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This research examines the consequences of conservation initiatives on the Batwa people in the context of Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

May 22, 2026Open Access

When conservation becomes expulsion: The Batwa and the cost of "green" protection

Key Points

This research examines the consequences of conservation initiatives on the Batwa people in the context of Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
Historical analysis of Kahuzi-Biega National Park establishment
Evaluation of Indigenous rights and displacement issues
Qualitative interviews with Batwa community members
Documented displacement of the Batwa due to national park regulations
Identified ongoing social and cultural consequences for the Batwa
Highlighted conflicts between conservation goals and Indigenous rights

Abstract

In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, vast tropical forests have long been home to the Batwa, an Indigenous People from Central Africa. The forests today form the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (https: //www. kahuzibieganationalparkcongo. org/), a reserve established in 1937 by the Belgian colonial administration and later designated a National Park (https: //cdn. wcs. org/2022/02/10/7i78anfy3cVisionforKahuzi₂. 10. 22FIN₁_. pdf) in 1970 at the initiative of the Belgian photographer Adrien Deschryver. This change in administration led to the prohibition of human habitation and to the displacement of the Batwa.

When conservation becomes expulsion: The Batwa and the cost of "green" protection

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Abstract

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