Every 3 March, World Wildlife Day draws attention to the condition of the world’s wild animals and plants. Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, the date marks the anniversary of the 1973 signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The 2026 theme focuses on medicinal and aromatic plants, many of which remain central to health systems and local economies, especially in regions where communities continue to rely directly on native plant species.
One such region is the Greater Virunga Landscape in Central and East Africa. Extending across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, the landscape covers 15,155 km² along the Albertine Rift. Around 56% of the territory lies within protected areas, including Virunga National Park – inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 – Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Together, these areas form one of Africa’s most concentrated transboundary conservation networks.
Geography and people of the Virunga Landscape
The landscape spans elevations from 680 to 5,119 metres and includes three terrestrial ecoregions: Afroalpine barrens in the Rwenzori–Virunga mountains, Afromontane forests of the Albertine Rift, and the forest–savannah mosaic near Lake Victoria. Major lakes such as Kivu, Edward and George form part of this ecological system. Annual temperatures generally range between 20 °C and 23 °C, with two rainy seasons – March to May and September to December.
The Greater Virunga Landscape is visible in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 30 July 2025. From space, dense forest blocks, open savannah, volcanic slopes and lakes appear side by side, revealing how protected zones intersect with cultivated land and settlements across national borders.
Roughly 4 million people live within the landscape, with population densities reaching up to 600 people per km² in some areas. Outside protected zones, about 80% of land is used for subsistence or industrial agriculture, including maize, beans, sorghum, coffee and tea. Forest cover was estimated at 3,143 km² in 2005. Between 2000 and 2005, around 136 km² were cleared, corresponding to a deforestation rate of 4.14%. Fuelwood and charcoal remain primary energy sources, increasing pressure on remaining forests.
Biodiversity under pressure
The Greater Virunga Landscape is home to more than 5,164 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and plants combined. Among these are 27 primate species and 40 ungulate species, including the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population. According to regional conservation data, the landscape contains a significant share of mainland Africa’s biodiversity, including large proportions of its bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile species.
Copernicus satellite data enable long-term monitoring of habitats, land-use change and protected areas across the Greater Virunga Landscape, supporting conservation planning in a region where biodiversity and human livelihoods remain closely connected.
Featured image credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery
