Tangible benefits or token gestures: does Bwindi impenetrable National Park's long established multiple use programme benefit the poor?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park's long-standing Multiple Use Programme (MUP), designed to improve local livelihoods through non-timber forest products (NTFPs) trade, has delivered limited tangible benefits. Despite allowing access for medicine and basketry plants, as well as beekeeping, the programme restricts NTFPs extraction, capping potential income growth. Analysis of 384 households revealed that preferred NTFPs—often prohibited by park management—yielded a maximum annual household income of $119 (14% of total income), highlighting the constraints on livelihood improvement. Market surveys over a year confirmed that restrictive policies hinder broader economic benefits, leaving NTFPs' role in welfare enhancement minimal despite their significance.

Bitariho, R., Sheil, D., & Eilu, G. (2015). Tangible benefits or token gestures: does Bwindi impenetrable National Park’s long established multiple use programme benefit the poor? Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 25(1), 16–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2015.1074624