Uganda | Officially Approved Six New National Parks, Expanding its Total to 16

Uganda is actively working on tourism development on recovering and growing the sector post - COVID 19 aiming to increase foreign exchange and job creation through diverse offerings like cultural heritage, eco - tourism, gorilla trekking, efforts include improving infrastructure and airline connectivity, enhancing visitor experiences, investing in hotels and services, marketing the country’s unique attractions, and fostering sustainability through collaboration with organizations like the Global Tourism Council (GSTC) and now has officially approved six new national parks, expanding its total to 16.

This move aims to enhance conservation, safeguarding wildlife habitats, and diversifying the country’s tourism offering in a land that offers a wide range of unique, natural attractions, including rainforests, savannas, snow - capped mountains, and the Great Lakes.

The decision was ratified by Cabinet and supports national efforts to reduce human - wildlife conflict, curb encroachment, and positioning Uganda as a premier safari destination.

The newly gazetted parks that were forest and wildlife reserves are : 

•    Bukaleba - A protected area nestled in the heart of Mayunge district in the Eastern Uganda Region Uganda area highlighted by lakeside biodiversity on Lake Victoria located 120 km east of the capital of the country Kampala.
•    Echuya - A high – altitude forest along the famous Kigezi highlands in southwestern Uganda, located between an intersection of Kisoro and Rubanda distrcits near the Albertine Rift.
•    Katonga - A wildlife reserve located within Kyejojo and Kamwenge district, along the banks of the Katonga River in western Uganda.
•    Kigezi - A reserve also known the “Switzerland of Africa” covering a number of districts including Kabale, Kisoro, Kanungu, and Rukungiri located in southwest Uganda.
•    Kyambura - A wildlife reserve immediately south of Lake George located within Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda. 
•    Tooro - A radiant natural area in the rich foothills of Western Uganda, home to the Tooro Botanical Gardens, and the Matiri Central Forest Reserve.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority confirmed that the upgrade will provide added legal protection and improved infrastructure, fostering eco – tourism and community engagement in adjacent areas. 

The expansion complements existing attractions such as gorilla trekking and aims to increase visitor variety, self - drive opportunities and local livelihoods under Uganda’s Vision  2040 development strategy conceptualized around strengthening the fundamentals of the economy to harness the abundant opportunities around the country.

Link 
https://atta.travel/resource/uganda-gazettes-six-new-national-parks.html