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 the… Read More

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Cabinet of Minister has approved the auction of 16 oil blocks, including in one of the world’s largest carbon sinks and most environmentally sensitive areas. And if that was not enough they seem to be targeting Lake Upemba, inside of Upemba National Park. Despite the “good words” of the Hydrocarbon… Read More

This week we celebrate our 10 year Anniversary. All started in April 2012, when the risk of oil exploration in Virunga National Park was just beginning to surface. Communities were not prepared, no one really was, or knew what to expect, but one thing certain was that we were not going to give up on… Read More

KEY MESSAGE FROM CONGO PARK’S RANGERS ON THE SIDELINE OF THE CEREMONY TO COMMEMORATE THE FALLEN RANGERS KILLED DURING THE EXERCISE OF THEIR FUNCTIONS TO PROTECT THE PHYSICAL INTEGRITY OF VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK AND ITS BIODIVERSITY Madam, State Secretary in charge of Conservation and Environment, Mr. Ambassador of the United States in the DRC, On… Read More

“IUCN recognises that extractives industries can be significant contributors to the global economy”. Maybe we made a mistake about the postal address and sent our letter to the World Bank instead of to the International Union in charge of Conservation of Nature? Many conservation organizations have adopted corporate friendly practices with the oil and gas industry, signing MoUs, developing frameworks for engaging… Read More

Over 200 Congolese and international NGOs have signed a widely circulated open letter ahead of COP26 calling on the DRC government to crack down on “illegal activities” in protected areas. The planned construction of a hydroelectric plant in Upemba National Park to supply electricity to mining companies is feared to pose a threat to the… Read More

Ahead of COP26, 234 Congolese and International organizations call on the Head of State of the Democratic Republic of Congo to put an end to the illegal exploitation of protected areas. The Group of Civil Society NGOs working for the protection of the environment in DRC, ROPE, and supported by 43 international civil society organizations,… Read More

Impacted Protected Areas The oil pipeline would directly or indirectly impact the following areas: Burigi-Biharamulo Game Reserves Recognized as an IUCN Cat IV site in Tanzania. Spanning approximately 350,000 hectares, the Burigi-Biharamulo. Game Reserves comprise of two separate reserves that are managed as a single unit. It lies within the Lake Victoria Basin, and is… Read More

Shocking “fake publicity stunt” shames oil giant for real deadly pipeline September 14, 2021 PARIS — On Monday, before a chic ballroom full of journalists and business leaders, representatives from supermajor oil company TotalEnergies unveiled RéHabitat, a “habitat-equivalency” conservation program that would rescue animals living along the route of their impending giant East African Crude Oil Pipeline… Read More

Monsieur Bruno Oberlé , IUCN Directeur général,  Dear Dr. Bruno Oberlé,  We are respectfully writing to you to call your attention to a grave situation that requires urgent action in order to avoid further preventable damage to our Common Home.  We are seeking your support to help stop the massive Lake Albert oil project in Uganda and… Read More