BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK- WHS

A thematic example of good management practices

Background

• Gazetted in 1991 as a National Park• 320 sq km• Was formerly a forest reserve where

communities were allowed to access resources without any form of deterrent

• Was inscribed a WHS in 1994• Its gazettement met a lot of resistance from the

communities• The boundary had no buffer zone

Bwindi

• Bwindi is the Home to the Mountain gorilla – currently about 340 individuals

• Hot spot for biodiversity conservation within the Great Albertine Rift which presents itself as the intersection between the DRC tropical forests and the East African Savannah vegetation

• Pleistocene refugia

Threats at the time of Inscription• Poaching and massive killing of wildlife including the critically

endangered Mountain gorilla• Habitat degradation through timber harvesting and encroachment• Population pressure• Disease to the Mountain gorilla; e.g. scabies• Negative attitudes towards creation of the area as Park• Lack of adequate resources to support management• Invasive• Demand for road construction through the very sensitive part of

the park• Unclear boundary to communities and staff• No guidelines were in place to support management – GMP, AOP• Inappropriate Law which did not recognise the roles for the

community

Efforts in maintaining the site• Marking of boundaries to ensure that they are very clear to all community members• Compensation of all community encroachers who left the PA• Involvement of communities in fighting poaching – Gorilla trafficking and other forms

of wildlife protection• Change of community attitudes through community conservation strategies –

poaching, land acquisition, law enforcement, • Introduction of tourism initiatives that put the communities at the fore front• Involvement of other partners – CARE, IGCP, MGVP, Local Government, CTPH, ICCN,

ITFC, BMCT, UNESCO• Sharing of benefits from the proceeds of the PA – 20% of entry fee, US $5 as gorilla

permit levy, sustainable harvest of NTP• General management planning – involvement of all stakeholders• Annual Operations planning – • Employment of locals • Recognition of the indigenous people’s (Batwa) needs to have access to NTPs• Securing of buffer areas for staff infrastructure developments• Staff capacity building in monitoring and conservation generally

Employment

Employment

Ecotourism Proximity to PAs allows community

ecotourism initiatives

Revenue Sharing

PROTECTED AREA

CUMULATIVE COLLECTIONS SINCE JULY 2000 UP TO JUNE 2007

CUMULATIVE PAYEMENTS SINCE JULY 2000 UP TO JUNE 2007

BALANCE PAYABLE AS AT 30TH JUNE 2007

Murchison Falls 1,086,201,163 511,387,796 574,813,367

Queen Elizabeth 880,022,900 399,441,320 480,581,580

Rwenzori Mountains 76,015,854 15,471,500 60,544,354

Kidepo Valley 20,207,926 8,868,000 11,339,926

Bwindi Impenetrable 341,426,543 202,973,700 138,452,843

Mghahinga Gorilla NP 70,894,368 45,514,400 25,379,968

Mt. Elgon 79,721,749 43,496,810 36,224,939

Lake Mburo 194,659,916 128,110,815 66,549,101

Kibale NP 149,651,374 28,109,132 121,542,242

Semliki NP 21,426,413 9,200,000 12,226,413

Semliki WR 15,242,271 6,239,500 9,002,771

Katonga WR 3,188,386 - 3,188,386

Pian Upe WR 16,410 - 16,410

TOTAL 2,938,675,273 1,398,812,973 1,539,862,300

Challenges

• Global Climate change• Transboundary movements of the mountain gorilla• Developments next to the PA• Crop raiding by the gorilla• Closing forest habitat• Poaching • Isolation and gene pool building• Introduction of exotic plants• Need for more research/ support to studies that will

inform management

Thank You