TIMELINE: EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE VIRUNGA VOLCANOES
Author: José Kalpers
Publication Services: Grammarians, Inc.
Publication Manager: Kate Sullivan
Copyediting/Production Editing: Grammarians, Inc.
Cover Photo: Martin Leuders
Cover Design: Steve Hall
Desktop Publishing: Mike Alwan
BSP Armed Conflict and the Environment Project Director: James Shambaugh
BSP Director of Communications: Sheila Donoghue
Director of BSP’s Africa and Madagascar Program and BSP Executive Director: Judy Oglethorpe
Please cite this publication as: José Kalpers. 2001. Volcanoes under Siege: Impact of a Decade of Armed Conflict in the Virungas. Washington, D.C.: Biodiversity Support Program.
This is one of seven BSP case studies undertaken as research for BSP’s Armed Conflict and the Environment (ACE) Project. The other six case studies can be viewed on BSP’s Web site, at www.BSPonline.org. This publication was made possible through support provided to BSP by USAID’s Bureau for Africa, Office of Sustainable Development, under the terms of Cooperative Agreement Number AOT-A-00-99-00228-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID.
© 2001 by World Wildlife Fund, Inc., Washington D.C. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication for educational and other noncommercial purposes is authorized without prior permission of the copyright holder. However, WWF, Inc. does request advance written notification and appropriate acknowledgment. WWF, Inc. does not require payment for the noncommercial use of its published works and in no way intends to diminish use of WWF research and findings by means of copyright.
This case study examines events that took place between 1990 and 2000 in the Virunga Volcanoes region, which straddles Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and each country's impact on the region's biodiversity. Armed conflict and the human displacement it generates have harmed both the region's human societies and its natural ecosystems. Some of the most serious consequences include deforestation, poaching, declining tourism, weakened institutions, and massive loss of human life. The region's infrastructure was ruined. Millions of people became refugees. Local residents grew skeptical of the need to protect the environment. This document describes and analyzes the responses to the crises observed during different phases of this10-year period, with particular emphasis on the collaboration among the conservation, emergency-response, and development sectors. One of the main conclusions is the need for greater collaboration at all levels during such crises: intersectoral collaboration, transboundary collaboration, even collaboration at the military level. Damage to ecosystems may also be averted during crises by providing substantive assistance to institutions already in place, such as agencies responsible for protected areas, by developing their human resources, particularly in the field. Lastly, this document also discusses the role of outside partners, such as official development agencies and conservation NGOs.