TOWARDS EFFECTIVE MONITORING OF PROTECTED AREAS

(IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS MONITORING AS A CONTRIBUTION TO REDUCING THE RATE OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN AFRICA)

Expected outputs Background to PA / IBA monitoring project An annual IBA status report produced through a well co-ordinated and sustainable process whose The project aims at instituting effective national biodiversity monitoring systems that deliver information on biodiversity trends in protected areas/Important Bird Areas. This will be done through a simple global outcome is aimed at informing and influencing management for the betterment of the sites or monitoring framework for IBAs that has been designed and adopted for Uganda. This is a simple and easy to use form with an annex of guidelines. The variables have been often referred to as State, Pressure and habitats Response making it simply be called "the SPR model". The SPR model therefore makes monitoring simple and economically sustainable.

IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS IN UGANDA

30 Kidepo Valley National Park A semi arid grassland plains, an SUDAN IBA and most spectacular scenic Participating partners / countries PA where Black-winged Pratincole, Mt Otzi biome restricted Fox Kestrel and (1) Forest Reserve Karamoja Apalis can be found amidst continued animal incursion Ajumani 30 and burning of vegetation. The PA (2) probably is the most diversed in Mt Kei Kidepo animals notably less common National Park Forest Reserve Kitgum ungulates. There is therefore need (1) Tunisia (3) (4) for better programmes to enhance (2) Burkina Faso (5) (3) Uganda conservation of this unique park. (4) Kenya (5) Burundi (7) Arua Kotido (6) Zimbabwe (7) Zambia (6) (8) Ajai Wildlife reserve (8) Botswana 21 Gulu A Wildlife Reserve and IBA. The 21 reserve still has settlements and agriculture and high scale charcoal N Ajai Wildlife Reserve Moroto bunring in the adjacent areas. Murchison Falls However Shoebills and Papyrus Nebbi 20 National Park Gonolek still survive in the wetland areas along the Nile. Increase Lira community sentisation and DR CONGO Moroto resettling families out of the reserve Forest is critical to ensuring successful law Reserve enforcement.

KEY National Parks Forest Reserves Masindi 20 Murchison Falls National Park A PA, IBA and Ramsar site with congregations of threatened Rock Wildlife Reserves Budongo Forest Mount Elgon Reserve National Park Pratincole and African Skimmers. The park forests habour large population of Wetlands Hoima 28 chimpanzees and the swamps have Project Sites the most accesible wild population of the rare Shoebill. The wildlife populations continue to recover Lake Nakuwa Mbale although rampant wild fires, livestock Semiliki 09 10 Luwero grazing and land use conflict with the Kamuli National Semiliki Wildlife and Doho Rice surrounding community are frequent Park Communal Reserve Scheme occurences which require community involvement in management regimes. Mabira Tororo Forest Rwenzori Reserve Iganga Bugiri Mountain 06 Mubende 28 Mount Elgon National Park National 05 Kampala Jinja Busia Park Kibale Forest Mukono A PA and IBA with a variety of National Reserve Mpigi altitudinal vegetation supporting Kasese KENYA globally threatened Taita Falcon and Mabamba range restricted Hunter’s Cisticola. Bay The high population densities around Queen 07 the Park results in agricultural Elizabeth 08 encroachment and illegal resources National Kyambura harvesting. This has affected the Park Wildlife Masaka habitat restoration programme that Reserve Lake Mburo the park benefited from. Careful National Park resource alternatives should be 11 16 sought to support the programme. Ssese Island Bwindi Mbarara Impenetrable 10 National Park 14 Musambwa Island A wildlife reserve and IBA whose 04 swamps and riverine forest habitats Nyamuriro Sango Bay continue to support threatened 01 Swamp Forest Complex Shoebill and Papyrus Gonolek and biome restricted White-crested Mgahin ga TANZANIA Nationa l Kabale Turaco despite human settlements, Park livestock incursion and burning that have persisted. Developing good Echuya Forest management options and law enforcement would improve the habitat conditions.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Bwindi Impenetrable National Queen Elizabeth National Park Semliki National Park 1 7 Kyambura Wildlife Reserve Rwenzori Mountains National 6 9 4 Park 8 11 5 Park

Green -breasted Pitta African Green Broadbill

A World Heritage Site, PA and Black-crowned Night Heron A PA with A moist semi decidous forest A high montane forest, a PA an IBA. Among the globally A PA, IBA and a Ramsar site. A World Heritage Site, PA and A largely medium altitude Ramsar site, a world heritage An IBA and Wildlife Reserve. and swamp forest, a PA and and IBA. It contains globally threatened species incluide the Red-faced Barbet and Shoebill IBA largely of montane forest moist ever green forest, PA site and an IBA. The habitat The shoebills in fresh water IBA. It contains Great Snipe threatened species such as African Green Broadill. About are among the globally with threatened Shelly’s and IBA contains diversity makes QENP the lakes and congregations of and White-napped Pigeon Grauer's Swamp Warbler and 320 Mts Gorillas are a source threatened species here. The Crimson-wing and other range White-napped Pigeon that is most biodiverse parks in Flamingos and Black-winged that are globally threatened. other range and of attraction to the park and park has Ugandas’ largest and biome-restricted species. globally threatened and other Uganda. The fresh water lakes Stilts are still major inhabitants Aslo present are restricted biome-restricted species. The raise over 50% revenue from population of Elands and only The park also has range and biome-restricted contain African Skimmers, of the Reserve despite the range and biome restricted park is home to part of the all PAs. The park is largely park with Impalas The land use chimpanzees and sitatungas. species. The Park is home to shoebills and saline craters livestock incursion and species. But the land use 320 Mt gorillas. The park is protected but there are conflicts with the local Community involvement in a remarkable 13 primate contain flamingos. Poachning continued burning of the conflicts, agriculture and surrounded by high dense resource use conflicts arising communities, poor agricultural management decisions has species. The Agricultural and livestock incursions are vegetation. Continued illegal resource collection population resulting in high from local communites and practices and wild fires helped to check agricultural encroachment and non timber major challenges. There is sensitization of the local encroach on major habitats incidences of poaching and crop raiding. This will be continue to worry however, encroachment and illegal resource harvesting are still need to strengthen community community on good practices despite enforcement of law encroachment. There is need addressed through revenue Community Protected Area resource harvesting through the major challenges however, PA initiatives for long term and attitude change would and sensitization. for continued active sharing and empowering Initiatives have been instituted negotiated hervesting quotas forest restoration and rural community engagement in improve on habitat conditions. monitoring to support communities through income to address the major concerns. and promotion of practices conservation initiatives need conservation. managemernt interventions. generating activities. that support biodiversity. continued support.

To participate in this project, the following are important:

Knowing the state or condition of the IBA and/or protected area (population of trigger species or habitat quality), the pressures or threats causing habitat change including timing, scope and severity and the responses or conservation efforts that are being taken to either reduce the threats or improve the condition of the site.

Useful information The monitoring forms have been distributed to all the Protected Areas and the secretariats of UWA, Nature Uganda and Nature Uganda website. This shall eventually be distributed to NFA, WMD and NBDB. You should be able to collect these forms from any of these centres and subsequently return the filled forms to any of them or directly to Nature Uganda.

For more information contact Nature Uganda P.O. Box 27034 Plot 83 Tufnell Drive Kamwokya. Tel: +256 414 540719, Fax: +256 414 533528, Email: [email protected], web: www.natureuganda.org

Nature Uganda