UGANDA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY

Rwenzori Mountains National Park Business Plan

Ray Victurine

WCS

Background

Impetus: WCS/NPCA business planning presentation at VTH World Park Congress – Sustainable Finance Stream

Draft business plans from Madagascar (Masoala) and Brasil (Tijuca)

Rwenzori Highlights

1941 – Rwenzori Mountains above 2,200 m covering 995 square kilometers are set aside as a Forest Reserve by the Uganda Forest Department

1991 – The Rwenzori Mountains are gazetted as a National Park and ownership transferred to Uganda National Parks, now the Uganda Wildlife Authority

1994 – The Rwenzori Mountains National Park is designated as a World Heritage Site, along with adjacent Virguna National Park in DR Congo and nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

1997 – The park closes due to rebel activity

2001 – UNESCO places RMNP on list of World Heritage Sites in Danger

2001 – Park reopens after rebel activity ceases

2004 – UNESCO declares RMNP again to be safe

Greater Virunga Landscape

Rwenzori Highlights

Glaciated mountain peaks – only Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya are higher

Rare and threatened species: Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodyte), Horse Shoe Bat (Rhinolophus Ruwenzorii) Rwenzori duiker (Cephalophus rubidus) and the very rare strange-horned chameleon (Bradypodion xenorhinus)

Rwenzori National Park in Context

Estimated one million people rely on Rwenzoris for water

60-70% of population below poverty line rely on park for resources

98% of the households in the Kasese district (which borders the edge of the park) burn charcoal for cooking and heating.

Park provides fuel-wood, timber, building poles, thatching materials, bush-meat, medicinal plants, vegetables, water, fruits and honey

Business plan objectives

•Help UWA analyze the true costs of doing business

•Better associate costs with implementation of GMP

•Stimulate UWA to think long term about the financial aspects of park management

•Identify funding gaps and their impacts

•Develop strategies for filling funding gaps (revenue generation)

Park Programs

• Community conservation• Resource conservation and

management• Monitoring and research• Tourism development• Park operations

and maintenance

Income and Expenditures

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

FY2002 FY2003 FY2004

Income

Park Expenditures

Overhead (HQ)

Cost Analysis

$9,295

$48,086

$20,462$24,728

$0$736 $6,346

$20,462 $14,909

$45,617

$179,024

$187,975

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

$140,000

$160,000

$180,000

$200,000

COMMUNITYCONSERVATION

RESOURCECONSERVATION

ANDMANAGEMENT

MONITORING ANDRESEARCH

TOURISMDEVELOPMENT

PARK OPERATIONSAND

MAINTENANCE

PAYROLL ANDOPERATIONS

FY 2005

FY2006

Funding Scenarios

Actuals versus Optimal

$328,000

$432,000

$232,000

Actuals

Hopeful Projections

Desired

Revenue Options

1. Ecotourism

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Diversify products

Improve marketing in conjunction with private sector

Improve services

Bwindi National Park receives 5,000 visitors per year

Kilimanjaro receives over 25,000 visitors

Duke d’Abruzzi Centenial

2. Environmental Services - WATER

Energy generation

Industrial use

Domestic consumption

3. Branding and Tie-ins

Connections with Rwenzori Brands

• Rwenzori Coffee

• Rwenzori Tea

• Rwenzori Water

A Rwenzori Water deal alone could generate over $100,000 per year

4. Partnerships

WCS – Greater Virunga Landscape transboundary conservation project

WWF - Rwenzori conservation and development project

Inns of Uganda – new hotel investment with Ecotrust

Others to be Identified

Next steps• Standardize financial reporting mechanisms within

UWA to know the cost of doing business

• Develop standardized format for UWA business plans

• Work with UWA to begin exploring feasible revenue options for the Rwenzori and develop implementation plans

• Undertake business planning for the Greater Virunga Landscape parks – including DRC

Use this plan to demonstrate that we cannot afford NOT to save the forest ecosystems of Uganda

Thank You