Staff Reporter
The International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) has extended its “Vanishing Treasures” project, valued at 760 million shillings, to the communities surrounding Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the Kisoro district.
Initially launched in 2021 in the Nkuringo buffer zone of the Southern Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), the Vanishing Treasures project is funded by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Its goal is to enhance the climate resilience of mountain communities, species, and ecosystems. This is achieved by implementing climate-smart conservation and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches to support sustainable livelihoods and land use globally.
Following a successful three-year period in Nkuringo town council, the project has now been extended to the Nyarusiza and Muramba sub-counties along Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This is the second significant project under IGCP within these sub-counties, following the Water for Virunga project.
IGCP Director Wellard Makambo explained that the project aims to address human-wildlife conflict, promote alternative livelihoods, and mitigate the impacts of climate change and socio-economic pressures.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s Senior Warden, Bwire Isaiah, commended IGCP for its conservation efforts, noting that the park harbors many unknown treasures, and projects like this help sustain them.
Kisoro District LCV Chairman, Abel Bizimana, believes that the project’s successful implementation will significantly improve community livelihoods, conserve the park and its wildlife, and strengthen park-community relations. He praised IGCP and the project’s funders for their commitment to restoring the vanishing treasures of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park but also urged IGCP to allocate a substantial portion of the 760 million shillings to encourage the planting of multipurpose trees.
