Virunga

NO to oil drilling in Virunga and Upemba, YES to green investment in DRC

NO to oil drilling in Virunga and Upemba, YES to green investment in DRC

In the past weeks, we have seen many headlines about the Democratic Republic of Congo government’s decision to auction 27 oil and 3 gas blocks in some of the most biodiverse areas of this vast country. National and international civil society organisations are warning about the environmental damage this could cause to peatlands, to National…

Climate activists oppose oil exploration, call for a Fossil Free Virunga in new film

Climate activists oppose oil exploration, call for a Fossil Free Virunga in new film

Climate activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have expressed strong opposition to plans for oil exploration in the Virunga National Park. In a short film dubbed ‘Fossil Free Virunga’, that was released by 350Africa.org worldwide today, the activists raised concerns with the environmental impacts, as well as the impact to local communities’ livelihoods. The…

Local and international organisations call on Ugandan and DRC presidents to protect sensitive ecosystems in new oil licensing round

Local and international organisations call on Ugandan and DRC presidents to protect sensitive ecosystems in new oil licensing round

Kampala and Goma – Nearly 50 civil society organizations (CSOs) from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and their partners have written to the presidents of Uganda and the DRC calling on them to avoid sensitive ecosystems in the planned and ongoing oil exploration licensing round in the Albertine Graben. The CSOs made the…

Animals are victims of human conflict, so can conservation help build peace in warzones?

Animals are victims of human conflict, so can conservation help build peace in warzones?

More than 70% of Africa’s national parks have been affected by war in recent decades, and wildlife has suffered as a result. That’s according to a new study by researchers from Yale and Princeton universities, which looked at data on 253 populations of large herbivores from 126 protected areas in 19 countries across the continent….