The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Uganda Country Office is promoting the Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda for sustainable tourism development.

The Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the Mountains of the Moon, are a Unesco World Heritage Site. Their snowcapped peaks at the Equator  are endowed with rich and unique flora and fauna as well as outstanding scenic beauty.

The park boasts 994 recorded plant species as well as wildlife including the Rwenzori duiker, chimpanzee and the African elephant. Despite the range of flora and fauna, the park is still underappreciated and performs way below its potential in terms of tourism compared with other neighbouring national parks.

The park’s resources are also under pressure due to limited livelihood options and high population growth, which increases demand for resources such as water, firewood and food.

As a result, the WWF Uganda Country Office, with support from the European Union and the French Facility for Global Environment, is implementing the “sustainable financing of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park” project to preserve the biodiversity of the park and also improve community livelihoods.

The project works closely with the Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority, District Local Governments and other concerned stakeholders to increase tourist numbers through introducing a more diverse range of products, and to ensure the profits trickle down to local communities.

The project has supported the development of three new sustainable tourism products – Rwenzori coffee cup, the Chimpanzee experience and handcrafts – by working with three community-based tourism groups. The garden for the coffee cup experience is offered by the Busongora Joint Farmers Association, a coffee growing and marketing association in Kasese District on the foothills of the mountains. The product offers tourists a chance to experience the ‘coffee journey’ and has proved very popular.

Kinyampanika Chimpanzee Conservation and Development Association was initiated by the Abantaghi clan members in Kabarole District, whose totem is the chimpanzee and who are mandated culturally to ensure its welfare.

The group has dedicated itself to chimpanzee conservation, and to enhance the efforts, WWF is supporting them to develop a chimpanzee tourist trail that is also ideal for bird watching and sightseeing. This is done alongside their Rwenzori cultural tourism experience, which mainly focuses on the Bakonzo culture.

On the way to the Kilembe circuit of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, the Kyanjuki Handcraft Women’s Association has a booth displaying beautiful assorted crafts made out of both local and recycled materials, which include baskets, shopping bags, and jewellery.