analysis of effectiveness report for protected areas...
TRANSCRIPT
1
WW
F C
olom
bia
/ M
aría
Xim
ena
GA
LEA
NO
2
3
5
6
7
8
9
11
13
15
w
f
Analysis of EffectivenessReport for Protected Areasproposes concrete actions
ith the intention of sup-porting the ColombianNational Parks System
(PNN) in the planning, carrying out,verification of the objectives’ fulfilment,effects and impacts, under the approachof social participation in conservation,WWF Colombia and the PNN designeda research methodology entitled “Effec-tiveness Analysis for the Managementof Protected Areas with Social Participa-tion”.
This useful manual, developedwith the aid of WWF’s global net-work, the World Bank, The Embassyof the Netherlands and DFID is
In 2006 The Colombian NationalParks Authority (PNN) and the WWF will
work on the second phase of the task
“Shedding light onaquatic resources”
undación Omacha was foundedin 1987 to study, research andconserve flora and fauna inaquatic ecosystems in Colom-
bia. Omacha actually means pink riverdolphin in Ticuna, the language of anindigenous community living in theAmazon basin. By means of concertedefforts among researchers and localcommunities, this conservation or-ganisation has managed to developstrategies to protect natural resources
ranging from the Caribbean to theOrinoco and Amazon river basins.
Fundación Omacha works in areasinhabited by important species such asthe pink river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis)and giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis).Both species face serious threats to theirsurvival, such as the impact of fisher-ies, construction of dams and water-ways as well as petroleum pollution.
Fundación Omacha’s work is basedon these problems and, in tackling
Content
Strategy for theConservation of HighAndean Wetlands
Colombia Approvesthe StockholmConvention
ColombianEnvironmentalLegislation Online
Afro-ColombianCommunities in Spain,Respecting theirNatural and CulturalRichness
Efforts forConservation in theEastern CordilleraRange
Awa IndigenousOrganisation in Searchof a Dream
PacificTerritoriesTogether in MangroveManagement
Indigenous ForestryManagement Plan
Peasant DevelopmentAssociation - A Betfor Rural Conservation
The publications
Our agenda
No. 1March 2006
go to 10
go to 4
2
WW
F C
olom
bia
/ M
aría
Xim
ena
GA
LEA
NO
w
w
Strategy for the Conservationof High Andean Wetlands
ithin the frame-work of the ninthmeeting of the Con-
ference of Parties to the RamsarConvention on InternationallyImportant Wetlands (Kampala,Uganda 2005), the “RegionalStrategy for the Conservation ofHigh Andean Wetlands” receivedimportant recognition on behalfof the Convention. This type ofecosystem is represented in eightsignatory countries (Argentina,Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia,Perú, Ecuador and Costa Rica).The strategy was designed andpublished with the help of theDanone Group, WWF’s globalnetwork, the World Conserva-tion Union (IUCN), the RamsarConvention on Wetlands andDFID.
Prior to this, the strategy hadbeen supported at the Meeting ofthe Andean Council of Ministersand Environmental and Sustain-able Development Authorities,which was held in Caracas in Oc-tober 2005.
“This strategy is an opportu-nity to protect the high moun-tain wetlands which are not ad-equately represented in the Con-vention, and which provide wa-ter that benefits close to onehundred million inhabitants inthe Northern Andes,” explainedXimena Barrera, EnvironmentalPolicy Coordinator of WWF Co-lombia.
Currently, within the frame-work of the initiative a project is
being implemented in the fourNorthern Andean countries (Perú,Colombia, Venezuela and Ecua-dor), with the support of WWF In-ternational and the DanoneGroup. The aim of the project isto advance the definition of con-servation categories of the highAndean wetlands.
“Some of the priority areaswhere the project is being imple-mented are the Otún Lake in theCentral Cordillera of Colombiaand the Arrebiatadas Lakes in thenorth of Perú. Both sites are stra-tegic in providing water to theirsur rounding areas and have agreat importance in biodiversityconservation”, explained LuisGer man Naranjo , Norther nAndes Ecoregion Coordinator ofWWF.
