Refugee-hosting communities have long grappled with the tension between meeting basic human survival needs and protecting the environment. Uganda, home to over two million refugees and asylum seekers, is at the centre of this tension and therefore an important case study for understanding this challenge. Uganda, also rich in biodiversity, faces strong pressure to protect the environment, necessitating an appraisal of ecosystem management to clarify the relationship between environmental management and human survival needs. This understanding is necessary to inform policy and improve ecosystem management in refugee-hosting communities. Findings indicated that provisioning services- food, water, and firewood are easy to access; the challenge remains the quality, reliability, and long-term sustainability of these services. Regulating services, especially those related to water quality, waste management, forests, and wetlands, remain vulnerable as pressure on natural resources mounts. The study notes that cultural services support societal harmony, whereas refugee settlement can drive ecological degradation. However, this can also create opportunities to plan innovative approaches to ecosystem management. These innovative approaches could include using solar energy, working closely with local structures, and collaborating with international frameworks such as the SDGs and UNHCR guidelines.