Virunga National Park - more than scenic landscapes and mountain gorillas

Conservationists at the Virunga National Park in DR Congo are relieved that exploratory oil drilling by London-based Soco International will now not go ahead. This is the result of an agreement between the company and the wildlife protection organization WWF, which had challenged the legality of the drilling. Virunga is a World Heritage site listed by UNESCO as "in danger."

The drill would have been sunk deep into the bed of Lake Edward, where the Virunga National Park borders on Uganda. The spectacular panorama with its active volcanoes, tropical forests, savannah and snow-capped mountains was declared a conservation area by colonial power Belgium in 1925. UNESCO added it to its World Heritage list in 1979.

50,000 families are dependent on Lake Edward for water for drinking and cooking. The lake is also replete with fish, which serves as a source of food and income for residents of lakeside villages like Kavanyongi. Many feared the exploratory drilling for oil could have contaminated the water.

Local women sell dried fish at the weekly market in Vitshumbi on the southern shore of Lake Edward. Many families arrived here after fleeing fighting between militia groups in other parts of eastern DR Congo. The park itself was also the site of heavy fighting. In the meantime, the internally displaced have built a new life for themselves.

Virunga National Park is the habitat of some 200 mountain gorillas. They are threatened with extinction and their presence in the park was one reason why it was declared a World Heritage site. But the shy beasts are still being killed by poachers for their meat which is considered by some to be a rare delicacy. It fetches high prices.

Virunga National Park contains 700 bird species and 2,000 plant species. They are also under threat of extinction. Every year huge swathes of forest are felled to supply the nearby provincial capital of Goma with firewood. Militias also cut down trees. With the sale of the wood, they finance the purchase of weapons and ammunition.

"We have to show people that nature conservation can pay, has economic benefits, otherwise Virunga won't survive," said Emmanuel de Merode, the park's director the last five years. He favors the construction of small hydroelectric power plants in the park, or local production of wood pellets. An opponent of exploratory oil drilling, he narrowly escaped an attempt on his life in April.

Virunga National Park has great economic potential. According to a WWF study, as many as 45,000 park-related jobs could be created in hydroelectric power, fisheries, ecotourism, medicine, research and education. Environmental protection and commercial success need not be mutually exclusive. Using sustainable methods, the park could generate a million euros ($1.3 million ) in revenue annually.

Virugna National Park could turn into an engine for local economic growth that helps promote peace and development. Eastern DR Congo is one of Africa's poorer regions and has been plagued by fighting between militias and ethnic groups for decades. Generations of young people have grown up without any hope of education or employment.

Oil was discovered in Virunga National Park in 2010 and the DRC subsequently sold a concession to Soco International. The company has promised to desist from drilling "unless the government and UNESCO agree it would not threaten the park's heritage status." In other words, the oil industry hasn't lost interest in the park. Author: Katrin Mathei / mc Editor: Susan Houlton.