Healing the Rift

The 'Healing the Rift' project, led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) with technical support from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), piloted conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) strategies in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Albertine Rift. The project focused on four sites: Virunga National Park, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Itombwe Massif, and Misotshi-Kabogo. By utilizing conflict analysis, stakeholder dialogue, and participatory mapping, the project aimed to reduce illegal resource extraction and resolve disputes over protected area boundaries. Key successes included the establishment of monitoring committees for Lake Edward fisheries and the proactive community-supported design of the proposed Ngamika National Park. However, the report notes that long-term sustainability is threatened by persistent poverty, lack of alternative livelihoods for resource extractors, and ongoing insecurity.

• The project successfully reduced illegal fishing on Lake Edward in Virunga National Park by establishing monitoring committees in the villages of Kyavinyonge, Vitshumbi, and Nyakakoma, which fostered collaboration between fishers, the military, and the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN).
• In Kahuzi-Biega National Park, the project improved relations between ICCN and local communities in the Bugobe area by revitalizing Community Conservation Committees (CCCs) through capacity building in negotiation and group dynamics, leading 522 woodcutters to abandon illegal logging.
• The project addressed a major conflict over the creation of the Itombwe Reserve by facilitating a dialogue process between international NGOs and ICCN, resulting in an agreement to use participatory mapping to define conservation, multiple-use, and development zones.
• A proactive conflict-prevention approach was used in Misotshi-Kabogo, involving socioeconomic surveys and participatory mapping with 87 villages, leading to community support for the creation of a new national park (proposed as Ngamika National Park) and a surrounding natural reserve.
• The effectiveness of conflict-sensitive conservation is heavily dependent on the broader security context; project impacts were highest in areas with the longest periods of stability, such as Kyavinyonge, and limited in highly insecure areas like the Itombwe Massif.
• A critical barrier to the sustainability of conservation gains is the lack of alternative livelihoods for local populations; without new income sources, woodcutters and fishers are likely to return to illegal extraction due to pervasive poverty.
• The neutrality of a third-party facilitator (WCS) was essential for restoring trust and credibility to local governance structures, particularly the CCCs in Kahuzi-Biega, which were previously viewed as spies for the park authorities.
• Political and military lobbying proved effective in reducing state complicity in illegal activities, exemplified by a joint ICCN-FARDC operation in February 2010 to clear spawning grounds on Lake Edward.

APA

Kujirakwinja, D., Shamavu, P., Bamba, A., Amsini, F., Twendilonge, A., Nyembo, P., Matunguru, J., Hammill, A., Crawford, A., & Plumptre, A. (2010). Healing the Rift. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/healing_the_rift_congo.pdf

Chicago

Kujirakwinja, Deo, Papy Shamavu, Arcel Bamba, Fidele Amsini, Alain Twendilonge, Paluku Nyembo, Jeff Matunguru, et al. Healing the Rift. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/healing_the_rift_congo.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kujirakwinja |first1=Deo |last2=Shamavu |first2=Papy |last3=Bamba |first3=Arcel |last4=Amsini |first4=Fidele |last5=Twendilonge |first5=Alain |last6=Nyembo |first6=Paluku |last7=Matunguru |first7=Jeff |last8=Hammill |first8=Anne |last9=Crawford |first9=Alec |display-authors=etal |title=Healing the Rift |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/healing_the_rift_congo.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kujirakwinja2010healing, author = {Kujirakwinja, Deo and Shamavu, Papy and Bamba, Arcel and Amsini, Fidele and Twendilonge, Alain and Nyembo, Paluku and Matunguru, Jeff and Hammill, Anne and Crawford, Alec and Plumptre, A.J.}, title = {{Healing the Rift}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/healing_the_rift_congo.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }