Supporting Community Conservation in Kahuzi Biega National Park

The document details efforts to mitigate conflicts over natural resource extraction in Kahuzi Biega National Park through the establishment of Community Conservation Committees (CCCs) and the implementation of a conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) approach. While initiatives by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other partners successfully improved relations and temporarily reduced illegal logging in the Bugobe village area, poverty remains a primary driver of resource extraction, leading to the introduction of microcredit programs to support local livelihoods.

• Kahuzi Biega National Park (KBNP) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the world's most significant remaining population of eastern lowland gorillas, but it was placed on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger in 1997 due to chronic instability, encroachment, and pressure on resources.
• To bridge the gap between the national conservation authority (ICCN) and local communities, Community Conservation Committees (CCCs) were formed in 13 villages around KBNP to involve stakeholders in decision-making and transmit community grievances.
• The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), partnering with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), used the conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) approach in Bugobe to address specific conflicts, prioritizing the threat of bamboo cutting through awareness raising and improved stakeholder relations.
• While the CSC project temporarily decreased illegal logging and improved relations between the community and ICCN, poverty continues to be the central driver of illegal woodcutting, necessitating the creation of a financial and agricultural microcredit program to support livelihoods.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Supporting Community Conservation in Kahuzi Biega National Park. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/csc-stories-kahuzi.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Supporting Community Conservation in Kahuzi Biega National Park. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/csc-stories-kahuzi.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Supporting Community Conservation in Kahuzi Biega National Park |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/csc-stories-kahuzi.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndsupporting, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Supporting Community Conservation in Kahuzi Biega National Park}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/csc-stories-kahuzi.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }