Can eco-tourism be a driver for inclusive economic growth in the fragile context of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo?
This was the main question discussed by tourism experts during a recent field trip to the Virunga National Park, as part of the SWITCH Africa Green Regional Meeting on Sustainable Tourism, held on 29-30 October in Kigali, Rwanda. The field trip involved government and private sector partners from SWITCH Africa Green projects on Sustainable Tourism, bringing experiences ranging from wildlife tourism promotion in the National Parks of Kenya to engagement with the hotel industry in Mauritius to green their practices. The visit focused on exploring the opportunities for eco-tourism supporting conservation and driving sustainable growth in the local communities bordering Virunga, under the management of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN).
The Virunga range of volcanic mountains lies on the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda, and is also known as the home to a critically important population of Mountain Gorillas, elephants, okapis and chimpanzees. According to the latest census, more than 600 mountain gorillas live in the Virunga Volcanoes, which is more than twice as many as thirty years ago thanks to conservation efforts.
In recent decades, Virunga has had to tackle extraordinary challenges posed by refugees, militias, poor governance, and poverty. Continued civil unrest and the presence of armed militias make conservation work and development difficult in the DRC's protected areas. Oil and gas companies have an eye on resources in areas near or even inside the Virunga National Park, while livestock and human encroachment add to the pressure on the Park.
Yet emerging from those challenges, the park is becoming an engine for green growth and could transform the region by providing access to energy, investing in tourism infrastructure, and creating jobs and income opportunities. With its natural wealth and tourism potential, Eastern-DR Congo could become an inclusive green economy model that produces growth without eroding the underlying stock of its natural wealth, conserving its biodiversity and attracting major green investments. “Green” investments preserve the natural capital and ecosystem services that support the lives of millions of people and economies in Africa. These investments often result in positive social impacts, particularly poverty eradication. When compared to traditional investments, green sectors frequently benefit the poorest in society, who rely on natural resources for their well-being (e.g. rural employment stimulated from renewable energy development projects; improved food security from higher agricultural productivity; sustainable fisheries in Virunga, and reduced household expenditure from energy efficiency improvements).
One particular initiative by the management of Virunga National Park is the promotion of sustainable energy for poor households, as an alternative to forest destruction for charcoal, through the development of combustible briquettes, a new energy industry that is projected to create 30,000 jobs alone, in post-conflict areas of eastern DRC.
The field trip confirmed that there is generally a need for identifying and prioritising some key initiatives promoting the green economy, such as the Virunga National Park, which offers a great opportunity to integrate and test an inclusive green economy model in practice, as an alternative to the usual short-term, one-off exploitation of eco-systems and natural resources. Investing in Virunga is therefore a valuable opportunity to conserve the natural basis on which the economy and livelihoods depend, and an effective pathway to address poverty, create employment and improve the overall well-being of the population in Congo.
Kibumba Tented Camp
The latest of all camps in Virunga National Park is the Kibumba tented camp. Kibumba hosts about 36 guests at a time with 18 tents. This camp is the closest to the border with Rwanda in Goma and also to the foot of Nyiragongo making it the most suitable place to stay.
For more information visit: https://visitvirunga.org/
