International Gorilla Conservation Programme Greater Virunga … Across... · 2020-06-03 · Page 1...
Transcript of International Gorilla Conservation Programme Greater Virunga … Across... · 2020-06-03 · Page 1...
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InternationalGorillaConservationProgrammeGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaboration
AnnaBehmMasozera Email:[email protected]:+250782332280(voicemessagescanbeleftat+18029994958)www.greatervirunga.orgwww.igcp.orgCentralAlbertineRift:DemocraticRepublicofCongo,Rwanda,andUganda.Size:Mountaingorillahabitat=796.4km2ProtectedAreasintheGreaterVirungaLandscape=11,826.7km2
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Participantsincoordinatingtheongoingtransboundarycooperation:NationalGovernment:
• MinistryofEnvironmentNatureConservation,andTourism(DRC)• MinistryofTradeandIndustry(Rwanda)• MinistryofTourism,WildlifeandAntiquities(Uganda)
LocalGovernment:• NorthKivuProvinceandOrientaleProvince(DRC)• manyDistricts(UgandaandRwanda)
Protectedareaadministration:• InstitutCongolaispourlaConservationdelaNature(DRC)• RwandaDevelopmentBoard(Rwanda)• UgandaWildlifeAuthority(Uganda)
InternationalNGOs:• WildlifeConservationSociety• WWF• InternationalGorillaConservationProgramme(coalitionofFauna&Flora
InternationalandWWF)• MountainGorillaVeterinaryProject/GorillaDoctors,• DianeFosseyGorillaFundInternational
Objectives:
1) Topromoteandcoordinateconservationofbiodiversityandrelatedsocio-culturalvalueswithintheGreaterVirungaprotectedareanetwork;
2) Todevelopstrategiesforcollaborativemanagementofbiodiversity;3) Topromoteandensurecoordinatedplanning,monitoring,andevaluationof
implementationoftransboundaryconservationanddevelopmentprogrammes;
4) TopromoteandcoordinatetourismdevelopmentprogrammesintheGreaterVirungaLandscape;
5) TosecuresustainablefundingforcollaborativemanagementoftheTransboundaryProtectedAreaNetworktopromotebiodiversityconservationandtourismdevelopmentintheGreaterVirungaLandscape;
6) Toenhanceandharmonisethegenerationandsharingofknowledge,experienceandbestpracticesforevidence-baseddecisionmaking;
7) TopromoteandsupportsafetyandsecurityofwildliferesourcesandtouristswithintheGreaterVirungaLandscape.
Valuesandimportance:TheGreaterVirungaLandscape(GVL)containsmoreterrestrialvertebratespeciesandmoreendemicandthreatenedspeciesthananywhereelseontheAfricancontinent1.TheGVLincludesagreatdiversityoflandscapefeaturesfrom
1Plumptreetal.2003.TheBiodiversityoftheAlbertineRift.AlbertineRiftTechnicalReportNo.3.105pp.
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mountainsandvolcanoestovastplainsandlakeswhichhostawiderangeofforests,savannahs,wetlandsandothertypesofecosystems.Thecontiguoustransboundarysystemisimportantfor13large-bodiedlandscapespecieslikethemountaingorilla,elephants,andlions2.Further,morethan4millionpeople3aredependentuponthislandscapeforlargelysubsistenceliving.TheGreaterVirungaLandscapefallsonarecurrentgeopoliticalhotspot.Aspectsoftransboundarycooperation:WithintheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaboration,higherlevelcooperationonpolicydevelopmentandimplementationofatransboundarystrategicplanisguidedandgovernedbyaBoardaswellasaCouncilofMinisters.TheGVTCTreatyrecognizesfourregionaltechnicalcommitteescomprisedofrepresentativesfromgovernmentandacademicinstitutionsaswellasnon-governmentalorganizations:landscapemanagement,tourismdevelopment,communityconservation,andlawenforcement.Inaddition,ChiefParkWardenconsultativemeetingsareconvenedbyGVTCuponrequest/asneededtoassessandtakedecisiononjointactionssupportedbytheGVTCframeworkforimprovedmanagementofthetransboundarysystem,especiallyrelatedtocoordinatedanti-poachingefforts.Thecooperationextendstotransboundarysurveys,coordinatedunderthelandscapemanagementcommittee.
