ZSL Conservation
ZSL’s achievements in Virunga In 2004, ZSL started a €1.5million programme of work across Virunga National Park under a grant from the European Commission. Recent activities have focused on the northern sector, which has had little attention relative to other areas of the park. Outputs to date include: • Provision of ICCN personnel with a variety of training, including wildlife monitoring, anti-poaching strategies, law
© Stuart Nixon/ZSL
enforcement, mountain guiding, English and human
•
resource management; Supply of patrol rations and
Plans for the future © Noëlle Kümpel/ZSL
ZSL is expanding its focus on okapi to conserve this
support and performance-
unique animal not only in and around Virunga National
based bonuses to supplement
•
•
Park but to lead efforts to develop and implement a
ICCN’s insufficient salaries; Rehabilitation of infrastructure
conservation action plan for the species across its range.
such as ranger stations and
An urgent priority to conserve the integrity of the forests
patrol posts which were
of Virunga’s northern sector is the conservation of a key
neglected, destroyed or
forest corridor to the north as far as and including the Mt
occupied during the conflict; Peaceful and voluntary
Hoyo Reserve. ZSL intends to work with ICCN and local © ZSL
relocation of people illegally
activities with private and public partners, including: • Development of a REDD (reduced emissions from
encroaching on or inhabiting
•
the park to suitable
deforestation and forest degradation) project in the
resettlement sites; Biological and socio-economic
core corridor zone to reward communities and/or
field surveys to help
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communities to conserve this forest corridor via multiple
•
ICCN for conserving the forest and its biodiversity; Sustainable agroforestry via shade-grown cocoa
understand the status of and
and other organic crops in the corridor buffer zone
threats to biodiversity in and
to increase farmer incomes and reduce the need for
around the park; Participatory research with
© Stuart Nixon/ZSL
•
shifting, slash-and-burn cultivation; Reforestation via school tree nurseries to raise
•
awareness of forest conservation among youth; Marketing of fuel-efficient stoves to reduce charcoal
•
consumption in urban centres; An evaluation of the social and biodiversity impacts
local communities to identify potential alternatives to unsustainable use of the park’s resources.
Collaborators and supporters
of different components of the project, to inform the development of DRC’s national REDD strategy.
More information For more information on this project please contact Dr Noëlle Kümpel (noelle.kumpel@zsl.org) w w w . zsl. o r g / v ir u n g a
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