Evaluation Summary - Sustainable Financing of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park Project

Rwenzori Mountains National Park (RMNP), established in 1991, is located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This ecosystem is part of the larger Virunga range and reaches an elevation of 5,109 meters. Its highly diverse habitats (Afro-montane forest, Afro-alpine grasslands, wetlands, glaciers) are home to numerous species such as chimpanzees, red duikers, and the Rwenzori leopard.

The Rwenzori ecosystem provides essential environmental services. It serves as a water source for two million people and numerous businesses. The diversity of its landscapes makes it a unique, though little-known, tourist destination. In the buffer zone, some 805,000 inhabitants are seeking land for subsistence farming, firewood, and protein sources; anthropogenic pressure is exacerbating chronic erosion.