A Living Legacy – 100 Years of Virunga National Park

A century of conservation, courage and international partnership took centre stage at Meise Botanic Garden on 29 June, as the European Union, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Kingdom of Belgium celebrated the 100th anniversary of Virunga National Park with the inauguration of the exhibition A Living Legacy – 100 Years of Virunga National Park.

The event was honoured by the presence of His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium and brought together representatives of the DRC Government, the European Union, conservation organisations and the private sector. Addresses were delivered by Jean-Luc Crucke, Belgian Minister of Mobility and Climate; Marie Nyange Ndambo, DRC Minister for Environment, Sustainable Development and the New Climate Economy, Koen Doens, Director-General for International Partnerships at the European Commission, and Emmanuel de Mérode, Director of Virunga National Park, who reflected on the Park's remarkable journey and its role in shaping a more sustainable future.

Created in 1925, Virunga is Africa's oldest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stretching from the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains to the volcanic landscapes surrounding Mount Nyiragongo, it protects one of the world's richest concentrations of biodiversity, including the endangered mountain gorilla. But the centenary celebrated much more than an extraordinary natural landscape. It paid tribute to the rangers, local communities and partners who have safeguarded the park through decades of conflict, instability and environmental challenges.

Their stories come to life in the exhibition A Living Legacy – 100 Years of Virunga National Park, which invites visitors on a visual journey through the landscapes, wildlife and people that make Virunga unique. Through a striking collection of photographs, the exhibition showcases not only the Park's exceptional biodiversity, but also the innovation, resilience and community engagement that have become hallmarks of its conservation model. The exhibition is open to the public at Meise Botanic Garden until 31 August, along the route from the Green Ark to the Plant Palace.

For almost four decades, the European Union has supported Virunga through a long-standing partnership with Congolese institutions and the Virunga Foundation, demonstrating that biodiversity conservation and sustainable development can go hand in hand. Today, renewable energy generated through Virunga Energies supplies electricity to more than 42,000 households and benefits over 200,000 people, while sustainable agriculture, agro-processing and microfinance initiatives have created new economic opportunities for thousands of families. Through the CliMA Virunga project, more than 1,900 hectares of forest have also been restored, helping to reduce pressure on primary forests while providing local communities with sustainable sources of firewood.

The centenary celebration also looked firmly to the future. Virunga lies at the heart of the Kivu–Kinshasa Green Corridor, an ambitious initiative led by the DRC with support from Team Europe. Covering approximately 540,000 km², the Green Corridor seeks to combine biodiversity conservation with renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, transport and private investment, creating a new model of green and inclusive development.

After 100 years, Virunga remains a living legacy—protected by courage, strengthened through partnership and increasingly recognised as a global example of how nature conservation can drive sustainable development. Visitors to Meise Botanic Garden are warmly invited to discover this remarkable story through the exhibition, open until 31 August.