
Impact of Congo War on Virunga National Park
Impact of Congo War on Virunga National Park
What has been particularly hard on Virunga National Park is the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and more recently the M23 rebels’ escalation. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Virunga is Africa’s oldest national park and one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, including endangered mountain gorillas, and it is home to a large variety of wildlife. But the escalating violence in the region including in the Goma and surrounding area has imperiled the park’s conservation efforts.
Wildlife Threats
Violence in the region has directly threatened the wildlife in Virunga National Park. Poaching, habitat destruction, and human disturbance to wildlife are a greater risk to the park with armed groups such as the M23 rebels only a few kilometers away or actually on the park boundary. Attacks on the rangers at the frontline of conservation efforts are becoming increasingly common. Not only does the loss of these rangers disrupt conservation work, but these rangers are a grave danger to the endangered species in the park, the critically endangered mountain gorillas, some of which live in only about 1,000.
Because of the violent situation, the rangers have been unable to monitor and protect the park’s variety of habitats effectively. That means park patrols have been curtailed, and areas that were once safe havens for wildlife are vulnerable to armed groups who now consider them their own. Such disrupts the animal’s natural behavior and movements and may destabilize them further.
Displacement and Human-Wildlife Conflict
Thousands in the region have been displaced, some are seeking sanctuary near the boundaries of Virunga Park. These displaced communities often rely on encroaching parkland for resources including such as firewood, land for agriculture, and shelter. This pressure on the park’s ecosystems, especially in the form of deforestation and poaching, increases.
Furthermore, both, the displaced people and wildlife may come into conflict as they face each other while moving into a deeper phase of the park. Animals, particularly mountain gorillas, could become more at risk of human intrusion and potential harm from human activities and violent confrontations. With the armed groups and the refugees occupying parts of the park, there is a growing risk of human-wildlife conflict, namely humans that may feel their existence is threatened by that unfamiliar human presence.

Economic Impact
Virunga National Park is not only an essential ecological resource, but also a crucial economic resource for the local and broader regional population. Tourism is a big part of the park’s economy, as visitors throng to see the mountain gorillas and other unique wildlife of the park. But the conflict is taking its toll on the tourism industry. Foreign visitors have in recent years been discouraged from traveling to the region because of instability, as a result of which tourism revenues are essential for both park management and local communities yet have been in decline.
The income that the park receives from tourism is necessary to maintain its infrastructure, its conservation projects, and its community-based projects. Reduced funding means the park can do far less to conduct basic operations such as wildlife monitoring, anti-poaching patrol, and habitat restoration. In addition, local businesses that depend on the influx of tourists are also suffering a greater loss of income, adding to the economic scarcity brought on by the war.
Park Management and Conservation Challenges
The management of Virunga National Park has also taken a battering from the war. They’ve worked tirelessly over the years to protect biodiversity and promote sustainable development with help from the Virunga Foundation, which manages the park. Yet the violence continues to intensify making it even more impossible for the foundation to continue its work. The challenges to maintaining park operations aren’t just logistical: The risk to park staff has increased substantially.
The park will be closed to visitors and areas of the park will have to be temporarily shut to give staff a safer space to work. While these changes are necessary for the protection of personnel, they serve to prevent the park from doing what it needs to be doing, protecting its wildlife. Besides, the political instability has complicated collaboration with local and international stakeholders who could have supported conservation initiatives.
International and National Response
Virunga National Park has been making the headlines internationally, with UN, wildlife conservation groups, and others urging greater efforts to save the park and its inhabitants. Civilians and wildlife in the region are under threat from ongoing violence and there have been calls for a more robust military presence. In spite of safeguards the Congolese government has pledged to wildlife biodiversity, the presence of continued instability has prevented those safeguards from being implemented.
International conservation groups have also been making efforts; more money is being spent to protect the park’s rangers and anti-poaching initiatives. However, because of the unpredictable nature of the conflict, conservation organizations like NOAA and their partners often struggle because it’s hard for them to work in the area without feeling their operations are extremely likely to present great security risks.
Looking Forward
But things are dire in Virunga National Park, and it’s not all lost. There are still endeavors made to conserve the wildlife in the park and to keep conservation projects a top priority while the war in the region continues to question its future. However local authorities, international organizations, and conservationists need to act in concert to deliver a sustainable solution that serves to protect wildlife without causing hardship to displaced populations.
Whichever way Virunga turns, peace and stability in that region and the surrounding area will be one of the conditions for getting it past this latest crisis. The park’s wildlife, rangers, and local communities will continue to suffer hugely until then. And we’ll need the international community to stand behind Virunga National Park, a beacon of hope for Africa’s natural heritage and Africa’s people who rely on it for their livelihoods.
