The European Union, the Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), and actor Leonardo DiCaprio launched two initiatives on Wednesday 16 December, totalling 34 million euros, to preserve biodiversity worldwide, the European Commission announced on the same day.
The first initiative, called Rapid RESCUE is “a Rapid Response for Ecosystems, Species and Communities Undergoing Emergencies”. It has a budget of 30 million euros (10 million euros from the EU and 20 million euros from the GWC).
Its aim is to reduce the impact of future emergencies, such as those caused by the current pandemic, on the planet’s health-critical ecosystems, protected areas and vulnerable communities living nearby.
The GWC’s expertise in biodiversity protection and its experience in working with rangers, local communities and indigenous peoples will be used for rapid response.
The second initiative, with a budget of 4 million euros, aims to safeguard the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is the richest protected area in terms of biodiversity on the African continent, home of most notably the mountain gorilla.
The objective is to increase the operational capacity of the national park by supporting habitat restoration and strengthening the role of the Park in economic growth, peace and stability in eastern DRC, the Commission stresses. The GWC will provide technical expertise, particularly in the field of ape conservation. Its technical committee will oversee the reintroduction of the endangered Eastern Lowland Gorilla into the Park. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)