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For decades, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park have been globally known for protecting endangered mountain gorillas.
But beyond wildlife conservation, the two parks, jointly managed under the Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Area (BMCA) by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), are increasingly transforming lives in surrounding communities.
Through the Investing in Forests and Protected Areas for Climate-Smart Development (IFPA-CD) project, conservation efforts are now being linked to clean water access, tourism, livelihood support, and empowerment of marginalized Batwa communities.
At the foothills of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, water tanks installed under IFPA-CD have reduced dependence on unsafe water sources inside the park.
“We used to get dirty water from the park, but now they gave us water tanks providing clean water,” says Hope Nyiraguliro, a community beneficiary.
“Our children no longer go late to school because of searching for water.” Residents have also been trained in making energy-saving stoves to reduce dependence on firewood.
“I learnt to make energy-saving stoves from IFPA-CD,” says Yosephina Nyatsenga. “We also get medicinal plants from the park.”
For the Batwa community, conservation has historically carried painful memories after many families were displaced from ancestral forests following the creation of protected areas in the 1990s. Today, some Batwa communities are beginning to benefit from conservation- linked projects.
“The project gave us beehives in the national park,” says Mitchel Nzabulimana, chairman of the Batwa community in Mgahinga.
“Tourists visit our community, we get money and food that help our children.”
In Byumba Batwa settlement near Bwindi, education is also changing lives. Byumba Primary School, established in 2013, now has more than 835 pupils, including over 150 Batwa children. Last year, two Batwa pupils scored first grade and joined Kinkizi High School.
“We are trying to copy the ways of the non-Batwa so that we are not left behind,” says settlement chairman Yosamu Besigaensi. In nearby Mukongoro Cell, Batwa families say water tanks installed under the project have improved household welfare.
“Children used to get injured while walking long distances to fetch water,” says Violet Nyamihanda, a 58-year-old mother of four.
At Bwindi, conservation authorities say sustainability remains the priority despite growing tourism. Richard Muhabwe, the chief warden of BMCA, says IFPA-CD has helped remove invasive species such as eucalyptus and lantana camara that threatened gorilla habitats.
Related
, https://observer.ug/news/how-conservation-is-transforming-communities-in-bwindi-mgahinga/
