Dr. Emmanuel de Merode is Chief Warden of Virunga National Park in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has dedicated the past fifteen years of his career to protecting the National Parks systems of Eastern Congo through a series of brutal international and civil wars. He is regrettably unable to post today, but we'll look forward to hearing from him soon.
In the meantime, I want to draw your attention to Virunga National Park. This epic saga is about a testing ground for the most difficult climate and development challenges we face today. The park directorship is charting a course to create sustainable development that will serve many for generations. DR Congo, Central Africa, and the people holding trump cards in the developed world are at the brink of making an irreversible choice.
De Merode and his colleagues risk their lives for a sustainable future that creates a workable economy for the local people. Virunga National Park points the way to the future. As Virguna goes, so go we all...
The Virunga Mountains make up a volcanic chain that runs along the borders of Uganda and Rwanda with Democratic Republic of the Congo. This region contains a wide range of geographic and biological landscapes, and thus contains the greatest diversity of species in Africa -- and perhaps the entire world. The park iteself was named a UNESCO World Heritage Center, because of this uniqueness and richness. Made famous in the west because of the mountain gorillas who live there, Virunga National Park is home to one third of all the mountain gorillas in the world.
Protecting Virunga is more than gorilla sentimentality. It is a matter of survival, economics, and development.
What are the immediate threats to the park?
War, and a broken economy.
Mining was once an established industry in the region, but armed groups now control a lot of the mines around Virunga National Park. They raise revenue to support their military operations by forcing slaves to work the mines and by taxing independent, artisanal miners who sustain a small economy in the area. Artisans work the mines, and pay tariffs to the militias and to the corrupt merchants who buy and sell the ores.
Armed groups who don't control mines raise money by plundering resources in the park. One of the more destructive practices is making charcoal. Several armed groups make charcoal illegally inside the park. This trade is highly organized, involves several militia groups, and raises some $35 million per year.
Poaching, unlicensed fishing, and extracting exotic hardwoods are other ways people make money illegally in the park. There is a bushmeat trade, as well as animal trafficking. The video below shows result of a sting operation orchestrated by the park rangers:
SOCO International wants to drill for oil in the park.
The DR Congo government opened 85% of the park to oil exploration, and experts determined that there is oil under Lake Edward. This is the large lake between Virunga National Park and Uganda on the map below:
SOCO claims that they can drill without corrupting Lake Edward. Really? The Great Lakes on this map alone support people in Eastern Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi -- not only through fishing, but because they are a source of water. The cities in the region often sit on top of hardened lava, so it is not possible to drill wells to produce water. Goma, DR Congo is located on Lake Kivu, and sits directly south of the park. It suffers from a dire water shortage because it is so difficult to drill for clean water there because it sits on hardened lava.
Extracting oil from Lake Edward is not a chance worth taking.
How can the park build a local economy?
In 2006, Democratic Republic of the Congo passed a post-war constitution. This document was written by Congolese people and mentored by the American Bar Association. In it the people have strong civil rights, including voting rights and rights to participate in governance. DR Congo's people are now in the long process of learning the about the law and how to enforce it.
"The laws enshrined in the Congolese Constitution govern Virunga National Park."
- Virunga National Park can bring a renewable economy that is sustainable for years to come. Tourism has the potential to bring in more than $1 billion in revenue per year. Rwanda currently exceeds $400 million in revenue per year from their gorilla tourism sector. The park contributes 30% of its tourism revenue to local communities for schools, roads, and rebuilding after many years of war. This brings jobs to many sectors in nearby cities as well as to the park itself.
- Hydroelectric and solar power programs have the potential to bring electricity to the area. Electricity means jobs in the tourism sector and beyond. It also means that fewer people depend on charcoal.
- The positive trends in Virunga National Park will affect conservation policy in DR Congo generally. Good conservation policy in DR Congo is critical for implementing sustainable economies all over Africa. The Congo River alone has the potential to provide hydroelectric power to the entire continent.
If you would like to help Virunga National Park, The Virunga Fund is a US 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible according to rules determined by the IRS. Alternatively, there is a UK-based fund, The Virunga Foundation.
Go to a screening of Virunga, a new documentary film about the park.
Here are the park rangers thanking Happy Hollow Zoo in San Jose for their generous fundraising contributions:
Even if you can't donate -- tell their story. Please tell their story.
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UN Climate Summit/March Blogathon - September 19-23
Diary Schedule for Tuesday, September 23rd
All Times Pacific
The complete guest list of diarists is in this announcement diary by rb137: People's Climate March Blogathon – Blog Team Thanks Meteor Blades. All previous blogathon diaries can be found here.
From ClimateBrad: I'm excited to announce that I will providing livestreamed, on-the-ground coverage of the People's Climate March this Sunday and at follow-up actions in the days ahead at PeoplesClimate.tv.
1:00 pm: rb137.
3:00 pm: VL Baker.
4:00 pm: newpioneer.
Please republish these diaries to your Daily Kos Groups. You can also follow all postings by clicking this link for the Climate Change SOS Blogathon Group. Then, click 'Follow' and that will make all postings show up in 'My Stream' of your Daily Kos page.
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