InternationalGorillaConservationProgramme
GreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaboration
AnnaBehmMasozera
Email:[email protected]
Phone:+250782332280(voicemessagescanbeleftat+18029994958)
www.greatervirunga.org
www.igcp.org
CentralAlbertineRift:DemocraticRepublicofCongo,Rwanda,andUganda.
Size:Mountaingorillahabitat=796.4km2
ProtectedAreasintheGreaterVirungaLandscape=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-cultural
valueswithintheGreaterVirungaprotectedareanetwork;
2) Todevelopstrategiesforcollaborativemanagementofbiodiversity;
3) Topromoteandensurecoordinatedplanning,monitoring,andevaluationof
implementationoftransboundaryconservationanddevelopmentprogrammes;
4) TopromoteandcoordinatetourismdevelopmentprogrammesintheGreater
VirungaLandscape;
5) TosecuresustainablefundingforcollaborativemanagementoftheTransboundary
ProtectedAreaNetworktopromotebiodiversityconservationandtourism
developmentintheGreaterVirungaLandscape;
6) Toenhanceandharmonisethegenerationandsharingofknowledge,experience
andbestpracticesforevidence-baseddecisionmaking;
7) Topromoteandsupportsafetyandsecurityofwildliferesourcesandtouristswithin
theGreaterVirungaLandscape.
Valuesandimportance:TheGreaterVirungaLandscape(GVL)containsmoreterrestrial
vertebratespeciesandmoreendemicandthreatenedspeciesthananywhereelseonthe
Africancontinent1.TheGVLincludesagreatdiversityoflandscapefeaturesfrom
1Plumptreetal.2003.TheBiodiversityoftheAlbertineRift.AlbertineRiftTechnicalReportNo.3.105pp.
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mountainsandvolcanoestovastplainsandlakeswhichhostawiderangeofforests,
savannahs,wetlandsandothertypesofecosystems.Thecontiguoustransboundarysystem
isimportantfor13large-bodiedlandscapespecieslikethemountaingorilla,elephants,and
lions2.Further,morethan4millionpeople3aredependentuponthislandscapeforlargely
subsistenceliving.TheGreaterVirungaLandscapefallsonarecurrentgeopoliticalhotspot.
Aspectsoftransboundarycooperation:WithintheGreaterVirungaTransboundary
Collaboration,higherlevelcooperationonpolicydevelopmentandimplementationofa
transboundarystrategicplanisguidedandgovernedbyaBoardaswellasaCouncilof
Ministers.TheGVTCTreatyrecognizesfourregionaltechnicalcommitteescomprisedof
representativesfromgovernmentandacademicinstitutionsaswellasnon-governmental
organizations:landscapemanagement,tourismdevelopment,communityconservation,
andlawenforcement.Inaddition,ChiefParkWardenconsultativemeetingsareconvened
byGVTCuponrequest/asneededtoassessandtakedecisiononjointactionssupportedby
theGVTCframeworkforimprovedmanagementofthetransboundarysystem,especially
relatedtocoordinatedanti-poachingefforts.Thecooperationextendstotransboundary
surveys,coordinatedunderthelandscapemanagementcommittee.
Stageintheprocess:Heads-of-StateAgreement(Treaty)signedOctober30,2015,
currentlyundergoingprocessofratificationbythethreeStates.
DateEstablished:October18,2005byMinisterialTripartiteDeclaration
OfficialProtectedAreaDesignation:
VirungaNationalPark(DRC)–UNESCOWorldHeritageSite
SarambweNatureReserve(DRC)
VolcanoesNationalPark(Rwanda)–UNESCOBiosphereReserve
MgahingaGorillaNationalPark(Uganda)
BwindiImpenetrableNationalPark(Uganda)–UNESCOWorldHeritageSite
QueenElizabethNationalPark(Uganda)–UNESCOBiosphereReserve
RwenzoriMountainsNationalPark(Uganda)–UNESCOWorldHeritageSite
SemulikiNationalPark(Uganda)
KibaleNationalPark(Uganda)
Kasyoha-KitomiForestReserve(Uganda)
KalinzuForestReserve(Uganda)
KyambaraWildlifeReserve(Uganda)
KigeziWildlifeReserve(Uganda)
TheCatalyst:ThecatalystfortransboundarycollaborationintheGreaterVirunga
Landscapewasthetransboundarypopulationofmountaingorillasinthe451km2Virunga
MassifwhichstraddlestheborderofDRC,RwandaandUganda.Toprotectthesmall,fragile
2Plumptreetal.2007.TransboundaryconservationintheGreaterVirungaLandscape:Itsimportancefor
landscapespecies.BiologicalConservation134(2):279-287.
3Estimatedfourmillionpeoplelivewithinoneday’swalkofVirungaNationalParkinDRC.
https://virunga.org/virunga-alliance/
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populationofglobalsignificance,andlocal,nationalandregionalculturalandeconomic
importance,individualsandinstitutionsneededtoworktogether,eventhroughperiodsof
armedconflict.Theprocessgrewfromthegrassrootsinformallevelthroughever-higher
formalchannelstoencompassalargerareaandlargermandatefromtheoriginalcatalyst
ofthemountaingorillas.Theprocessofformalisationandinstitutionalisationcontinues.
