A recent report published by the Climate Security & Peace Project (CS2P) and the Climate, Energy & Security Program of IRIS highlights the downside of biodiversity conservation in the protected areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The country is part of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world with more than half its territory covered by dense forests. Drawing on data from the Virunga National Park, the author shows how the militarization of biodiversity protection is threatening the security and rights of local communities.
"Protected areas (PAs) aim at conserving and protecting fragile and unique ecosystems as a way to limit environmental degradation and climate change. Yet, if ill-designed, such policies might contribute to increased risks to human security, especially to populations adjacent to PAs"
While the area is a global biodiversity hotspot, home to endemic and endangered species, the management and policies of protection created tension and conflict between rangers and locals. The civilian rangers, who are often perceived more as soldiers rather than guards by locals, are equipped with powerful armaments and trained by Belgian ex-military personnel. In collaboration with the Congolese army, they aim to prevent illegal exploitation in the national park. There is a fear that the rangers will abuse their military-like training which will deepen the gap with local communities and possibly trigger conflicts. The militarization of the region is further exacerbated by the presence of over 130 armed groups in the eastern DRC. Local communities are excluded from conservation efforts and suffer from direct violence which often goes unpunished, as well as economic harm due to militarization. As a result, the role of local populations as protectors of the environment diminishes. The report thus highlights that both an environmental and human security perspective on biodiversity conservation is necessary for an issue-area that will only gain salience amidst growing global biodiversity loss.
Read the full report by Joséphine Lepointe from CS2P’s Biodiversity Working-Group.
Read our alert "Fear for militarisation of climate change: Should we be concerned?"