Communities surrounding Mgahinga Gorilla NP receive 760 million through the Vanishing treasures project.

KISORO: The International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) has extended its new ‘Vanishing treasures’ project worth 760 million shillings to the communities surrounding the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Kisoro district.  

The Vanishing Treasures project was first launched in the Nkuringo buffer zone, Southern Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) in 2021.

Funded by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the project aims at enhancing climate resilience of mountain communities, species and ecosystems by applying climate-smart conservation and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches in support of sustainable livelihoods and land-use globally.

It has been extended to the Nyarusiza and Muramba sub counties along Mgahinga Gorilla National Park after a successful 3 years spell in Nkuringo town council. This is a second Mega project under IGCP within the two sub counties after the water for Virunga project.

According to the IGCP director, Wellard Makambo, the project is designed to respond to human-wildlife conflict, promote alternative livelihoods and mitigate the impacts caused by climate change and socio-economic pressures.

An inception meeting to kick start the project was conducted at Hotel Triangle in Nyarusiza Sub County on Saturday bringing together different partners including Kisoro district Local Government, Uganda Wildlife Authority, lower local governments, Community Based Organizations, and park edge community members.

The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Senior Warden, Bwire Isaiah commended IGCP for championing conservation.

He noted that Mgahinga National park has a lot of unknown treasures and having these projects in place helps to sustain them.

The Kisoro District LCV Chairman, Abel Bizimana expressed optimism about the project saying if all is implemented as planned the project will go a long way in improving community livelihoods, conserving the park and its wildlife and strengthening park -community relations. 

He commended IGCP and funders of the project for being thoughtful of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and being concerned enough to work to restore the vanishing treasures in the same park.

Bizimana however asked IGCP to consider spending the lion’s share of the 760 million on encouraging tree planting, especially on multipurpose trees.