WF Colombia re-cently celebratedthe Colombian
government’s approval (thro-ugh Law 994 of 2005) of theStockholm Convention on Per-sistent Organic Pollutants(POPs). This law will be en-forced after revision by thecontry’s Constitutional Court.From that moment on, Colom-bia will have two years in whichto submit the National Appli-cation Plan to the Conferenceof Parties. This Plan will willoutline the actions to be takenin order to comply with the ob-ligations established in the Con-vention.
ColombiaApproves the
StockholmConvention
PersistentOrganic Pollutants
WWF Colombia carried out a study whichidentifies agricultural and industrial activities
affected by the use or liberation of toxins in the soil
Ximena Barrera,Environmental
Policy Coordinator:[email protected]
Luis Germán Naranjo,Northern Andes
Ecoregional Coordinator:[email protected]
Contact:
A Regional Opportunity
next page
3
Colombian Environmental Legislation Online
nforming about the legislationcurrently in the Congress ofthe Republic of Colombia relat-
ing to natural resources and biodi-versity, is the object of a legislativeand administrative monitoringproject, put forward by WWF Co-lombia, The Nature Conservancy(TNC) and the Faculty of Jurispru-dence at the Rosario University inBogotá.
This monitoring will be avail-able to the public through a websitefrom the third week of February. Itwill contain up-to-date informa-tion on the advances, proposals andenvironmental legislation currentlybeing debated in Congress.
This project responds to the ne-cessity the country has – especiallythe necessity of its institutions, or-ganisations and people connectedwith environmental matters, to bepermanently informed of Colombialegislation, and of legal projects be-ing debated in Congress. It will alsobe possible to consult legal legisla-tion which will have a direct effector a potential direct effect on re-newable natural resources
“This can be achieved by thetransparency of the informationavailable and the strengthening ofcivil society with the aim of stimu-lating its participation in decisionswhich affect it. Conservation of the
environment is shared responsibil-ity”, says Gloria Amparo Rodríguez,legal director of the project.
The portal http:/www.urosario.edu.co/jurisprudencia/seguimiento_legislativo will offer a didacticguide which allows users an easyaccess and understanding of the leg-islative processes in Colombia.There will also be debates and fo-rums related to topics of nationalenvironmental interest.
iiiii
“The approval of this law is a decisive advance,and shows the country ’s compromise in thismatter ”, said Liliana María Soto, director of Sus-tainable Area Development Department with theMinistry.
For this purpose, WWF Colombia carried out astudy entitled, “Diagnostic and Analysis of ToxicThreats and Potential Action Strategies in theNorthern Andes Ecoregional Complex (NAEC)”,which identifies agricultural and industrial activi-ties that by the use or liberation of toxins in thesoil, especially POPs, threaten the environmentand the health of the population of the NAEC. Itis also hoped to carry out an analysis of the legaland political framework that affects or is relatedwith toxins, taking into account the previouslymentioned diagnostic study.
Juan Carlos Espinosa, Environmental Policy Officer:
“Currently, WWF Colombia, with the help of theBarret Foundation, is initiating the second phase ofthis study. With the aid of geo-referenced informa-tion, it is hoped to estimate the areas cultivated withpotato, coffee, onion and flowers in the Andean re-gion, where toxic substances are present or absent.This will enable to calculate the quantity of POPsused annually per crop in these areas and thus es-tablish the development of an plan of action and astrategy which will permit reducing the productionand use of toxins”,said Luis GermánNaranjo, Coordina-tor of the NorthernAndes EcoregionalProgramme.
