Joëlle MUKUNGU Organisation Concertée des Ecologistes et Amis ...

Joëlle MUKUNGU
Organisation Concertée des Ecologistes et Amis de la
Nature (OCEAN)
joellemukungu@yahoo.fr
Stakehorlder dialogue on climate change, biodiversity conservation and
ecosystem services in the Albertine Rift
15th-16th November 2011
Kunduchi Beach Hotel
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Introduc)on
• This presentation is the summary of the externalship
reasearch lead in October-December 2010, in the setting
of the training on climate change and biodiversity
conservation in the Albertine Rift region
• Team contributors: Luc Lango (Tayna Center for Biology
Conservation), Hermest Mushayuma (Centre de
Recherche en Sciences Natureles/Lwiro), Kakogozo
Bombi (Centre de Recherche en Hydrologie) and I from
OCEAN
• The research was lead in the central section of virunga
national park (Rwindi station)
• Supervisor: Dr Arthur Kalonji
• Host Institution: Tayna Center for Biology Conservation
in Goma

Objec)ves
• To assess stakeholders’ perceptions of Climate
change;
• To assess the climatic change and non climatic
change threats on large mammals and the
interaction or link between them;
• To assess the impact of climatic change threats on
livelihood; and
• To assess adaptation strategies developed by
local communities and Park manager for a
sustainable park management

Methodology
Individual interview Focus group

Study Area
339.173ha, 144.548
lake Edward
• Six villages
have been
choosen
(Visthumbi,
Lunyasege,
Rwindi,
Kanyabayonga,
Nyamilima and
Kiwanja)
• 107 heads of
households
were
interviewed
!

Finding and observa)ons
Few impact on large mammals due to climate change in the
point of view of stakeholder
Notification of variation on climate factors: temperature has
encreased while rainfall is perturbed
Non climatic change threats have impacted large mammals:
war, poaching, deforestation, invasion of the park by local
communitie and armed troops
Hippopotamus, elephants, buffalos and antelops are the more
threatned mammals
Difficulties to provide ecosystem services and good to
contribute to human wellbeing
Conflits between local communities and park managers

Impact on livelihood
Activities: agriculture, fishing, carbonisation, smoking
and salted fish
Impact of climate change: decreasing on production

challenges
Mangement of all the park is undre ICCN (Institut
Congolais de Conservation de la Nature)
ICCN is making effort to manage well the park (Remove
armed troops from the park,
An alternate arrangement has now been made between
ViNP and Forces Armées de la République Démocratique
du Congo (FARDC) to assume park control.
Intervention of parteners NGO such as WWF with action
that contribute to reduce conflits between park and local
communities
Lack of meteorological data, monitoring system of animals
Growth on population and political instability

Recommanda)ons
Integrate climate change issues in the management
plan of the protected area
Increase policy will for conservation and
management of the park
Monitoring changes on climate parameters
(Meteorological stations and infrastructure must be
restored over the entire park)
Further research must be conducted on climate
change impacts on biodiversity within the park;
Raising awareness of all stakeholders on climate
change issues