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Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers nearly 100,000 ha in western Uganda and comprises the main part of the Rwenzori mountain chain, which includes Africa's third highest peak (Mount Margherita: 5,109 m). The region's glaciers, waterfalls and lakes make it one of Africa's most beautiful alpine areas. The park has many natural habitats of endangered species and a rich and unusual flora comprising, among other species, the giant heather.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Monts Rwenzori

Couvrant près de 100 000 ha dans l'ouest de l'Ouganda, le parc comprend la majeure partie de la chaîne des Rwenzori, qui culmine à 5 109 m avec le mont Margherita, troisième sommet d'Afrique. C'est une région d'une grande beauté dont les glaciers, les cascades et les lacs offrent un cadre alpin sans égal en Afrique. Le parc contient d'importants habitats naturels d'espèces menacées et une flore particulière riche de nombreuses espèces, dont les bruyères géantes.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

جبال رونزوري

يتضمن المنتزه الذي يغطي 100.000 هكتار في غرب اوغندا، المنطقة الاكبر من سلسلة جبال رونزوري التي تلتقي على علو 5109 م مع جبل مارغاريتا وهو ثالث أعلى قمة في أفريقيا. وتعتبر هذه المنطقة من أجمل المناطق حيث توفر جبال الجليد والشلالات والبحيرات إطارًا لا مثيل له في افريقيا. ويحتوي المنتزه على مساكنَ طبيعيّة مهمّة لفصائل مهدَّدة ولتشكيلة نباتات خاصة وغنية مؤلّفة من فصائل عديدة بينها الخلنج العملاق.

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

鲁文佐里山国家公园

鲁文佐里山国家公园位于乌干达西部,面积10万公顷,由鲁文索瑞山脉的主干构成,包括非洲的第三高峰(玛格丽塔峰,高5109米)。该地区的冰川、瀑布和湖泊使它成为非洲最美丽的山区之一。这一公园是许多濒危物种的自然栖息地,园中生长着许多珍稀植物,包括巨型石南花。

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Национальный парк Рувензори-Маунтинс

Занимая территорию почти в 100 тыс. га на западе Уганды, этот парк включает значительную часть горного массива Рувензори. Здесь находится третья по высоте вершина Африки – Маргерита (5109 м). Благодаря наличию горных ледников, водопадов и озер, этот парк считается одним из самых живописных высокогорных районов на всем континенте. Парк дает убежище многим исчезающим видам, а его флора очень специфична, и включает, среди прочих видов, гигантский древовидный вереск.

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Parque Nacional de los Montes Rwenzori

Situado en el oeste de Uganda, este parque de 100.000 hectáreas abarca la mayor parte del macizo montañoso de Rwenzori, que culmina a 5.109 metros de altura en la cumbre del pico Margarita, la tercera cima de África. Es un sitio de gran belleza, con glaciares, cascadas y lagos que forman un paisaje alpino sin parangón en el continente africano. El parque posee numerosos hábitats naturales donde viven animales en peligro de extinción, así como una flora rica y rara compuesta por múltiples especies, entre las que destaca el brezo gigante.

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

ルウェンゾリ山地国立公園
ウガンダの西部にある国立公園。面積は約10万haで、アフリカ大陸第3の標高を持つルウェンゾリ山(5109m)を含む山脈の主要部分が含まれる。氷河、滝、湖が点在し、アカスイギュウやボンゴの有蹄類、チンパンジーやアカコロブスの霊長類など、数多くの絶滅危惧種が生息するほか、珍しい植物の自生地となっている。

source: NFUAJ

Nationaal park Rwenzori Mountains

Het Nationaal Park Rwenzori Mountains beslaat bijna 100.000 hectare in het westen van Oeganda en omvat het grootste deel van de Rwenzori-bergketen. Deze keten bevat de op twee na hoogste berg van Afrika: Mount Margherita van 5.109 meter hoog. De gletsjers, watervallen en meren maken deze plek tot een van de mooiste berggebieden van Afrika. Het nationale park herbergt vele habitats van bedreigde diersoorten en kent een rijke en bijzondere flora. Zo zijn er 89 soorten vogels en 15 soorten vlinders. Een recente studie naar ongewervelde levensvormen vermeldt 60 soorten in de bergzone, waarvan er 25 nieuw waren voor de wetenschap.

