By Chris Lang In March 2019, BuzzFeed News published a year-long investigation that found that WWF had funded and equipped eco-guards who have tortured, sexually assaulted, and killed people. In response, WWF launched an “independent review”. WWF finally released the review this week. It is, of course, pure coincidence that the review came out just…
Tag: Conservation-Watch
Democratic Republic of Congo: Kahuzi-Biéga National Park management’s false accusations against Batwa chief are “incredibly dangerous”
By Chris Lang One night in late January 2020, dozens of soldiers and eco-guards stormed into Jean-Marie Kasula’s hut and dragged him and his wife away at gun point. Four other people from the same village were taken away barefoot.
US government stops funding to WWF, WCS and other conservation organisations because of human rights abuses
By Chris Lang In autumn 2019, the US government suspended US$12.3 million of funding to the Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE). This followed a bipartisan congressional oversight investigation to examine whether US conservation funds were supporting eco-guards who committed human rights abuses.
EU scraps US$35 million conservation and climate change programme in Kenya over forced evictions
By Chris Lang The European Union has scrapped its US$35 million Water Towers Protection and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Programme in Kenya. The project had been suspended since January 2018, after a Kenya Forest Service guard shot and killed Robert Kirotich, an Indigenous Sengwer man. The shooting took place during a raid in Embobut…
Kenya’s Community Land Action Now: “A win-win solution for forests, human rights and the EU WaTER Project exists – please grasp it!”
By Chris Lang In January 2018, the European Union suspended funding to its Water Towers Protection and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Programme in Kenya. The EU announced the suspension of the US$35 million project the day after a Kenya Forest Service guard shot and killed Robert Kirotich, an Indigenous Sengwer man, during a raid…