Ana María Lora,Environmental Policy Assistant:
continued from previous page
Contact:
Contact:
4
Fund
ació
n O
mac
ha /
Fer
nand
o T
RU
JILL
O
WW
F /
Hei
nz S
TALD
ER
them, works hand in hand withother organisations following simi-lar objectives. This is the case withWWF Colombia who have sup-ported Omacha’s projects, for ex-ample, on the distribution and abun-dance of the river dolphin in specificareas, such as the River Meta. Thisproject complies with the objectivesof the Integrated ManagementProgramme for the Orinoco Basinwhich aims to support existing re-search on this species in order to fur-ther its conservation.
Additionally, a project is under-way to evaluate concentrations ofmercury in commercial species offish in order to determine pollutionlevels in aquatic ecosystems in theOrinoco region. Other projects in-volve biological evaluations of theprivate reserves of Bojonmawi(1200 ha) and Gran Colombia (4000ha) in the department of Vichada,Colombia. These projects aim toincrease the number of protectedareas in the region.
According to the director ofFundación Omacha, FernandoTrujillo, “thanks to the participa-tion and support from local com-munities in the area surroundingPuerto Carreño (Ticuna indigenouspopulations and mestizo fishers) andalong the rivers Caquetá and
Apaporis (Yukunas, Tanimucas andMacues), we have implementedcampaigns to protect and createawareness on the importance ofspecies inhabiting the region”.
Fundación Omacha has also ini-tiated a process implementing amanagement and conservation planfor the West Indian manatee(Trichechus manatus) and neotropicalotter (Lontra longicaudis) in themiddle and lower reaches of theRiver Sinú (Córdoba). The projectbeing backed by the regional envi-ronmental authority (CVS), localmayors’ offices of Cereté, SanPelayo, Cotorra, Lorica, Momil,Purísima, Chimá, San Bernardo delViento and San Antero, academics,NGOs as well as the private and
public sector. The project hopes toachieve the conservation and sus-tainable management of the species.
Trujillo states that the organisa-tion carries out these activities with“focus on scientific research andeducation in order to develop con-servation strategies for fragileaquatic recourses which are oftenconsidered to be invisible and opento unlimited exploitation. Our or-ganisation wishes to show that thisis not the case”.
In the future, Fundación Om-acha hopes to continue its work,participating in the design andimplementation of a managementplan for the lakes of Tarapoto andCorreo in the Amazon, in conjunc-tion with the regional environmen-tal authority (CORPOAMAZO-NIA) and other regional organisa-tions.
By the end of 2006, Omachahopes to have begun work on theconstruction of a research centre inthe Orinoco region, aimed at provid-ing continuity to existing activities
Fundación Omacha works in areas inhabited by importantspecies such as the pink river dolphin and giant otter
Omacha actually meanspink river dolphin in
Ticuna, the language ofan indigenous
community living in theAmazon basin.
continued from 1
Omacha is willing to build a research centre in the Orinoco region
next page
5
in the region, carried out in alliance with other institutions.Trujillo continues, “working together with WWF has been vi-
tally important in widening our horizons, especially in recognisingother actors who, in the medium term, will become key partnersand international allies. Furthermore, we have managed to increaseour educational capacity through an environmental teacher train-ing programme in Puerto Carreño (Orinoco). These are significantresults for the organisation and of course, for all those who are in-volved in protecting aquatic resources within the Orinoco basin”.
Fernando Trujillo,Director, Fundación Omacha
José Saulo Usma,Freshwater and Orinoco River Basin Coordinator
WW
F U
K /
Dav
id S
OU
TH
ERN
Respecting theirNatural and Cultural
Richness
Afro-Colombian Communities in Spain
he Afro-Colombian Communities Process(PCN, in Spanish) with the support of WWFColombia, participated in the fourth meet-
ing of the Special Working Group on the Implemen-tation of Article 8 (j) and Associated Provisions,which took place recently in Spain. The aim was tomonitor the advances in the commitments of theConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD), particu-larly Article 8 (j) which refers to the need to respect,preserve and maintain the knowledge, innovationsand practices of the indigenous and local commu-nities. These communities have deeply-rooted tra-ditional lifestyles important for the conservationand sustainable use of biological diversity. Promot-ing a more open application of these uses with theapproval and participation of the communities, andassuring that the benefits derived from the use ofthe knowledge, innovations and practices is sharedequally was also discussed.
