Virunga National Park

• Armed conflict, lack of security and political instability
• Attribution of a petroleum exploration permit inside the property
• Poaching by the army (issue resolved) and armed groups
• Encroachment
• Extension of illegal fishing areas
• Deforestation, charcoal production and cattle grazing

• Increased poaching of wildlife
• Inability of staff to patrol the 650 km long boundary of the Park
• Influx of 1 million refugees occupying adjacent parts of the Park
• Widespread depletion of forests in the lowlands

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4338

Adopted in 2011, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4338

Revised in 2014, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5979
Updated in 2018, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/7224 

Adopted in 2018, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/7224

Total amount granted: USD 1,802,300 from the United Nations Foundation and the Governments of Italy, Belgium and Spain as well as the Rapid Response Facility (RRF), USD 40,000 from the Rapid Response Facility (RRF)

On 8 April 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/63/documents/ and reporting the following:

• 2021 saw a renewed deterioration in the security situation and a proliferation of armed groups. Violence against authorities and civilians is increasing and the park deplored 8 deaths amongst its staff in 2021 adding to the 220 guards killed in the line of duty in the last 25 years, largely through armed group attacks;
• The construction of five fortified forward observation bases (FOB) and one airstrip operated by eco-guards and the DRC armed forces (FARDC) allows a rapid response to rebel attacks and contributes to security in the region. Armed groups remain active in the southern and central sectors. Control of the northern Mount Tshiaberimu area, habitat of the only group of Grauers gorilla has been maintained. The park also regained control of two areas close to Lake Edward that were previously held by armed groups.
• In 2021, 7,460 patrols covered 105,862 km, with approximately 20% conducted jointly with FARDC. Patrol coverage was 84% supported by enhanced operational infrastructure, slightly down from previous years as a result of the pandemics (Ebola, COVID-19) and growing insecurity;
• Transboundary cooperation with Uganda and Rwanda for the protection of flagship species (mainly gorillas, elephants, hippos) remained effective despite COVID-19. Activities included the delineation of the park boundaries at the Rwandan border and installation of 3 km of electric fence to avoid human-wildlife conflict between elephants and agriculture in Rwanda, joint ICCN-FARDC-Ugandan Army patrols to address fisheries resource exploitation in Lake Edward, and the development of a zoonotic disease risk management plan in the Virunga Landscape;
• Charcoal production remains a major threat. Actions include charcoal seizures, court referrals and a pilot project to promote improved green energy as an alternative to deforestation;
• In 2021, the installation of 138 km of electric fencing significantly slowed encroachment, which covers 12.1% of the property. The major ecological zones (gorilla sector and ecological corridor) remain protected.;
• The demarcation of 477.3 km (138 km fenced) of boundaries has been completed. Around 434.5 km remain to be demarcated;
• Fish catch on Lake Edward has dropped by 27% and efforts to address illegal fishing continue including planned regulation of fishing by electronic identification of vessels and the fight against armed groups.
• Since 2015, the gorilla population continues to grow at its natural annual rate (4.5%), with nearly 300 individuals recorded in the property in 2021. The elephant population is at a 40-year high with nearly 800 individuals recorded in the property in aerial surveys (550 in 2020, 133 in 2018), with animals moving back into the park from neighboring Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda). The hippo population is stable at around1,500 individuals and slowly recovering following a decline from 30,000 individuals to less than 1,000 between the 1970s and mid-2000. A significant decrease in hippo poaching was recorded (26 in 2019, 7 in 2020) however hippos are no longer present in the recently recovered Lake Edward area;
• The majority of poaching of buffalos, elephants and hippos occurred in an area formerly occupied by armed groups, over 2,000 traps were observed, several poachers and camps were destroyed;
• Oil exploration is for the moment no longer considered but the exploration permits granted in the property have not been officially cancelled since the withdrawal of SOCO over 7 years ago;
• The implementation of the Virunga Alliance program has continued through the development of small-scale hydropower, agriculture, and fishing practices outside the property. Tourism infrastructure has been rehabilitated whilst ecotourism remains on hold due to pandemics and insecurity;
• 149 new eco-guards were recruited and trained (total 730 staff) including in aerial surveillance and human rights. A 2021-2025 Development and Management Plan (PAG) is under validation. Operational funding is around USD 18.5 million. Electricity production, agriculture and tourism have generated USD 81 million to date. A strategy is being developed to secure financial autonomy for the property by 2026;
• Overall difficulties/challenges include the impacts of armed groups on management activities, encroachment in the property linked to corruption, and impacts of pandemics, amongst others;
• Almost 5 km of road was opened, and a military camp constructed in the property to facilitate military operations.

On 29 July 2022, the World Heritage Centre transmitted to the State Party information available in the public domain regarding a decision by the Government to auction oil and gas blocks, including for two oil blocks overlapping with the property as well as oil blocks covering other protected areas outside the property. Although the oil blocks overlapping with the property were not included in the initial auction documents, they were included in subsequent official communications. On 8 May 2023, the Ministry of Hydrocarbons issued a publicly available statement that the deadline for the auction (for the Albertine Graben) is extended to November/December 2023. At the time of preparation of this report, no reply has been received from the State Party on this matter.

