Echuya
Forest
Reserve
is
situated
in
Bufumbira
county
in
Kisoro
District
and
Rubanda
county
in
Kabale
District.
The
southern
end runs
along
the
north-eastern
border
of
Rwanda.
The
forest lies
between
1?14' -
1?21' S
and
29?47' -
29?52'E,
covers
an area
of 34
km?, and
has an altitudal
range of
2270 -
2570 m.
It is
situated
on the
high
altitude
range
running
between
Lake
Bunyonyi,
5kms to
the
East,
and
Mgahinga
Gorilla
National
Park, 13
km to
the
south
west. It
is 11 km
east of
Kisoro
and 15
km west
of
Kabale
town.
The main
Kabale -
Kisoro
road
passes
through
the
northern
end.
The
forest
lies
at the
heart of
the
biodiversity
rich Albertine
rift
eco-region
and is a
site of
global
biodiversity
importance
and
hence is
categorised
by
BirdLife
as an
important
Bird
Area
because
of the
high
diversity
of bird
species,
some of
which
are
globally
threatened
and
endemic.
Echuya
is
particularly
known
for its
high
quality
bamboo,
Yushania
alpina.
There
are
also areas of
broad-leaved
forest,
particularly
along
the
Eastern
side and
higher
altitude
northern
end of
the Kabale -
Kisoro
road.
The
forest
cover is
approximately
80%
mature
Macaranga
kilimandscharia
and
Hagenia
abyssinica
forest
and 20%
mountain
bamboo
Yushania
alpina.
The
forest
contains
the
large Muchuya
Swamp
which
runs
north
south
along
the
reserve
and
drains
it to
the
south.
The
forest
is
surrounded
by areas
with a
very
high
rural
population
density
that
depends
entirely
on
natural
resources
and
forest
products
for
their
basic
livelihood
needs
e.g.
firewood,
bamboo
for
construction,
medicinal
plants
etc).
Most of
the
landscape
around
Echuya
has been
deforested,
leaving
the
Central
Forest
Reserve
as the
only
local source
of
forest
products.
The
surrounding
communities
have
been
using
forest
products
unsustainably
due to
lack of
alternative
sources
of
livelihoods.
Other conservation organizations including Uganda Wildlife
Authority (UWA) have also come up with sustainable programmes such as gorilla tracking, birding, community walks, e.tc that are geared towards improving the
livelihoods of the sorrounding communities.