Virunga National Park

In 2001, WCS was asked to provide emergency assistance to the ICCN (parks authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)) for the Virunga Park. At that time, the parks staff had been working for 4 years with no salary and little support because of the civil war in DRC. Many park rangers had even lost their lives during the war which continues today.

In response, WCS raised emergency funds to help pay some of the salaries and provide uniforms to all 495 rangers in the park. This allowed them to be recognized as official staff and encouraged the governments in Goma and Beni to provide arms to the guards to protect themselves and the park. WCS also began developing plans to provide longer term support to the park as we revealed its global importance from our analysis of the species richness and endemism of the region.

Virunga park is still in dire need of assistance. The UN Foundation and UNESCO are providing some support for rangers salaries ($30 per month), and all the International NGOs working in the park have provided some support to wardens stipends ($50-100 per month). In addition, there is little available funding for basic operational expenses such as vehicle maintenance and running costs. This puts staff at risk when they are operating in insecure areas because they cannot get out quickly if they need to. 

In an effort to provide further support, WCS contacted the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundationand, together with WWF and AWF, developed a program of support for the salaries, operational costs of the office in Goma, and some operating costs in the field.

WCS is now supporting a program of transboundary collaboration between Uganda and DRC for all protected areas that connect to the Virunga park north of Bwindi Impenetrable Park. This project builds upon International Gorilla Conservation Program's work in the gorilla habitat areas, and expands it to the rest of the Virunga park and its contiguous protected areas in Uganda. This interconnected landscape, the Greater Virunga landscape, is the most species-rich region of protected habitat in Africa and possibly the world. Working with ICCN and UWA (parks authority in Uganda) to improve collaboration and joint activities will help the Virunga park in particular because many of the negative impacts come from activities of Ugandans in the park.

WCS has also opened a small office in Goma to facilitate support to this park and will be undertaking surveys to assess the impact of the war on wildlife, identify sites which need rehabilitation, and work with ICCN to establish a monitoring system for the park - building the capacity for ICCN staff to implement and manage the program. This is supported by the UNF/UNESCO's assistance in monitoring of World Heritage Sites in Congo (which WCS is leading). We would like to raise further support to provide direct assistance to the operations of the park. To make a donation online, click here.