Stageintheprocess:Heads-of-StateAgreement(Treaty)signedOctober30,2015,currentlyundergoingprocessofratificationbythethreeStates.DateEstablished:October18,2005byMinisterialTripartiteDeclarationOfficialProtectedAreaDesignation:
VirungaNationalPark(DRC)–UNESCOWorldHeritageSiteSarambweNatureReserve(DRC)VolcanoesNationalPark(Rwanda)–UNESCOBiosphereReserveMgahingaGorillaNationalPark(Uganda)BwindiImpenetrableNationalPark(Uganda)–UNESCOWorldHeritageSiteQueenElizabethNationalPark(Uganda)–UNESCOBiosphereReserveRwenzoriMountainsNationalPark(Uganda)–UNESCOWorldHeritageSiteSemulikiNationalPark(Uganda)KibaleNationalPark(Uganda)Kasyoha-KitomiForestReserve(Uganda)KalinzuForestReserve(Uganda)KyambaraWildlifeReserve(Uganda)KigeziWildlifeReserve(Uganda)
TheCatalyst:ThecatalystfortransboundarycollaborationintheGreaterVirungaLandscapewasthetransboundarypopulationofmountaingorillasinthe451km2VirungaMassifwhichstraddlestheborderofDRC,RwandaandUganda.Toprotectthesmall,fragile 2Plumptreetal.2007.TransboundaryconservationintheGreaterVirungaLandscape:Itsimportanceforlandscapespecies.BiologicalConservation134(2):279-287.3Estimatedfourmillionpeoplelivewithinoneday’swalkofVirungaNationalParkinDRC.https://virunga.org/virunga-alliance/
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populationofglobalsignificance,andlocal,nationalandregionalculturalandeconomicimportance,individualsandinstitutionsneededtoworktogether,eventhroughperiodsofarmedconflict.Theprocessgrewfromthegrassrootsinformallevelthroughever-higherformalchannelstoencompassalargerareaandlargermandatefromtheoriginalcatalystofthemountaingorillas.Theprocessofformalisationandinstitutionalisationcontinues.History:HavingitsoriginsduringaperiodofviolentethnicandpoliticalconflictintheGreatLakesregionofAfrica,theGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaborationgrewfromanearlyfocusonnon-political,technicalproblem-solvingatalocallevel.Overseveraldecadesofpositiveresultsandsubsequentbuildingoftrust,theinformalandlocal-levelcontactandfacilitationhasfosteredanenablingenvironmentonwhichmoreformalisedandstrategictransboundarycollaborationwasinitiatedandadopted.Barriers,challenges,obstacles,orconstraints:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaborationissimultaneouslyanemergingandalreadyestablishedinstitution.ThechallengestoGVTCasitmovesforwardincompletingitsinstitutionaldevelopmentthroughtheratificationoftheTreaty,istosuccessfullytransitionfromanNGO-Statemodeloftransboundarycollaboration,withleadershipfromtheInternationalGorillaConservationProgramme(acoalitionofFauna&FloraInternationalandWWF)andWildlifeConservationSociety,toaState-ledmodelwithleadershipfromarecognizedSecretariat.Withthistransition,thereisapossibilitytolosethestrengthandbenefitstomoreinformalchannelsofcommunicationandcollaboration,infavourtomorebindingbutpolitically-vulnerableandbureaucraticprocesses.Theinstitutionalizationandfunctionalityoftheformalregionaltechnicalcommitteeswillbekeytothistransition,aswellasensuringthecontinuityofbroaderregionalmeetingsforinformationsharing.Financialsustainabilityisacurrentconstraint.TheGovernanceandManagementStructures● Cooperativerelationship:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaborationisa
non-bindingagreementatHeadsofStatelevel(Treaty),signedandcurrentlypendingratification.
