s Director General, Fred Bamwesigye, the committee was established under the Civil Aviation (Aerodromes) Regulations, 2022, marking a key step in Uganda’s proactive efforts to mitigate wildlife-related risks to aviation safety, especially the threat of bird strikes, among others.
Other members include; Eng. Bonny Barongo, the UCAA director for safety, security and economic regulation, Joses Tegyeza Kachetero (Ministry of Public Service), Winnie Nampeera (Ministry of Works and Transport), Dennis Kidega ( Ministry of Lands), Anne Lilian Kafeero from NEMA, Emmanuel Twesigye (head of UWA airwing ), Dan Mirembe ( Uganda Wildlife Authority), Collins Ainomugisha ( UPDAF), Alex Kagina (UPDAF), Emmanuel Barungi (Entebbe Airport), Gloria Kirabo (UCAA), Andrew Ssempungu(UCAA), Maria Flavia Nakanjako (MAAIF), Petra Akite (Makerere University), Japheth Okabo Okeng ( Uganda National Airlines Company), Irene Atto (UCAA), Emmanuel Bigirwa (UCAA), and Suzan Nafuna (UCAA).
During the inaugural ceremony, the Minister for Works and Transport remarks were delivered by the UCAA board chairperson, Justice Steven Kavuma, who highlighted 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.
“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. 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,” Katumba Wamala noted.
In addition, the Minister said that the new committee brings together the essential minds and authorities from aviation, Makerere University, environmental science, wildlife biology, airport management and government agencies.
“Together, you will be shaping policies and guidelines, developing integrated wildlife hazard management plans and recommending actions that will make our air travel safer. Your work will not only support airport operators and aviation authorities but will also contribute to global benchmarks in wildlife hazard management in aviation,” he concluded.
Fred Bamwesigye, the UCAA’s Director General and the committee’s chairperson, highlighted that the committee has not been established by chance, but it is a deliberate and strategic response to a pressing issue that has grown in significance over the years, the threat posed by wildlife, particularly bird strikes, to aviation safety in Uganda.
“I wish to recall the most significant bird strikes that have occurred at Entebbe International Airport. A KLM Airbus A330-200 on October 10th, 2010, had a bird strike while performing flight KLM562 from Entebbe (Uganda) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), ingesting a bird into the right-hand engine, shortly after take-off. A bird strike is a collision between an aircraft and a bird. Besides impacting operations at the airport, this incident came with huge associated costs relating to procurement of a new aircraft engine,” he said.
In addition, Bamwesigye noted that each wildlife strike is a potential threat to human life, aircraft, and operational efficiency.
According to ICAO statistics, thousands of such incidents occur annually, with millions of dollars in damages and airport and airspace disruptions. So, considering the growing air traffic, with increasing settlements near airports, and evolving wildlife behaviour, it is imperative to adopt a national, coordinated approach to minimising wildlife hazards around airports.
Bird and wildlife strikes remain one of the most persistent operational risks facing airports globally and locally. The impact of such incidents goes beyond economic losses; it directly affects the safety of passengers, crew, aircraft, and airport operations.
“Entebbe being a bird sanctuary means that we inevitably must co-exist with the birds while putting in place mitigation measures that ensure that the runways are free of birds before a landing or take-off. This comes at a huge cost and requires a lot of communal sensitization efforts, among others,” Bamwesigye explained.
Over the years, air traffic has expanded rapidly, thecountry’s airports have expanded, and the proximity of human settlements and natural ecosystems to critical aviation infrastructure has increased significantly.
These changes, while indicators of growth and development, also come with rising operational and safety risks, chief among them wildlife strikes, particularly bird strikes, requiring response with a national, integrated strategy in bird and wildlife hazard management.
This Committee will be the primary national platform for policy coordination, data sharing, and inter-agency collaboration on wildlife hazard management. Its formation signals a shift —from a reactive to a proactive, scientific and systematic response to the wildlife threat in aviation. It is therefore expected to help the aviation industry in;
- Analyzing wildlife hazard problems at aerodromes.
- Share information on new research and investigation studies on wildlife hazard management.
- Acting as an interface between aerodrome operators and air operators.
- Advising aerodrome operators on wildlife hazard management.
- Reviewing the effectiveness of the wildlife hazard management program at aerodromes
All these are aimed at having an efficient and coordinated national process of managing wildlife hazards management at airports.
The threat wildlife has to aviation safety is significant and can only be managed by synergies from different expert agencies. Therefore the committee is very key in shaping this process of managing wildlife risk to aircraft operations.
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