Source: unesco.nl

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park provides stunning views of glacier and snow-capped mountains just kilometres from the equator, where it is contiguous with the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Having the third highest mountain in Africa at 5,109 m (after Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya), the Park includes a much larger alpine area than either, covering an area of 99,600 ha of which 70% lies at over 2,500 m in height. The Rwenzori Mountains are the highest and most permanent sources of the River Nile, and constitute a vital water catchment. Their multitude of fast flowing rivers, magnificent waterfalls and stratified vegetation make the property exceptionally scenic and beautiful. The mountains are well-known for their unique alpine flora which includes many species endemic to the Albertine Rift in the higher altitude zones including giant heathers, groundsels and lobelias. The Park also supplies local communities with various wild resources and is an important cultural heritage.

Criterion (vii): The Rwenzoris are the legendary “Mountains of the moon”, a reflection of the mist-shrouded mountains of this rugged massif that tower almost 4,000 m above the Albertine Rift Valley, making them visible from great distances. These mountains offer a unique and pristine landscape of alpine vegetation studded with charismatic giant lobelias, groundsels, and heathers which have been called “Africa’s botanical big game”. The combination of spectacular snow-capped peaks, glaciers, V-shaped valleys, fast flowing rivers with magnificent waterfalls, clear blue lakes and unique flora contributes to the area’s exceptional natural beauty.

Criterion (x): Because of their altitudinal range, and the nearly constant temperatures, humidity and high insolation, the mountains support the richest montane flora in Africa. There is an outstanding range of species, many of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift and bizarre in appearance. The natural vegetation has been classified as belonging to five distinct zones, determined largely by altitude and aspect. The higher altitude zones, covered by heath and Afro-alpine moorland, extend from around 3,500 m to the snow line and represent the rarest vegetation types on the African continent. Significant species include the giant heathers, groundsels, lobelias and other endemics. In terms of fauna, the Rwenzoris have been recognised as an Important Bird Area with 217 bird species recorded to date, a number expected to increase as the park becomes better surveyed. The montane forests are also a home to threatened species such as the African forest elephant, eastern chimpanzee and l’Hoest’s monkey. The endangered Rwenzori black-fronted or red duiker, believed to be a very localized subspecies or possibly a separate species, appears to be restricted to the Park.

Integrity

Challenges facing the Park include community uses of the park (such as collection of bamboo), tourism development, population growth and agricultural practices. While little agricultural encroachment has occurred due to the Park’s clearly marked boundary,  insecurity caused by rebel insurgence in recent years has affected park management and encouraged illegal activities, the reason for which the property was inscribed in the List of World Heritage in Danger from 1999-2004. The growing number of people living around the property is adding pressure on forest resources, although the cultural importance that the local communities attach to the Park as well as the various benefits they derive from ecotourism and regulated plant resource use is designed to manage this. The watershed functions as a result of the intactness of the boundary has enhanced the Park’s capacity to act as the biggest contributor of water in the region for domestic and industrial use. The integrity of the property is further enhanced by its contiguity with the Virunga National Parkin the DRC which provides an opportunity for gene flow and buffer properties.

Protection and management requirements

Rwenzori Mountains National Park is managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA, UWA succeed Uganda National Parks (UNP) which was the management authority at the time of Inscription of the site as a World Heritage Site) in accordance with the provisions of the National laws( The constitution (1995), Uganda Wildlife Act (2000), National Environment Management Act (2000), Forest and Tree planting Act (2003), Local Government Act (1987), The Land Act (1989) and international conventions (Convention of Biological Diversity 1992 (CBD), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the RAMSAR convention 1971 and the World Heritage Convention 1972).It was gazetted in 1991 under statutory instrument number 3 in 1992 and the National Park’s Act 1952. The park is considered a model for integration of cultural values into the Protected Area Management framework as an innovative approach to resource management, the first of its kind in Africa. As a result the local communities have embraced collaborative resource management initiatives. Given its significance as one of the biodiversity hotspots in the Albertine Rift, various local and international NGOs have supported the management and conservation of the property. A General Management Plan guides management operations on-site. Key challenges to address include illegal felling of trees, snow recession due to global warming, human population pressure adjacent to the property and management of waste generated through tourism operations. UWA is addressing the above threats through resource protection, community conservation education, research and ranger-based monitoring, ecotourism and transboundary initiatives with the DRC. The long-term maintenance of the integrity of the property will be achieved through sustainable financing, ecological monitoring, continued collaboration with key stakeholders andregional cooperation.

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