18 Jun 2009 Mabamba Bay Ramsar Site, Uganda, Africa Ecotourism
Promoting Community Participation and Support in Conservation and Wise Use of Mabamba Bay Wetland of International Importance
Safeguarding the Ecological Functions of Mabamba Ramsar Site for Sustainable Pro-Poor Eco-Tourism, Community Livelihood Support and Environmental
The project aims at laying a firm foundation for Ecosystem conservation, Community Participation and wise-use through the eco-tourism window.
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.