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2008
NEMA
Dawn at the Mt. Elgon Ranges (2008)
Mt. Elgon Benet Area

The current aim of the project is to “promote community
A number of forest dwellers still live in the park.
development and conserve Mount Elgon’s ecosystem
They are primarily pastoralists, practising subsistence
for present and future use” using a “community
agriculture in gardens next to their houses. Prior to
based resource management approach” involving the
cultivation, the areas are burnt and cow dung is added
participation and empowerment of local communities
to the soil to fertilise it. The gardens are then planted
in the development process (MECDP, 1995). Working
for two or three years. The high altitude prohibits the
in conjunction with MENP, park regulations have been
production of maize, but potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)
formulated with reference to the needs of local people
and matoke (Musa sapientum) are widely grown. When
and their resource use levels, and enforced in conjunction
the evictions occurred, many of these gardens and
with a comprehensive extension programme. Collaborative
grazing areas around them were abandoned. Immediately
management was piloted in two parishes, with the aim
after the 1990 evictions the forest was lacking the dense
of extending it to all forest-adjacent parishes before the
shrub layer characteristic of East African upper montane
project ends in 2000.
forests (Richards, 1996) and extensive areas of top-soil
were exposed due to the activity of cattle (Katende,
IUCN have commissioned a number of resource
A. pers. comm.). The current pastoralists concentrate
inventories and assessments. Katende et al. (1990)
grazing activity on the Benet grasslands which meander
carried out a biodiversity inventory for woody perennials
through the forest at an altitude of approximately 2,500
and birds. A Land Mapping and Biodiversity Survey of
- 2,800 m. It is not certain whether the Benet grasslands
Mount Elgon National Park was carried out in 1993 to
have always been open grassy areas (van Heist, 1994)
assist the development of a long term management plan
but they are maintained as artificial climax by heavy
(van Heist, 1994). The survey described numerous aspects
grazing. A number of cattle graze in the forest, but they
of the mountain with an emphasis on plant biodiversity. A
are fewer in number than before the evictions. Although
“resource use assessment” was commissioned for the same
the Ndorobos live illegally in the area they are tolerated
purpose detailing resource use by people groups across the
by the National Park authorites who are currently deciding
mountain through a series of semi-structured interviews
whether to relocate them.
and group discussions (Scott, 1994).
88
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