Fighting
to preserve the natural richness of Virunga National Park is the deed of two
Congolese men, Bantu Lukumba and Josué Kambasu Mukura – at the risk of their
own lives. The two men are engaged in its protection in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC), even if this puts their lives in danger. The park is indeed
one of the most dangerous regions of the world: in the past 10 years, over 150
Congolese guards were murdered there.
Founded
in 1925 during Belgian colonisation by King Albert I, Virunga National Park, a
World Heritage site, is Africa’s oldest park. On the slopes of several extinct
volcanoes live a third of the world’s populations of the emblematic mountain
gorillas.
While
it is blessed with nature, Virunga National Park is also one of the regions
most threatened by corruption, by armed conflicts between the official army and
rebel groups, and by the oil industry. It is precisely to act against these
threats and for the preservation of wildlife that Bantu created the IPDE in
partnership with the park’s national authority, the Congolese Institute for the
Conservation of Nature (ICCN), and other local and international organisations.
But since the IPDE was established, Bantu is regularly threatened. He was arrested
six times and was forced to leave the country on three occasions to avoid being
killed. He also fled DRC after protesting against the oil project in the park
by British company Soco.
The
same kind of spirit inhabits Josué, who ceaselessly engages with local
communities to raise their awareness on the importance of preserving their
natural heritage. Both men strive to convince local people that within Virunga
National Park lies great economic potential, a way out of out of poverty
through activities that don’t threaten natural resources. Ecotourism already
generates more than one million US dollars of income. More safety for the park
could increase this figure to USD 235 million, benefitting local communities
and creating more than 7,000 jobs.
Link
to original article:
https://www.iucn.org/news/world-heritage/201704/one-most-dangerous-regions-planet-two-heroes-inspire-their-communities
