At a time when climate anxiety and biodiversity loss dominate the global conversation, IIASA had the honor of hosting Emmanuel de Merode, Director of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for a lecture that was as sobering as it was inspiring.
De Merode, a trained anthropologist and veteran conservationist, has spent the last two decades defending Africa's oldest national park - Virunga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to a third of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. But the story he told went far beyond wildlife.
"This is probably the steepest uphill struggle in the world," remarked IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber in his introduction. "And yet, what Emmanuel and his team have done under impossible circumstances defies belief."
Conservation in a war zone
Virunga is not just a park; it's a battleground - both literally and figuratively. Nestled in eastern Congo, the region is plagued by militia violence, political instability, and systemic poverty. De Merode described the threats faced by both rangers and local communities: armed conflict, illegal resource extraction, bushmeat hunting, and the sheer economic desperation that drives environmental destruction.
In 2014, de Merode himself survived an assassination attempt while driving between park stations. Many of his colleagues have not been as fortunate - over 200 park rangers have lost their lives in the line of duty.
And yet, amid the chaos, a vision for peace through sustainability has emerged.
The Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor
Central to de Merode's lecture was the Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor - a bold, long-term initiative that applies the lessons of Virunga to a broader regional strategy. The project aims to create a conservation-based economy, where communities are supported to become stewards of the environment rather than victims of its exploitation.
From hydroelectric power plants and sustainable agriculture to eco-tourism and local entrepreneurship, the project fosters economic resilience while preserving the natural landscape. It's not charity; it's systems change.
"People don't want to destroy the forest," de Merode noted. "They want jobs, electricity, a future for their children. If conservation can offer that, then it becomes a force for stability."
Why it matters for the world at large
The implications are not just regional. De Merode's work presents a replicable model for conservation in conflict-affected zones - something increasingly relevant in our warming, resource-scarce world. His approach challenges the traditional North-South aid paradigm, showing how local empowerment, ethical infrastructure, and nature-based solutions can go hand in hand.
"Virunga is a mirror," he said. "What happens there reflects global failures, but also the potential for global solutions."
Beyond the strategy and policy, what captured the IIASA audience was the deep humanity of the work. De Merode spoke not in abstract terms but with intimate knowledge of the rangers he works with, the families displaced by violence, the forests that quietly endure.
His resilience, humility, and unwavering belief in dignity through development struck a powerful chord -especially among researchers who often find themselves deep in data but far from the frontlines.
Moving forward
IIASA researchers are already exploring potential collaborations inspired by the Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor model, particularly in the areas of resilient systems modeling, sustainable infrastructure planning, and community-centered energy systems.
As the session closed, one thing was clear: this wasn't just a lecture. It was a wake-up call, a blueprint, and a deeply personal reminder that even in the darkest places, hope is a strategy.
