Blog: And the winner is… - Hoofdinhoud

Virunga amongst Oscar nominees on Sunday.

This Sunday, February 22, many homes will be enchanted by the magic of the so-called seventh art thanks to the 2015 Academy Awards ceremony, most commonly known as the Oscars.

This is a very special edition of the awards for me, as the film Virunga is amongst the nominees for the best Documentary Feature; an extraordinary documentary which shows both the great hardship experienced by people in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (or DRC), and the beauty of Virunga National Park, which the EU's biodiversity conservation programmes support.

Virunga is a natural paradise with a wealth of resources, as well as a vital source of revenue, jobs and food for the local population. To give an example, Lake Eduard alone provides subsistence and food for some 27,000 families.

Rangers and wildlife wardens face physical danger in the course of their work to protect the lives and habitats of gorillas, hippos and elephants from poachers, charcoal producers and rebel militia, which have kept this region in a state of war since the Rwandan genocide 20 years ago. Some 150 rangers have lost their lives in the course of their work over this period. Their families and people in nearby villages have been repeatedly evacuated to avoid the conflict. The unwavering commitment of park staff in the face of such danger (as shown in the film) is inspiring and I wish the film the best of luck for Sunday!

Our support for Virunga goes hand in hand with our work to assist local and national authorities in the DRC to provide the security and basic services essential for people’s safety and wellbeing. People need to be able to earn a living, provide for their families and obtain fuel other than through illegal poaching and logging. This is why our new biodiversity initiative, B4Life, emphasises the need to build a green economy consistent with conservation efforts in such global biodiversity hotspots. Providing work in renewable energy generation, locally-produced goods and sustainable tourism, are just some examples of the type of activities that could help.

I can confirm that the EU is committed to preserving this beautiful habitat so that future generations can get to enjoy it, too.