Gorillas in the Midst

The report evaluates how conservation efforts for mountain gorillas in the Virunga-Bwindi region interact with local and regional conflict dynamics. Through three case studies—a community campground upgrade, a land purchase for a buffer zone, and transboundary collaboration—the study identifies how interventions can either exacerbate tensions through unequal benefit-sharing and poor communication or foster peace through participatory management and regional cooperation. It provides a framework for Peace and Conflict Impact Assessments (PCIA) and recommends integrating conflict sensitivity into project planning, implementation, and monitoring to ensure conservation activities 'do no harm' and actively contribute to peacebuilding.

• Conservation interventions in the Virunga-Bwindi region can trigger local-level conflicts by restricting access to livelihood resources, imposing economic costs like crop loss, or through the inequitable distribution of conservation-related revenues.
• The Amagyembere Iwacu Community Camp (AICC) project failed and exacerbated local tensions because the IGCP and AICC had non-aligned goals, lacked a dispute resolution mechanism, and suffered from poor communication regarding the economics of the agreement.
• The Nkuringo land purchase and buffer zone project was largely successful in reducing conflict because it used a transparent, participatory process with independent land valuation and provided compensation above market rates.
• The establishment of the Nkuringo Community Development Foundation (NCDF) improved relations between park authorities and the community by creating a participatory forum for joint management and benefit-sharing.
• Transboundary surveillance activities, specifically 'mixed patrols', fostered trust and cooperation among rangers from different countries, but were later replaced by 'coordinated patrols' due to legal and security risks, which reduced these peacebuilding opportunities.
• Regular regional meetings organized by IGCP serve as a critical peacebuilding tool by providing a neutral forum for conservationists to collaborate based on a shared professional identity, bypassing national and ethnic divisions.
• The 2006 trilateral revenue-sharing agreement on gorilla tourism reduced tensions over perceived inequities in profit distribution between Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC, though it introduced new risks related to financial transparency and institutional corruption.
• IGCP's perceived lack of political neutrality, specifically a perceived 'strong Rwandan affinity', can create suspicions and undermine its role as a facilitator, particularly in the DRC.

APA

Hammill, A., & Crawford, A. (2008). Gorillas in the Midst. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/gorillas_in_the_midst.pdf

Chicago

Hammill, Anne, and Alec Crawford. Gorillas in the Midst. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/gorillas_in_the_midst.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hammill |first1=Anne |last2=Crawford |first2=Alec |title=Gorillas in the Midst |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=July 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/gorillas_in_the_midst.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hammill2008gorillas, author = {Hammill, Anne and Crawford, Alec}, title = {{Gorillas in the Midst}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/gorillas_in_the_midst.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }