ARCOS

The Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS Network) is a regional conservation organization with the mission to enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in the Albertine Rift region, Africa Great Lakes region and African Mountains through the promotion of collaborative conservation actions for nature and people.

ARCOS' overall goal is to enhance conservation of critical ecosystems and promote sustainable development in the Albertine Rift region, Africa Great Lakes region and African Mountains through collaborative actions between various partners.

ARCOS is registered in the UK as a Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee, and in Rwanda and Uganda as an international NGO.

Mission

ARCOS Mission is "To enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in the Albertine Rift region, Africa Great Lakes region and African Mountains through the promotion of collaborative conservation action for nature and people"

Vision

ARCOS Vision is "All important ecosystems are healthy, viable and rich in biodiversity. They provide sustainable benefits to people, whose livelihoods are much improved as a result of effective policies, respect for nature and strong participation of stakeholders in natural resource management". ARCOS has been significantly contributing to this achievement.

ARCOS Values and Approaches

ARCOS Network brings together a wide range of stakeholders interested in conservation and sustainable development. Our approaches are based on the following pillars :

1. We facilitate networking with local, national and international players to enhance sustainable development through information and experience sharing,
2. We empower our network through policy dialogue, capacity building and policy engagement when implementing our work. We work with all kinds of organizations including NGOs/CBOs, academic institutions, governments and increasingly business,
3. Our activities on the ground take an integrated landscape approach focusing mainly in protecting biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem services, building Nature Based Community Enterprises (NBCEs) and building shared vision among stakeholders to address threats.

Core values

Our core values are: Collaborative Action and Partnership, Positive and Passionate about our work, Professionalism, Results Oriented, Accountability and Integrity, Good Communication and Information for Change and Sustainability of Actions.

ARCOS major areas of work

1. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: integrate sustainable management of natural to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services for community livelihoods and human well-being.
2. Climate Change: facilitate regional mechanisms for assessing and addressing the impacts of climate change and promote grass-root actions to build community resilience.
3. Water: engage stakeholders in dialogue for integrated water resources management and promote actions that promote availability and sustainable use of water resources.
4. Energy: work with governments, communities and private sector for innovative solutions that increase access to affordable and sustainable energy services.
5. Sustainable Agriculture: work with communities to promote sustainable agriculture.