Virunga National Park
Factors affecting the property in 2024*
- Civil unrest
- Ground transport infrastructure
- Illegal activities
- Land conversion
- Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
- Oil and gas
- War
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Armed conflict, lack of security and political instability
- Attribution of a petroleum exploration permit inside the property
- Poaching by the army (issue resolved) and armed groups
- Encroachment
- Extension of illegal fishing areas
- Deforestation, charcoal production and cattle grazing
- Road and military infrastructure within the property
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
- Increased poaching of wildlife
- Inability of staff to patrol the 650 km long boundary of the Park
- Influx of 1 million refugees occupying adjacent parts of the Park
- Widespread depletion of forests in the lowlands
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
Adopted in 2011, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4338 ;
Updated in 2018 in the report of the joint World Hertiage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission in April 2018
Corrective Measures for the property
Adopted in 2006, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1055
Updated in 2011, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4338
Updated in 2014, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5979
Updated in 2018, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/7224
Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures
Adopted in 2018, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/7224
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2024
Total amount granted: USD 1,802,300 from the United Nations Foundation and the Governments of Italy, Belgium and Spain as well as the Rapid Response Facility (RRF), USD 40,000 from the Rapid Response Facility (RRF)
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2024
Total amount approved : 253,560 USD
| 2005 | Preparation of transboundary nomination for the Virunga ... (Approved) | 15,000 USD |
| 2000 | Emergency assistance to World Natural Heritage of the ... (Approved) | 26,400 USD |
| 1999 | Support to Resident Staff of Garamba, Virunga, Kahuzi ... (Approved) | 35,000 USD |
| 1994 | Financial contribution for the protection of ... (Approved) | 25,000 USD |
| 1993 | Financial contribution for the purchase of equipment ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
| 1992 | Review of the state of conservation of World Heritage ... (Approved) | 3,750 USD |
| 1991 | Purchase of a motor boat and of spare parts for motor ... (Approved) | 40,000 USD |
| 1990 | Training of 2 specialists each from Salonga and Virunga ... (Approved) | 4,750 USD |
| 1988 | Equipment to improve protective measures in Virunga ... (Approved) | 40,000 USD |
| 1980 | Assistance for Virunga National Park (equipment and ... (Approved) | 43,660 USD |
Missions to the property until 2024**
April 1996 - March 2006 - December 2010: World Heritage Centre Reactive Monitoring missions; August 2007: joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reinforced Monitoring mission; March 2014: joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN/Ramsar Reactive Monitoring mission; April 2018: joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2024
No report was provided by the State Party at the time of preparation of this report.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2024
The State Party did not provide any report on the state of conservation of the four properties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The lack of reporting by the State Party makes it difficult for the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to monitor the state of conservation of these properties and to provide an in-depth analysis to the Committee. This is particularly the case for Virunga National Park, which is increasingly threatened by the impacts of armed conflict in the region. The State Party also did not invite the joint UNESCO/IUCN Reactive Monitoring Mission to the property, as requested in Decision 45 COM 7A.8.
UNESCO has continued to maintain direct contact with the staff of the management authority Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), including in the framework of the project activities it is supporting in the property. The analysis below is based on this continuous monitoring.
The continued deterioration of the security situation remains of significant concern. Compared to the situation reported at the extended 45th session, more parts of the property are now reportedly included in rebel-controlled areas. As mentioned in the previous report, park staff were already forced to abandon the gorilla sector, and the area around the park headquarters in Rumangabo. Since the previous Committee session, the sector of Rwindi is now controlled by rebel militia, though a small contingent of park rangers remains stationed in Rwindi and continues to try to patrol the central sector which had seen an influx of elephants from the neighboring Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda) since 2020. However, given that active fighting is sporadically occurring in the area, it is not possible to fully maintain anti-poaching activities. Some of the armed groups operating in the area are also reported to be involved in poaching and there is concern that the recovery of key wildlife species including elephants and hippo, which had slowly started over the past five years, might again be threatened.
UNESCO has also been made aware of reports by ICCN of renewed encroachment, thus jeopardizing the important progress which had been made by the park authorities in restoring the territorial integrity of the property by reducing the encroached area from more than 20% of the property in 2018 to 12% in 2021. As reported previously, fighting has also resulted in the internal displacement of people, many of whom are currently installed in makeshift camps on the flanks of the volcanoes, resulting in an increase in deforestation pressure without access to alternative sources of firewood for cooking and heating. Overall, satellite images show that since 2000, tree cover in the property decreased by 13%.
