David Nkwanga

Pro-Poor Community Eco-Tourism Window for Sustainable Ecosystem Conservation, Community Participation and Wise Use of Mabamba Bay Ramsar Site, Uganda

Mabamba Eco-tourism & Community Information Centre.

The Shoe bil-Balaneniceps rex-is a flagship sp of Mabamba l.

A boat ride through Mabamba Wetland: A tourist being guided by the recently trained tourist guides.

David (right) with tourist guides in the process of identifying other tourist attractions around Mabamba.

King fisher.

Town/RegionCountryCategoriesDate
Mabamba, Ziba Parish, Kasanje Sub-County, Wakiso DistrictUgandaAfrica, Ecotourism18 Jun 2009

The project intends to achieve its objectives through:

1) Improving collaboration with tour operators to jointly map out ways of promoting pro-poor community tourism this to be implemented through dialogue meetings and joint planning workshops;

2) Expanding the tourism base to reduce the pressure on the wetland resource that is likely to increase with the increasing in-flow of tourists, this to involve Community mapping of potential tourist attractions in the vicinity in joint exercises between tour companies, tourist guides, and the community with the help of a professional facilitator;

3) Documentation of Indigenous knowledge to further inform conservation efforts and appeal to more community support, this to be done using volunteers and the Eco-tourism Centre Management Committee to develop a data bank of indigenous knowledge for education, research, tourism and conservation values;

4) Institutional Development and further cohesion building within Mabamba Wetland eco-tourism Association (MWETA)through participatory planning, review meetings and training programs.

You can read about David's previous project at http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/projects/david_nkwanga or for more information contact naturepaldn@gmail.com or go to www.naturepalace.net

Project Update: August 2009

We have worked with our partners, Environmental Alert to further build the capacity of the community association (Mabamba Wetland Eco-tourism Association MWETA). Under this, the following has been achieved:

I. Training on Organisation Development: A consultant was engaged who carried members of MWETA and other community leaders through the stages of organisation development and group dynamics. As one of the immediate outcomes, MWETA members realised the need for institution reviews which have been made in order to streamline the operations of the Association.

II. Training of Tourist Guides: Nine tourist guides were trained in aspects of community eco-tourism. This training was facilitated by trainers from Nature Uganda who were identified by Environmental Alert. The guides are now involved in guiding tourists.

III. Exposure Visit to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary: Members of MWETA, local leaders and representatives of Nature Palace Foundation and Environmental Alert made an exposure visit to this successful community tourism project. A number of lessons were learnt, which informed the 3-months Action Plan by MWETA aimed at improving its Eco-tourism Activities. A copy of Action Plan is hereby attached.

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Action Plan.doc39 KB
Project Update: October 2009

While the Mabamba Pro-poor Eco-tourism Project aims at laying a firm foundation for ecosystem conservation using the expansion of the tourist attractions, documenting indigenous knowledge and developing institutional capacity of community associations, the Home Herbal Gardens initiated in another project that was implemented by Nature Palace Foundation, provides an opportunity for visitors/tourists with interest in plants, herbal medicine and botany in general. Indigenous knowledge documentation and sharing is also an integral part of the Home herbal gardens approach which can also complement the objectives of the Mabamba Pro-poor Eco-tourism Project.

An exposure and learning tour was organised for tourist guides that were trained under the Mabamba Pro-poor Eco-tourism Project. At an operational level, the tourist guides and participating households got a chance to chat out ways how the integration of the two approaches can best be achieved. Nature Palace Foundation is facilitating the institutional frameworks and official collaborative terms that need to be agreed on between Mabamba Wetland Eco-tourism Association (MWETA) and Twekembe Herbal Promoters Association.

File DownloadSize
Identifying and Building on Synergies for Natural Resources Conservation and Project Sustainability.pdf371.72 KB
Redicovering Mabamba.pdf605.95 KB
Project Updates

Read about the latest progress of this project in the report below.

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January 2010.doc26 KB
February 2010.doc23 KB
Final Report

Read about the activities undertaken and findings of this project in the final report and articles below.

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Final Report.doc777 KB
Redicovering Mabamba.pdf605.95 KB
The Observer February 1 - 3, 2010.pdf323.89 KB

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