The evolution of ICD interventions in Bwindi

Robert BitarihoInstitute of Tropical Forest Conservation

PRESENTATION BREAKDOWN

� First human Use of Bwindi Forest

� Bwindi Forest and Game Reserve Establishment

� National Park Establishment and forest use status (conflicts)

� International conventions influence on ICD establishment

� Discussions and conclusions

First human Use of Bwindi Forest

� 1st Human use of Bwindi forest may have coincided with migrations of Bantu into East Africa

� Batwa hunter gatherers were the first users of Bwindi forest until the mid 16th century

� A part from using the forest for their livelihoods, the Batwa also traded forest resources for food and alcohol with other tribes (Bakiga/Bafumbira)

A Mutwa hunter (source: Turnbull, 1961)

Bwindi forest use by Batwa and others

HuntingPlant collections-medicines/food and basketry

First human Use of Bwindi Forest

� By the 19th Century, some Bakiga/Bafumbira had started using Bwindi forest for hunting and plant gathering after learning the skills from their Batwa counterparts

The Bakiga/Bafumbira mainly hunted giant forest hogs, � The Bakiga/Bafumbira mainly hunted giant forest hogs, buffaloes and duikers

� Hunting of primates and rodents was considered a preserve of the Batwa

� Around the 1930s (colonial times), Bwindi forest was mainly used for commercial exploitation of timber

Establishment of Bwindi forest reserve

� Legislation establishing Bwindi Forest Reserve under district administration was enacted by the British colonialist in 1932

� By then agricultural activities and pitsawing had greatly reduced Bwindi forest (in 1954 about 29% forest)reduced Bwindi forest (in 1954 about 29% forest)

� In 1961, a regulative plan for timber exploitation was established only by licensed pitsawyers (excluded the locals)

� Timber exploitation was by the colonial administrators mainly who exported timber such as Pordocarpus to Europe

By 1954 about 29% of Bwindi forest had been cleared from commercial timber exploitation and agriculture

Establishment of Bwindi Impenetrable Game Reserve

� In 1964, the game act was enacted which put to put restriction on game hunting only for with hunting permit

� Government employed game guards to stop illegal timber extraction and stop illegal timber extraction and poaching

� Other NTFPs were not restricted by the forest and game act

� The creation of the game reserve was mainly to protect the already endangered mountain gorilla

� All these activities disenfranchised the local communities

Establishment of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

� Events that followed after the colonial rule in Uganda were those of turmoil and dictatorship

� Forests were disregarded by the government and there was � Forests were disregarded by the government and there was widespread hunting and pitsawing

� It is thought that most of the flora and fauna extinction seen now was a result of this period

� After recommendations from several researchers and the threat gorillas faced, Bwindi was gazetted a national park in August 1991

Resentment by local people to the creation Bwindi Park

� Creation of Bwindi park led to the restrictions of all human activities within the Park

Local people were stopped from � Local people were stopped from accessing the forest that provided a means to their livelihood

� The people protested the creation of the park by setting up numerous fires and harassment of park staff

� 5% of Bwindi park was burnt between 1991 and 1992 as a result

Other players around Bwindi Park

� Around the same period of Bwindi Park gazettement other conservation and development organization were

� These were:

� CARE-DTC, IGCP, IFCP (now ITFC) MBIFCT( now BMCT)

Roles of other players in Bwindi

� IGCP focused on ensuring better conservation efforts of mountain gorillas and their habitats

� CARE-DTC and BMCT helped initiate local community livelihood projects

� IFCP focused on ecological research within Bwindi (IFCP alter evolved to ITFC)

Global events leading to ICDs in Bwindi’s

� The Rio de Janeiro conference (CBD-Brazil) and the Carcass world park’s congress (Venezuela) in 1992 led to a shift in park management globally and Bwindi in Particular

New strategies such as local people involvement, Co-management � New strategies such as local people involvement, Co-management ICDs and sustainable forest use emerged

� It now became widely accepted that paramilitary mgt of natural resources alone were ineffective in biodiversity conservation

� Several world’s park’s congress have stressed the need to involve

the local people in park management (Durban 2003, Carcass 1992)

Impact of global events e.g. earth summit on Bwindi Park Mgt

� The Rio conference in 1992 led to a shift in park management in Uganda

� New terminologies such as “CFM”, “sustainable forest use” & “local people involvement”, ICDs“sustainable forest use” & “local people involvement”, ICDs

� The changing political perspectives led to the integration of ICDs into park mgt by UNP then

� ICD aims to achieve protected area conservation by linking conservation with local economic development

UWA official and Local community representative after MoU signing

Impacts of other players around Bwindi

� UNP and partners started an ICD strategy for Bwindi to resolve the conflicts with local communities

� The ICDs were: Multiple use programme (MUP), tourism development, revenue sharing and agriculture developmentrevenue sharing and agriculture development

� In 1994, a MUP was started with the major aim of allowing local people access medicinal and basketry weaving plants and beekeeping

� Gorilla tourism also began in 1993 and particularly in Buhoma to provide a source of revenue to UNP and local people

� Around 1996, sharing of revenue from gorilla tourism (revenue sharing) was initiated and regularized by an act of parliament (20%)

Bwindi’s MUP as of 1999

Revenue sharing projects (by 1999)

Other ICDs � Establishment of woodlots for alternatives to fuel wood and timber-supported by CARE-DTC, BMCT

� Agricultural development programmes to improve food � Agricultural development programmes to improve food production (CARE-DTC)

� Livestock raring for income and source of protein (CARE-DTC, BMCT and UWA)

� VSLA (village savings and loans associations)-CARE & BMCT

DISCUSSIONS & CONCLUSIONS

� Forest use by local people in S.W Uganda has undergone through three stages of metamorphosis:

1. Complete ownership (before gazettement)

2. Complete exclusion (early park establishment)

3. Controlled/limited ownership (multiple use/ICDs)

LIGHT AT END OF TUNNEL???

THANKS FOR LISTENING!!