Protected Area Watch for the Albertine Rift (PAWAR) Data Access

As part of the Woods Hole Research Center's efforts to advance the state of knowledge concerning the threats to the ecosystem integrity of the Albertine Rift, we have developed an interactive WebGIS tool, in collaboration with the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Wildlife Conservation Society, to assist decision makers and park managers with the conservation of this hot spot of biodiversity and promote strategic planning for the entire region. The following map (below) provides links to areas throughout Uganda in which data are currently available and will allow users to combine various remote sensing derived variables, such as land-cover or percent tree cover information, with park-specific spatial datasets. These spatial datasets, provided by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, consist of ranger patrol data that has been collected over the past decade (1997-present), providing valuable information about sightings of wildlife and threats to the parks.

To view these data:

• Use your mouse to scroll over the protected areas
• Double-click one of the protected areas to launch the park-specific WebGIS application

Data are currently available for:

• Budongo and Bugoma Forest Reserves
• Kibale National Park
• Murchison Falls National Park
• Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Semuliki National Park

One of the key features of this WebGIS is the ability to upload your own files into the application and overlay them with various remote sensing derived layers (e.g., satellite imagery, land-cover, percent tree cover). Please note that these files must be in ArcGIS shapefile format, geographic coordinate system, WGS84 datum. For more details on some of the key features on how to use our WebGIS application, please click here. (This opens in a new window.)

For additional information or questions about this project, please

©Woods Hole Research Center, 2009