Research to Policy: Final Research Workshop The evolution of ICD interventions in Bwindi

1. The evolution of ICD interventions in
Bwindi
Robert Bitariho
Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation

2. 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

3. 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)

4. Bwindi forest use by Batwa
and others
Plant collections-medicines/food and Hunting
basketry

5. 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 ggiiaanntt ffoorreesstt hhooggss,,
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

6. 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 aabboouutt 2299%% ffoorreesstt))
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

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

8. 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 eexxttrraaccttiioonn aanndd
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

9. 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 aanndd tthheerree wwaass
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

10. 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 wweerree ssttooppppeedd ffrroomm
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

11. 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)

12. 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)

13. 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, CCoo--mmaannaaggeemmeenntt
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)

14. 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
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

15. 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 ddeevveellooppmmeenntt
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%)

16. Bwindi’s MUP as of 1999

17. Revenue sharing projects (by
1999)

18. Other ICDs
Establishment of woodlots for alternatives to fuel wood
and timber-supported by CARE-DTC, BMCT
Agricultural development programmes ttoo iimmpprroovvee ffoooodd
production (CARE-DTC)
Livestock raring for income and source of protein (CARE-DTC,
BMCT and UWA)
VSLA (village savings and loans associations)-CARE
BMCT

19. 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)

20. LIGHT AT END OF TUNNEL???
THANKS FOR LISTENING!!