● Legalbasisforcooperation:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaboration
currentlyoperatesaSecretariatbasedontheMinisterialTripartiteDeclarationofOctober18,2005,andhasaHeadquartersAgreementwiththeGovernmentofRwandaforthelegaloperationsofitsSecretariatbasedinKigali,Rwanda.
● Governancestructure:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaborationis
governedbyaSummit(HeadsofState),CouncilofMinisters(Ministeriallevel),andBoard(MinisterialandProtectedAreaAuthoritylevel).
● Cooperativemanagementarrangement:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundary
CollaborationiscurrentlyimplementingarevisedandagreedTransboundaryStrategicPlan(TSP)fortheperiod2013–2018.TheimplementationoftheTSPisguidedbytheSecretariataswellasformalregionaltechnicalcommittees.
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Results:ThemostrecognizedresultstodatewhichcanbeattributedtotransboundarycollaborationwithintheGreaterVirungaLandscapearethetwopopulationsofmountaingorillas,theonlytwopopulations,whichhavebeenrecordedtohaveapositivepopulationtrendoverthelasttwodecades.Mostnotably,thepopulationofmountaingorillasintheVirungaMassif.Otherachievementsmadepossiblethroughthecollaborationincludeimprovedconservationeffectivenessthroughjointandcoordinatedpatrols,regionalmeetings,collaborationstofightagainstpoachingandtrafficking,datasharingandimprovedtransboundarymonitoring,transboundarysurveys,andcoordinatedeffortstoreducehuman-wildlifeconflict4.LessonsLearned
1) Buildingtrustandinstitutionalwillingnesstocooperatetakestime(decades)andcanbebuiltfromsmallsharedactions–ajointpatrolforexample–tomoreinvolvednegotiations.
2) Regularandinformalface-to-facemeetingsandencounters,whichbuildopenlinesofcommunicationandtrust,canandmustcomplimentformalmeetingsandcommittees.
3) Consistentfairnessandcommitmentinleadershipplaysanimportantroleinachievingtrustandcooperation,especiallywhenpoliticaleventsthreatentounderminethis5.
4) Effectiveengagementandcoordinationoflocalgovernment,securityorgans,immigration/customs,andcivilsocietyisasimportantasengagementandcoordinationofprotectedareamanagers,especiallyinordertocontributetoconflicttransformationandpeacebuilding.
5) Clarifyingandagreeingtorolesofdifferentactorsaswellastherulesofengagementisimportant,especiallywhileintheprocessofinstitutionaldevelopmentandevolution.
4 Martinetal.2011.LessonsLearned:TransboundaryNaturalResourceManagement.Pages59-89in20YearsofIGCP:LessonsLearnedinMountainGorillaConservation.Kigali,Rwanda.InternationalGorillaConservationProgramme.137pp. 5TakendirectlyfromMartinetal.2011.
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ForMoreInformation
Name Title Organization
Email Phone
Dr.MuambaTshibasuGeorges
ExecutiveSecretary
GVTC [email protected]
FideleRuzigandekwe
DeputyExecutiveSecretaryinChargeofProgrammes
GVTC [email protected]
GraceKyomuhendo
DeputyExecutiveSecretaryinChargeofFinanceandAdministration
GVTC [email protected]
Dr.AndyPlumptre
DirectorAlbertineRiftProgramme
WildlifeConservationSociety
• TreatyontheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaborationonWildlifeConservation
andTourismDevelopmenthttp://www.greatervirunga.org/IMG/pdf/gvtc_treaty_oct_30.2015.pdf
• Martinetal.2011.LessonsLearned:TransboundaryNaturalResourceManagement.Pages59-89in20YearsofIGCP:LessonsLearnedinMountainGorillaConservation.Kigali,Rwanda.InternationalGorillaConservationProgramme.137pp.http://www.igcp.org/wp-content/themes/igcp/docs/pdf/IGCPLessonsLearned_English_web.pdf