Conservation of Mountain Gorillas

Land-use change,

intensive agriculture and zoonotic diseases

Mountain Biodiversity Day, 13 January 2021

James Byamukama, Pauliina Upla

• UNEP and UNESCO

• Convention secretariats: CBD, CITES,

CMS, WHC, Ramsar

• 23 great ape range states

• Over 50 NGOs, 4 private businesses

• Donors governments and foundations

• Mandate: to conserve great apes and

their habitats in Africa and Asia

Mountain ecosystems

are important for great

ape conservation,

including for Cross River

gorillas and mountain

gorillas

Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP)

Upcoming activities under Vanishing Treasures project:

- Analyse long-term research data to assess gorillas’ climate vulnerability

- Improve buffer zone management and community livelihoods

Increase climate resilience and adaptation of both gorillas and communities

Batwa guides. Photo credit: IGCP

Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP)

But still:

Extreme Mountain Gorilla Conservation Efforts

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1971-73 1976-78 1981 1986 1989 2000 2003 2010

Virunga Mt Gorillas Population: 1971 to 2010

Total Gorillas counted

Estimated population sizei. Vulnerable:

– population is very

small and their range

highly restricted.

– A limited dispersal

ability

ii. Susceptible to disease

iii. Climate stressors

89,386,7 86

94

84,7

68,7

8886,2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

RMNP QENP BINP MGNP SNP ViNP VoNP Overall

No. of

Hous

eho

lds

(%)

Agriculture is the main source of income for

households in GVL

Drivers - Anthropogenic / Land-Use Change

D

C

Mountain

Gorilla

connectivity

never again

Climate Change and Mountain Gorillas

• Variability of rainfall and rising temperatures

• Negative impact on agricultural production, soil degradation, and income

• Human populations are poor, have high growth rates, and will be experiencing increasing water stress (domestic and agriculture)

Result:

• No known direct impact on Mt gorillas

• Expansion of agriculture to boundaries of protected areas /encroachment

• Degradation around the edges

• Push for degazetting PAs

• Increased human wildlife conflicts-retaliatory killings

COVID-19 Impacts on Mountain Gorilla Conservation

kllCovid-19 Economic Impacts:

37773590

2126

15611689

3673

4052

4827

4064

3617 3675

1119

0 0 0 0 0 67

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

NO

OF

VIS

ITO

RS

MONTH

Datenreihen1

Datenreihen2

1. Loss in tourism/Revenue

Estimated loss of revenue from

Gorilla parks:

Direct loss to PAs : 47,000 *

700 = $ 32,000,000

Total Loss: 47,000*1,350 =

$ 63,450,000

2. Revenue sharing and Gorilla Levy

Gorilla Levy @ $10 per permit =

47,000*10 = 470,000

Gorilla Levy contribution to Park

communities is 50% = $ 235,000

BINP Visitors for Jan – September 2019/2020

Great apes are susceptible to infection with most human respiratory pathogens

(Kondgen et al 2010, Palacious et al 2011).

kll

Illegal activities

• Long time patrol data analysis shows that BINP illegal activities were tending towards zero (GVTC annual Conservation Status Report 2018)

• However, there was a spike when tourism was completely stopped dropping to normal by September

• Park authorities attribute it to the loss of tourism-based source of livelihood for some community-members

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

March April may June July August Sept

BINP Illegal activities 2019 and 2020

2019 2020

Secondary Impacts of COVID-19: Increase in Illegal Activities

kll

Way Forward

• Promote basic sustainable land management practices

• Restore degraded ecosystems

• Enhance adaptive capacity of households – ecosystem services/tourism

• Manage increasing population pressure and demand for resources

• Up-scale research on climate change and mountains

• Zoom on gorilla

• Establish sustainable financing mechanisms