We would like to thank the three protected area authorities in Rwanda (Office Rwandais de Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux), Uganda (Uganda Wildlife Authority) and Democratic Republic of Congo (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature) for their continued and courageous efforts to protect the afromontane forests that straddle the borders they share. Their work, over the past 10 years, has been extremely difficult and dangerous. Their efforts, bolstered by a strong sense of collegiality and dedication as a group, has ensured the continued existence of forests as protected areas, home to a rich variety of wildlife. The work of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) has only been possible because of the dedicated park staff on the ground.
We would also like to thank the many other organizations with whom IGCP works in partnership to protect these forest habitats and their wildlife. These include, but are not restricted to, the following: CARE in both Uganda and Rwanda, the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society, Programme Environmental Virunga of WWF, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and Europe, Morris Animal Foundation, Berg Gorilla Regenwald Direkt Hilfe, Uganda Community Tourism Association, Albertine Rift Conservation Society, International Rhino Foundation, German Technical Cooperation, Gilman International Conservation, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations World Food Programme, and United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
In IGCP, the team on the ground deserves credit for the successes of the program. It is the team members’ dedication to the objectives of the program, their willingness to work long and hard hours, their strong sense of partnership with the park staff and their exceptional, individual qualities that we would like to commend. The sense of friendship and respect that has grown among the members of the IGCP team has allowed the program to evolve.
Finally, we would like to thank Arthur Westing for his extensive comments, based on his valuable experience and expertise in transboundary natural resource management and work in conflict areas. For his input we are very grateful. We would also like to thank Harry van der Linde, of the Biodiversity Support Program, for his help in the preparation and editing of this case study. Our thanks also go to the others who reviewed the document and provided extremely helpful comments. These include Judy Oglethorpe, Andrew Plumptre and David Wilkie. And thanks go to Wesley Wettengel (WWF-US) for his help with the preparation of one of the maps.