Successes and Challenges of Conserving Mountain Gorillas in Virunga Landscape

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Successes and Challenges of Conserving Mountain
Gorillas in Virunga Landscape

• Dr. Arthur Mugisha
• Program Manager IGCP

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The Goal of IGCP

• To conserve, in the long-term, the mountain
  gorilla population in its natural forest habitat
  in the Virunga and Bwindi National Parks
  landscape, across the 3 countries of Rwanda, the
  Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda

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Our Objectives

• To work with the 3 protected areas authorities
  and other stakeholders in the 3 countries for
  effective conservation of gorillas and their
  habitat at a landscape level.
• To provide technical support, based on scientific
  data in management of gorilla populations in the
  region.
• To develop and promote conservation approaches
  through enterprises that benefit local people.

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IGCP Activities

• Eco-lodges owned by
• communities with private
• sector partnerships
• Establishment of Regional
• Information System
• Artisan group tap into booming tourism
• Sustainable medicinal plant group
• Bee-keeping and mushroom enterprises

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Successes

• Gorilla population has grown 10 since 1998
• Ranger-Based Monitoring and ranger training
• Strategic plan ratified by all 3 countries
• Tourism revenue sharing at trans-boundary level

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Challenges

• Civil unrest in the Virunga landscape that led
  to
• Massive refugees movement in Virunga forests. gt
  500,000 a week were recorded.
• Deforestation to meet cooking energy demands and
  shelter.
• Lack of buffer zone around parks
• Human-wildlife conflict and disease transmission

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Challenges continued

• Institutional failure
• Lack of general management plans for Protected
  Areas
• Poor or lack of effective communication
• Lack of guidelines and policy framework

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Challenges Continued

• Weak or non-existent Community Institutions that
• Leads to non-organised communities
• Fail to give hope to communities
• Makes communities vulnerable to manipulation to
  serve selfish interests
• Lack of flexible funding mechanisms to address
  emergencies

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Way forward

• Lobby all concerned to work towards peace in the
  Virunga region to ensure survival of mountain
  gorillas
• Declare the whole of the Virunga massif as a
  world heritage site
• Establish a long-term funding mechanism that
  enables flexibility to address emergencies and
  crisis

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Way forward continued

• Promote institutional capacity building
• Support and participate in ICCN review and
  restructuring
• Establish educational programs among the youth to
  instil awareness at early age
• Work with local communities to improve livelihoods

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Thank you for listening