#EnabelTalks: Virunga National Park and the green corridor in the DR Congo

Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was founded in 1925 as Albert National Park, the first national park to be established on the continent of Africa, primarily to protect the mountain gorillas living in the forests of the Virunga Massif. Virunga (7800 km²) is the continent’s most biologically diverse protected area in a region which has been deeply impacted by the effects of war and armed conflict for over 20 years, and it is currently protected by a dedicated team of 760+ Rangers.

The success of Virunga Park also inspired the Green Corridor announced by the DRC in early 2025. The 2,600 km green corridor connects Kivu with Kinshasa, and the ambition is to make it the world’s largest protected area of tropical rainforest (covering 544,000 km², an area the size of France). The initiative aims not only to improve connectivity and agricultural productivity, food security, inclusive economic development and biodiversity conservation, but also to protect the precious forests of the Congo Basin, described as the ‘last lung of the earth’.

About the speaker

Emmanuel de Merode is a conservationist and anthropologist. He has been the director of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 2008, managing a dedicated team of 760+ Rangers. He earned a PhD in Anthropology from University College, London, having concentrated on Congolese conservation issues. He has lived in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since 1993, currently residing in Rumangabo, Virunga National Park’s headquarters.

Programme (in-person event – English)

16.45: Doors open
17.00: Fireside chat with Emmanuel de Merode, director of Virunga National Park, and Jean Van Wetter, CEO of Enabel
Moderation: Katrien Vanderschoot (VRT journalist)
17.30: Q&A
18.00: Networking drink
19.00: End

Participation is free. Please register no later than 13th January to participate.