Pilot Tourism Revenue-Sharing Programme in Western Uganda 3: Kibale National Park
Case Study C0082
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| Date | 1998 |
| Agency | Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) |
| Donor/support agency | IUCN |
| Project type | Implemented by agency |
| Context(s) | Protected area |
| Geographic coverage | Uganda |
| Locality | Western Uganda, near Fort Portal |
| Biodiversity focus | Ecosystem/landscape |
| Development focus | Local communities |
| Conservation goals | Restrict access to forest resources within the park boundaries in order to conserve its biodiversity |
| Poverty reduction goals | Compensate the three parishes living adjoining the park though tourism revenue-sharing, sustainable use of non-timber forest products(NTFPs), and the provision of other basic goods and services |
Summary
Pilot tourism revenue-sharing (TRS) schemes were launched under the 1994 mandate in three Ugandan National Parks: Bwindi Impenetrable (see case study n°80), Mgahinga Gorilla (see case study n°81), and Kibale National Parks. Bwindi, Mgahinga and Kibale all protect mid-high elevation rain forest. Bwindi and Mgahinga are particularly rich in endemic species, and all three parks shelter endangered wildlife, particularly primates. All three sites were designated forest reserves by colonial authorities in 1931–1932, and were eventually surrounded by intensive agriculture, due partly to official resettlement schemes and refugees fleeing war in neighbouring countries. Settlement within the boundaries of the three reserves accelerated during the 1970s after President Idi Amin announced that Ugandans were free to settle on any unoccupied public land. As peace returned to the country in the late 1980s, the government began to enforce existing regulations regarding natural resource use. Then, in the early 1990s, under pressure from national and international conservationists, the Ugandan government ‘upgraded’ these three forest reserves to national parks. Along with this upgrade came stricter enforcement of existing regulations, implementation of new regulations, and increased conflict between local residents and protected areas.
Residents neighbouring Kibale National Park (KNP) do not face the acute land and fuelwood shortage of those at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. However, as the forest patches outside the Park boundaries have diminished, many citizens have become more reliant on the Park for fuelwood, construction materials and medicinal herbs. Kibale also stands apart from Mgahinga and Bwindi for its more severe problems with crop-raiding wildlife, including elephants. Most farmers on Kibale’s edge lose less than 5% of planted fields each season, but individuals residing at chronic elephant raiding sites may lose over half their crop in a night.
Park-community relations are worst to the south near the Kibale Game Corridor. Here, thousands of individuals were forcibly evicted and resettled elsewhere when Kibale was ‘upgraded’ from a Forest Reserve to a National Park in 1993. An official source reports 30,000 households were evicted but other estimates range from 8,800 to over 170,000 individuals. At roughly the same time as the eviction, tourism activities were initiated formally at Kibale. Tourists now pay US$ 10 each for a guided forest walk that offers an opportunity, but no guarantee, to see chimpanzees. Because chimpanzees are more difficult to view and track, Kibale cannot levy the high fees that Mgahinga and Bwindi charge for mountain gorillas. As a result, the revenue-sharing programme around Kibale is more modest. UWA has shared an average of US$ 800 in materials towards constructing schools in five parishes around KNP. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) provided monetary assistance for meetings and workshops as well as some technical assistance for the TRS programme; however, TRS played only a minor role in the project. Beyond revenue-sharing, IUCN has initiated projects allowing communities in nine parishes to use non-timber forest products in the Park, including wild coffee, medicinal plants, fish, beekeeping sites, poles and elephant grass.
Conservation impact
TRS has played a major role in improving the attitudes of local residents towards the park, therefore reducing poaching and illegal harvesting.
Poverty reduction impact
UWA has shared an average of US$ 800 in materials towards constructing schools in five parishes around KNP. IUCN has initiated projects allowing communities in nine parishes to use non-timber forest products in the Park, including wild coffee, medicinal plants, fish, beekeeping sites, poles and elephant grass.
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Revenue sharing
Provision of alternative livelihoods
Reference 1
Archabald, K. and Naughton-Treves, L., 2001, 'Tourism Revenue-Sharing Around National Parks in Western Uganda: Early Efforts to Identify and Reward Local Communities', Environmental Conservation 28(2):135-49
More information
http://www.uwa.or.ug/kibale.html
Related records above this one:
- Uganda Wildlife Authority (Organisation O0086)
- IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) (Organisation O0046)