History:Havingitsoriginsduringaperiodofviolentethnicandpoliticalconflictinthe
GreatLakesregionofAfrica,theGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaborationgrewfrom
anearlyfocusonnon-political,technicalproblem-solvingatalocallevel.Overseveral
decadesofpositiveresultsandsubsequentbuildingoftrust,theinformalandlocal-level
contactandfacilitationhasfosteredanenablingenvironmentonwhichmoreformalised
andstrategictransboundarycollaborationwasinitiatedandadopted.
Barriers,challenges,obstacles,orconstraints:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundary
Collaborationissimultaneouslyanemergingandalreadyestablishedinstitution.The
challengestoGVTCasitmovesforwardincompletingitsinstitutionaldevelopment
throughtheratificationoftheTreaty,istosuccessfullytransitionfromanNGO-Statemodel
oftransboundarycollaboration,withleadershipfromtheInternationalGorilla
ConservationProgramme(acoalitionofFauna&FloraInternationalandWWF)and
WildlifeConservationSociety,toaState-ledmodelwithleadershipfromarecognized
Secretariat.Withthistransition,thereisapossibilitytolosethestrengthandbenefitsto
moreinformalchannelsofcommunicationandcollaboration,infavourtomorebindingbut
politically-vulnerableandbureaucraticprocesses.Theinstitutionalizationandfunctionality
oftheformalregionaltechnicalcommitteeswillbekeytothistransition,aswellas
ensuringthecontinuityofbroaderregionalmeetingsforinformationsharing.Financial
sustainabilityisacurrentconstraint.
TheGovernanceandManagementStructures
● Cooperativerelationship:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaborationisa
non-bindingagreementatHeadsofStatelevel(Treaty),signedandcurrently
pendingratification.
● Legalbasisforcooperation:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaboration
currentlyoperatesaSecretariatbasedontheMinisterialTripartiteDeclarationof
October18,2005,andhasaHeadquartersAgreementwiththeGovernmentof
RwandaforthelegaloperationsofitsSecretariatbasedinKigali,Rwanda.
● Governancestructure:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaborationis
governedbyaSummit(HeadsofState),CouncilofMinisters(Ministeriallevel),and
Board(MinisterialandProtectedAreaAuthoritylevel).
● Cooperativemanagementarrangement:TheGreaterVirungaTransboundary
CollaborationiscurrentlyimplementingarevisedandagreedTransboundary
StrategicPlan(TSP)fortheperiod2013–2018.TheimplementationoftheTSPis
guidedbytheSecretariataswellasformalregionaltechnicalcommittees.
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Results:Themostrecognizedresultstodatewhichcanbeattributedtotransboundary
collaborationwithintheGreaterVirungaLandscapearethetwopopulationsofmountain
gorillas,theonlytwopopulations,whichhavebeenrecordedtohaveapositivepopulation
trendoverthelasttwodecades.Mostnotably,thepopulationofmountaingorillasinthe
VirungaMassif.
Otherachievementsmadepossiblethroughthecollaborationincludeimproved
conservationeffectivenessthroughjointandcoordinatedpatrols,regionalmeetings,
collaborationstofightagainstpoachingandtrafficking,datasharingandimproved
transboundarymonitoring,transboundarysurveys,andcoordinatedeffortstoreduce
human-wildlifeconflict4.
LessonsLearned
1) Buildingtrustandinstitutionalwillingnesstocooperatetakestime(decades)and
canbebuiltfromsmallsharedactions–ajointpatrolforexample–tomore
involvednegotiations.
2) Regularandinformalface-to-facemeetingsandencounters,whichbuildopenlines
ofcommunicationandtrust,canandmustcomplimentformalmeetingsand
committees.
3) Consistentfairnessandcommitmentinleadershipplaysanimportantrolein
achievingtrustandcooperation,especiallywhenpoliticaleventsthreatento
underminethis5.
4) Effectiveengagementandcoordinationoflocalgovernment,securityorgans,
immigration/customs,andcivilsocietyisasimportantasengagementand
coordinationofprotectedareamanagers,especiallyinordertocontributeto
conflicttransformationandpeacebuilding.
5) Clarifyingandagreeingtorolesofdifferentactorsaswellastherulesofengagement
isimportant,especiallywhileintheprocessofinstitutionaldevelopmentand
evolution.
4
Martinetal.2011.LessonsLearned:TransboundaryNaturalResourceManagement.Pages59-89in20
YearsofIGCP:LessonsLearnedinMountainGorillaConservation.Kigali,Rwanda.InternationalGorilla
ConservationProgramme.137pp.
5TakendirectlyfromMartinetal.2011.
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ForMoreInformation
Name
Title
Dr.Muamba
Executive
TshibasuGeorges Secretary
Organizatio
n
Email
Phone
GVTC
[email protected]
rg
Fidele
Ruzigandekwe
DeputyExecutive GVTC
Secretaryin
Chargeof
Programmes
fruzigandekwe@greatervirung
a.org
Grace
Kyomuhendo
DeputyExecutive GVTC
Secretaryin
ChargeofFinance
and
Administration
gkyomuhendo@greatervirung
a.org
Dr.Andy
Plumptre
Director
AlbertineRift
Programme
[email protected]
•
•
Wildlife
Conservation
Society
TreatyontheGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaborationonWildlifeConservation
andTourismDevelopment
http://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/wpcontent/themes/igcp/docs/pdf/IGCPLessonsLearned_English_web.pdf
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