Conservation and development — do we have to choose?

Today, 3rd March is World Wildlife Day.

Most of us did not wake up thinking about wildlife. We woke up thinking about the rain, fuel, deadlines, the meeting we might be late for. We sat in traffic and did the usual calculations of time and money.

And somewhere above all that, a crowned crane, a sunbird was visit a flower, a frog was croaking, a lion was roaring. We put the crane on our flag and we are proud of it because it represents us. But I sometimes wonder, do we love it enough to leave it space?

Wetlands are shrinking and forest edges are thinning. Roads and estates are rising where papyrus grew wildly in swamps and wetlands. We call it development, and yes development matters. People need houses, roads, jobs. Economies do not grow by good intentions alone.

But wildlife needs space too.

When monkeys appear in kitchens or snakes show up in new neighbourhoods, we call it invasion. But who was there first? Who approved the construction? Who filled the wetland and then complained about flooding These are not environmental catch phrases, but are planning questions.

Conservation is often framed as a luxury, like something to think about after we have grown rich. Yet biodiversity is not there just for decoration. Wetlands filter water. Forests regulate climate. Pollinators sustain agriculture. When ecosystems weaken, the consequences are economic as well as environmental.

And yes, we can be honest, development will always compete with conservation. Agriculture needs land. Cities expand. Infrastructure cuts across ecosystems. The matter at hand is not whether we grow, because indeed economies must grow. We need to focus attention on the how we grow.

Can we expand agriculture without constantly clearing forests? Can we protect critical wetlands instead of treating them as empty land? Can environmental impact assessments be more than paperwork to tick a box and appease investors? Can policy think beyond the next few years?

Growth always has a cost. What we need to be deliberate about is who or what pays the price. A country that erodes its ecological base for short-term gain may grow quickly, but it also grows fragile. Flooding, soil degradation, water stress are not abstract environmental concerns, but are economic risks.

Beyond policy and planning, there is also something personal.

After a long day, when you stand by a lake and watch the sun set, something in you settles. When birds cut across the morning sky before the noise begins, something feels correct. We are not only here to earn and eat. Yes, we must survive. But if life becomes only about transactions and land titles, what exactly are we building toward? A bird is not "just" a bird. It is beauty we did not manufacture, and is a reminder that we share this space.

So on World Wildlife Day, I am thinking as Uganda grows, and it is and will continue to, can we grow wisely? Can we grow our economy without shrinking nature? Can we build cities that remain "liveable"? Can we protect what sustains us, even as we pursue prosperity and protect gains of development? 

Development builds but conservation protects. The future will depend on whether we can make development and conservation work together so that the crane remains more than a symbol on a flag, and continues to have somewhere to land, feed and breed.