the economic valuation of the proposed ... - Nature Uganda

12,078 per annum by the number of households gives
a total value of UShs 238,576,734 per annum. However,
the impact area is 7186ha out of the total size of about
30,000ha. Therefore, the value of water provision in
impact area which will be lost is equivalent to UShs
57,258,416 per annum. Holding this value constant over
the project period, the net present value of domestic
water provision translates into a conservative estimate
of UShs 477,153,468 (or US $ 280,679) 8 .
E. ECOTOURISM
According to Pearce & Pearce (2001) ecotourism is a
growing activity and contributes a potentially valuable
non-extractive use of tropical forests. A review of some
estimates of tourism values shows enormous variations
in unit values of ecotourism. For example Maille and
Mandelsohn (1991) estimated the value of tropical
forest ecotourism in Madagascar at $360 – 468/ha
based on a study of consumer’s surplus using the travel
cost method (TCM). On the other hand, other tropical
forest ecosystem values are as follows: $650/ha benefit
of no logging over continued logging in a forest in the
Philippines (Hodgson & Dixon 1988); consumer’s surplus
estimates of $ 1/ha for a site in Mexico (Adger et al 1995);
$740/ha for forest recreation areas in Malaysia (Garrod
&Willis 1997); and $950 – 2305/ha for two forested
parks in Costa Rica (Shultz et al 1998). Generally, very
8 The estimate is conservative because the population in
the enclaves and the surrounding areas will increase over the years.
However, it is possible with increased development, alternative water
sources may be developed.
Table 19: Visitor statistics
Year
42
Foreigners/
Foreign Residents
high popularity sites generate much higher values as
demonstrated by the Schultz et al study.
Ecotourism in Mabira CFR is popular due to its proximity
to large urban centres and above average biodiversity
richness. The lower case value ($360/ha) for Madagascar
from the study of Maille and Mandelsohn (1991)
could be a reasonable average estimate. Multiplying
the Madagascar value by the 7186 ha proposed for
degazettement, one estimate of the ecotourism value of
Mabira CFR would be $2,586,960/year; and the present
value at $21,558,000.
On the other hand, according to Muramira (2000),
Uganda’s tropical high forests have some of the richest
biodiversity of plant and animal life in the world. However,
compared to other national forests, the biodiversity
inventory for Mabira CFR revealed that the forest has
average biodiversity attributes (Davenport et al 1996).
The ecotourism value of Mabira lies in the fact that it
is the only THF protected area within the Lake Victoria
shore crescent. Furthermore, Mabira CFR is close to the
urban centres of Kampala (53km) and Jinja (21km). There
is increasing interest in ecotourism in Mabira CFR as
shown in Table 20. Finally, in addition to the Ecotourism
Centre operated by the NFA, new developments are
either nearing completion (for example the facility of
Ecolodges) or are in the early stages of development (for
example the plans of MAFICO). These developments,
amongst others, point to an accelerated growth in
ecotourism in Mabira CFR.
Locals Total
2005/06 1,989 2,854 4,843
1999 1,312 2,880 4,172
1998 1,450 1,125 2,575
1997 1,304 1,094 2,398
1996 1,097 515 1,612
Source : data for 2005/06 fiscal year from the NFA
: data for remaining years, Muramira (2000)
The Economic Valuation of the Proposed Degazettement of Mabira CFR | 2011