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InternationalGorillaConservationProgrammeGreaterVirungaTransboundaryCollaboration

AnnaBehmMasozera Email:abehm@igcp.orgPhone:+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 geomuamba@greatervirunga.org

FideleRuzigandekwe

DeputyExecutiveSecretaryinChargeofProgrammes

GVTC fruzigandekwe@greatervirunga.org

GraceKyomuhendo

DeputyExecutiveSecretaryinChargeofFinanceandAdministration

GVTC gkyomuhendo@greatervirunga.org

Dr.AndyPlumptre

DirectorAlbertineRiftProgramme

WildlifeConservationSociety

aplumptre@wcs.org

• 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