During 2022 and 2023, UNESCO held several exchanges with the park authority “Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)” in response to the considerable deterioration in the security situation, which reported the following:

• the situation in the mountain gorilla sector became critical following the attack on the Bukima guard post in November 2021 and the sector is now largely under control of the M23 armed group;
• ICCN remains the legal authority and patrolling by park staff continues in the central sector but has been suspended in the mountain gorilla sector ;
• ICCN has been working with local community trackers who continued mountain gorilla monitoring work. This work has been supported through a grant from the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) .

Since the extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee in July 2021, ICCN rangers continue to be killed in armed attacks including one ranger on 15 October 2021, one ranger on 20 November 2021, two rangers on 23 December 2022, one on 6 February 2023, four rangers and one civilian staff on 18 May and two rangers on 28 May 2023.

On 14 March 2023, UNESCO sent a letter to the Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development, welcoming the continued efforts of the park authorities to maintain conservation activities in the property in the current situation of active conflict, expressing UNESCO’s support and solidarity with the families of the victims of the current tragic events, and suggesting the joint organization of a national workshop on heritage protection in conflict zones in DRC during 2023.

It is of significant concern that since the last State Party report, the security situation in the region of the property has deteriorated considerably as a result of a renewed offensive by armed groups. It is concerning that ICCN staff were forced to abandon the gorilla sector, and that the sector remains unpatrolled. However, the continued efforts to monitor the gorilla populations through local community trackers, supported through an emergency grant from the RRF, is commendable. The World Heritage Centre plans to further support this work through the financial contribution of Norway to the World Heritage Fund. It is noted that the authorities reported that at this stage, gorilla populations remain unaffected by the hostilities, but that local poaching pressure is increasing. Local poachers are not targeting gorillas but small game for subsistence consumption using snaring, but there is a danger that gorillas fall victim to these snares. Community trackers are also involved in snare removal and inform local authorities on encountered cases of poaching.

ICCN also reported that fighting has also resulted in the internal displacement of people, many of whom are currently installed in makeshift camps on the flanks of the volcanoes, resulting in an important increase in deforestation pressure without access to alternative sources of firewood for cooking and heating.

It is further noted with significant concern that a large part of the park is included in the territory administered by armed groups, including the park headquarters at Rumangabo. Whilst it is encouraging that a number of park rangers remain present in Rumangabo and continue to patrol the central sector of the property, the loss of life and injury amongst park staff is tragic. The reported involvement of some local armed groups in commercial poaching activities is also concerning, although authorities report that at this stage, continued patrolling by park staff in the central sector has limited the impacts. It is recommended that the Committee offer its sincere condolences to the families of the guards killed in the line of duty and local communities, express its utmost concern about the deterioration of the security situation, commend the continued efforts by park staff to protect the property under difficult circumstances, and request the State Party to urgently continue its efforts to re-establish security throughout the property, including through the joint organization with UNESCO and its partners of a national workshop on heritage protection in conflict zones in DRC, as soon as possible.

Whilst the last official State Party report reported various positive achievements including maintaining patrol coverage at 84%, regaining of control over the Mount Tshiaberimu area, previously held by armed groups, and renewed control over areas on the shores of Lake Edward, it is unclear how the current insecurity has impacted these achievements.

The reported progress encroachment is very encouraging, with the area affected reduced from more than 20 % of the property in 2018 to 12% in 2021. Restoring the territorial integrity of the property remains one of the most important challenges and a key requirement to move towards a removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger in the future. In this context, the reported opening of a road and military infrastructure within the property is of utmost concern and details should be provided as soon as possible.

not to allocate new concessions overlapping with the property and to permanently cancel any existing concessions.

Whilst the initially reported continuation of transboundary cooperation with Uganda and Rwanda is positive, the broader implications of renewed insecurity on these efforts remain to be confirmed. The development of a new 2021-2025 Development and Management Plan (PAG) was also a significant step for the management of the property. It is recommended that, following validation, the PAG is submitted to the World Heritage Centre. Given the importance of sustainable financing, the development of a strategy for the property to achieve financial autonomy by 2026 is highly commended.

Regarding flagship species, the report in 2022 that the gorilla population is increasing and that elephants are starting to return from Queen Elizabeth National Park is positive, however there is a risk that these positive trends are reversed given the insecurity in the area. This is a strong indication that poaching was better controlled in this part of the property before the start of the current hostilities. The slow recovery of the hippo population is noted after the catastrophic decline during past decades. These are encouraging signs, but the current upsurge in poaching pressure linked to the insecurity poses a risk that these successes could be reversed, with the increased presence of armed groups impacting patrolling and monitoring of large mammals. Recalling that the recovery of flagship populations will require time, the efforts to protect and conserve these species under very difficult conditions is commended and efforts to continue to address poaching and prevent a renewed decline of flagship species should be maintained as far as the security situation allows. Recalling again that in 2020, the State Party reported that the biological indicators of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) requested by the 2018 Reactive Monitoring mission, were being harmonized with the PAG and that both will be transmitted once finalized, it is recommended these are submitted to the World Heritage Centre as soon as the conditions on the ground allow.

The ongoing efforts to promote sustainable development through the Virunga Alliance programme are welcomed. Considering the possible further development of run of river small scale hydropower on the rivers outside the property, it is recommended that the State Party ensure that these projects are appropriately assessed, including that the potential impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property are fully considered.

Taking into account the impact of the renewed fighting in the property on its state of conservation and the decision of the State Party to again auction the petroleum blocks overlapping with the property, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to invite a joint UNESCO/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, as soon as the security situation allows.

It is also recommended to retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger and to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring mechanism.