In an effort to minimize the impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, the World Heritage Centre has continued to support efforts to monitor the gorilla populations through local community trackers thanks to the financial contribution of Norway to the World Heritage Fund. According to information received by the World Heritage Centre, gorilla populations remain currently unaffected by the hostilities, in spite of increasing local poaching pressure. Local poachers appear not to be targeting gorillas but small wildlife species for subsistence consumption using snaring, but there is a danger that gorillas fall victim to these snares. Community trackers are also involved in snare removal and inform local authorities on encountered cases of poaching. Other donors including the European Union also have maintained their support to conservation activities, in spite of the extremely challenging situation. This has allowed to maintain a presence in the park and certain level of law enforcement operations.
It is recommended that the Committee commends again the continued efforts by ICCN and its park staff to protect the property under difficult circumstances and reiterates its request to the State Party to urgently continue its efforts to re-establish security throughout the property.
No further information is available on the auction of oil blocks, including the oil exploration blocks overlapping this property and this issue remains of utmost concern. It is recommended that the Committee once again reiterate its previous decisions urging the State Party to permanently cancel existing petroleum concessions granted inside the property and urge the State Party not to allocate new concessions overlapping with the property.
It is recommended that the Committee requests the State Party to provide information on the implementation of Decision 45 COM 7A.8 and to reiterate its request to the State Party to invite a joint UNESCO/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, as soon as the security situation allows.
It is also recommended to retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger and to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring mechanism.
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2024
Draft Decision: 46 COM 7A.50
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7A.Add,
- Recalling Decision 45 COM 7A.8, adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
- Regrets that a report on the state of conservation of the four properties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which are inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger has not been submitted by the State Party;
- Notes that the lack of reporting by the State Party makes it difficult for the World Heritage Committee to monitor closely the state of conservation of the DRC properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger taking into account the important conservation threats these properties are facing;
- Reiterates its utmost concern regarding the considerable deterioration of the security situation resulting in large parts of the property being in the area under the administration of armed groups, the park authorities having to abandon the gorilla sector, and reported increase in poaching, deforestation for fuelwood and illegal encroachment, thereby risking to jeopardize the recent improvements in the state of conservation of the property, in particular the gradual recovery of key wildlife populations and the progressive restoration of territorial integrity of the property;
- Commends the actions taken by ICCN and the park authorities to maintain the monitoring of gorilla populations through local community trackers and the efforts to continue anti-poaching activities in the rest of the property in spite of the difficult working conditions and urges the State Party to continue its efforts to protect the property in line with its commitments in the 2011 Kinshasa Declaration, including through the joint organization with UNESCO and its partners of a national workshop on heritage protection in conflict zones in the DRC, as highlighted in Decision 45 COM 7A.8;
- Appreciates the support by UNESCO with funding from Norway to maintain gorilla monitoring activities as well as the continued support by donors, in particular the European Union, to maintain conservation activities in the property;
- Whilst reiterating its position that oil and gas exploration and exploitation is incompatible with World Heritage status, notes with utmost concern that the State Party has included in the public auction of oil blocks in 2022 two oil blocks overlapping with Virunga National Park , and again strongly reiterates its request to the State Party not to allocate new petroleum concessions overlapping with the property and to cancel permanently any existing concessions and to confirm its unequivocal commitment to prohibit new petroleum exploration and exploitation within the property;
- Recalls that restoring the territorial integrity of the property remains one of the most important challenges and a key requirement to move towards a removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger in the future and strongly encourages the State Party to ensure that local, provincial and national authorities cooperate with the park management to halt encroachment and take measures to recover and restore the encroached areas;
- Notes with concern that no updated information is available on the increase in deforestation for fuelwood around the camps for Internally Displaced People fleeing the armed conflict reported at the extended 45th session of the Committee and reiterates its request for the State Party, in collaboration with humanitarian relief organizations, to address the matter;
- Also notes with concern that no updated information is available on the opening of a road and military infrastructure within the property reported at the extended 45th session of the Committee and also reiterates its request to the State Party to ensure that any infrastructure developments in or around the property, including hydropower projects and road developments, are assessed for their potential impacts, including cumulative impacts, on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and to inform the World Heritage Centre of any new developments in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, prior to any activities being undertaken;
- Requests the State Party to continue its efforts to implement all corrective measures as updated by the 2018 Reactive Monitoring mission and to continue the implementation of the sustainable development activities established in the framework of the Virunga Alliance;
- Encourages the State Party to submit, as soon as the conditions on the ground allow, the latest results of flagship species inventories, as well as the biological indicators for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) to be finalized in cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;
- Further reiterates its request to the State Party to submit the validated 2021-2025 Development and Management Plan (PAG) to the World Heritage Centre for review;
- Furthermore reiterates its request to the State Party to invite a joint UNESCO/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, as soon as the security situation allows, to assess the impact of the renewed fighting in the property on its state of conservation, in particular in the central and gorilla sectors, the actions taken or planned for the cancellation of any oil block auctions overlapping with the property and the implementation of the corrective measures;
- Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2025, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session;
- Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring mechanism for the property;
- Also decides to retain Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Exports
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
