Uganda, Rwanda, DRC, want more Cooperation on trans-boundary Parks Conservation
Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, are stepping up efforts to increase their collaboration in the management of the Central Albertine Rift Transfrontier Landscape that covers eight National Parks.
The Volcano National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the DRC, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Semliki National Park in Uganda comprise the Central Albertine. There are also several adjacent Forest and Wildlife reserves within this landscape.
The Natural Resources Co-ordinator for Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Mr. Edgar Buhanga explains that for the last fifteen years there has been informal collaboration among the three countries in the management of protected areas of a trans-boundary nature, but efforts are now being made to formalise it.
In 2004 the Executive Directors of the three countries’ wildlife bodies met and agreed to reach a formal agreement for co-operation that would also involve their governments.
As a move towards this, a draft Strategic Plan was subsequently produced and discussed at a meeting of the three countries that took place in Goma in October 2005 after which the ministers responsible for environment and tourism from these countries signed a Tripartite Declaration supporting the collaboration initiatives.
Once launched, the Strategic Plan will help harmonise the activities of the numerous local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that work within the region. The plan will also ensure landscape level planning and management, sharing of skills and expertise, benefit and cost sharing across borders
The draft Strategic Plan has a budget attached to it for purposes of sourcing for funds from the different partners. “Funding will be in a more co-ordinated and non-duplication way,” Buhanga says.
The plan also provides for the establishment of a Trust Fund to which governments and international organisations like the United Nations Environment Program could contribute. It is expected that the collaboration will ease movement of tourists between the three countries. “We are looking at regional tourism as a major benefit from this collaboration,” Buhanga further explains. UWA
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