13/04/2013

Rica Rwigamba, the head of Tourism and Conservation department at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), is the  new chairperson of the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration.

The GVTC is comprised of Rwanda, DR Congo and Uganda, and is home to one of the most endangered primate species, Mountain Gorillas.

Rwigamba takes over the two-year term of office job from Dr Cosma Wilungula, the head of DR Congo’s Institute of Congo for the Conservation of Nature.

In her acceptance speech in Kampala, Uganda, yesterday, Rwigamba said she would work on law enforcement to ensure better management of the wildlife ecosystems in the region.

“I will strengthen the achievements we have already registered. I will work towards having a legal mechanism like a treaty signed by all the countries to enhance collaboration,” she said.

The three countries are estimated to have 880 Mountain Gorillas, which accounts for almost half of the total number of the primates in the world.

According to a survey conducted by the International Gorilla Conservation Project, the number of mountain Gorillas rose from 380 to 480 gorillas in 2003 and 2010, respectively, in volcanoes, Mgahinga and Virunga national parks alone.

The primates in Bwindi Impenetrable Park, according to the survey, rose from 340 to 400 in 2005 and 2012 respectively.

Andrew Seguya, the head of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, attributed the increase to a health ecosystem in the region.

Based in Kigali, the organisation has since 2005 worked on jointly solving transboundary problems such as poaching, illegal hunting, insecurity, human-wildlife conflicts and wildlife diseases.

(SOURCE : THE NEW TIMES RWANDA : HERE)