Traditional «strategies» to preserve biodiversity in Uganda
Learning about (medicinal) plant conservation from traditional health care practitioners in the Buganda Kingdom, Uganda
This summary is based on the master thesis by Florian A. Derler (2025).
In the Buganda region of Uganda, traditional healers play a central role in the conservation of medicinal plants and biodiversity. Their conservation strategies are deeply rooted in spiritual worldviews, cultural practices, and experiential knowledge passed down through generations. A key element of these practices is the belief in spirits inhabiting trees, hills, rivers, and forests. These spiritual understandings lead to the designation of certain places as sacred, where access or use is only permitted under specific ritual conditions. In this way, informal conservation zones emerge, where nature is protected through spiritual respect and taboo.
Another important aspect is the set of cultural taboos and guidelines surrounding the harvesting of medicinal plants. There are clear rules about when, how, and under what conditions plants may be collected—such as prohibitions after sexual activity, harvesting only at particular times of a day, or selecting a specific number of leaves. These practices regulate use and promote sustainable plant management. While totems—symbolic associations with particular animals or plants—play a less prominent role today, they still carry cultural meaning and occasionally influence how certain species or landscapes are treated.
In response to environmental pressures like deforestation and land privatization, many healers are turning to the cultivation of medicinal plants on their own land. They grow hundreds of species and demonstrate remarkable adaptability, for example by substituting leaves for roots to avoid killing plants, or by focusing on fast-growing herbs and shrubs. At the same time, many express a strong desire for greater access to land in order to expand their cultivation efforts.
Traditional healers see themselves not only as keepers of knowledge but also as educators. They pass on their wisdom orally and work within communities to promote awareness about sustainable practices and the sacred value of the natural world. Secrecy is sometimes used deliberately as a protective measure to prevent the overexploitation or misuse of sensitive resources. This is reinforced through sacred narratives and myths that inspire respect or caution toward certain places and natural beings. Stories of nature spirits or twins born under spiritual circumstances (abolongo) often encode ecological principles in culturally resonant ways.
Spiritual healer and hut used to comunicate with spirits.
However, these practices face challenges—from land grabbing and urban development to extractive industries and limited recognition by state institutions. Sacred sites are increasingly under threat from infrastructure projects, and younger generations often show less interest in traditional systems, putting the continuity of knowledge at risk.
Despite these difficulties, the study shows that traditional conservation strategies in Uganda remain both effective and relevant. They combine ecological understanding with cultural depth and offer meaningful, community-based approaches to sustainability—provided they are given the legal and political space to thrive.