Conflict-Sensitive Conservation in Nyungwe National Park: Conflict Analysis

In September 2011 the Wildlife Conservation Society and the International Institute for Sustainable Development initiated a two-year collaborative project on conflict-sensitive conservation in Nyungwe National Park, in southwest Rwanda. The collaboration focuses on building the capacity of the Rwanda Development Board and Nyungwe-area district representatives to understand, manage and resolve conflicts. The work is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Conflict-sensitive conservation is conservation programming and implementation that takes into account the causes and impacts of conflict and the actors in it, in order to minimize conflict risks and maximize peace-building opportunities. As a central part of the project, a two-day workshop on conflict-sensitive conservation was held in Kitabi on September 22 and 23, 2011. The objectives of the workshop were to introduce the staff of the Rwandan Development Board and other stakeholders to the CSC methodology, identify existing and potential conflicts affecting the conservation of Nyungwe National Park and the surrounding communities and prioritize those conflicts that require action, analyze the prioritized conflicts, and identify potential solutions through which Development Board and its partners can address these conflicts. The findings of the workshop, as well as those from consultations with conservationists and communities, form the basis of the conflict analysis presented below and will contribute to the development of a conflict resolution strategy for Nyungwe National Park. Read more