“With the participation of the PCN in thisevent, the results and achievements of the project‘Towards the protection of the use and practice ofancestral knowledge associated with existing natu-ral resources in Afro-Colombian communities ofthe Pacific coast” have been shared internationallyin the project. The project was supported by WWFInternational and the German Ministry of Eco-nomic Co-operation and Development (BMZ). José
Absalón Suárez, a representative of the Afro-Co-lombian communities at the meeting, said, “Thiswas an opportunity to demonstrate that the com-munity proposals are important to strengthen theprocesses towards respect and conservation of ournatural and cultural resources”.
While the project was being carried out, the com-munities in the area of the Raposo and Mayorquínrivers – close to 3500 inhabitants – developed a pro-tocol for the research being carried out in the terri-tory which covers an area of 62,152 ha of tropical for-est. The carried out a study to identify their ancestralknowledge and the area’s natural resources, as wellas building an environmental component for the in-ternal regulations for the building of an Ethno-edu-cational Com-munity Projects(PEC, in Span-ish) in Afro-Co-lombian com-munities.
Afro-Colombian communities work for the protection,use and practice of their ancestral knowledge
Ana María Lora,Environmental Policy Assistant:
t
continued from previous page
Contact:
Contact:
6
The Eastern Cordilleracontains high levels of
well - preservednatural vegetation
t
© W
WF-
Can
on /
Kevi
n SC
HA
FER
Efforts for Conservationin the Eastern
Cordillera Range
he Northern Tropical AndesConservation Programme ofThe Nature Conservancy’s
(TNC) Ecuador office, Ecocienciaand the AGUA Foundation, recentlypublished the results of the “Eco-regional evaluation: páramos andmontane forests in the Eastern Cor-dillera”, which was carried out in Ec-uador, Perú and Colombia, with thesupport of the WWF Colombia’sNorthern Andes EcoregionalProgramme.
This evaluation of 9 millionhectares of páramos and montaneforests was financed by theMacArthur Foundation and theU.S. Agency for International devel-opment (USAID). Thanks to thisstudy, 48 priority terrestrial areasand 156 fresh water areas – mostof them located in the basins of thePutumayo and Zamora-Cenepa riv-ers — were identified as prioritiesfor conservation.
Of the 14 big ecosys-tem complexes whichform the Northern AndesEcoregional Complex(NAEC, in Spanish), theEastern Cordillera con-tains large blocks withhigh levels of well-pre-served natural vegetation.Its 28 natural ecosystemshouse the highest concen-tration of species in theNAEC, including plants,butterflies, amphibians,birds and mammals and acomplex mosaic of settler farmersand ancestral indigenous groups(Kamentsa, Inga, Kofan, Shuar andAchuar), whose cultural survivaland material welfare are directly re-lated with the ecological integrityof these little-disturbed areas.
Unfortunately, the expansion ofthe agricultural frontier (includingin the extreme north, the cultivationof coca and opium poppy for illegal
purposes), the de-velopment of in-f r a s t r u c t u r eworks and thepresence of log-ging, oil explora-tion and miningconcessions, are allthreatening thesurvival of thisgreat area.
“ The docu-ment presentedby these threeorganisations is avaluable portfoliowhich will help in
the design of a network of areaswhich can successfully maintainthe biodiversity, ecological pro-cesses and traditional lifestyles ofthe indigenous peoples that live inthe region,” said Luis GermánNaranjo, WWF Northern AndesEcoregional Programme Coordina-tor. “Although thirteen of the ar-eas identified in this study belongto the national protected area sys-tems of Colombia, Ecuador andthe north of Perú, and many ofthese are collective territories be-longing to indigenous communi-ties, area significant proportion ofthe ecosystems of the EasternCordillera are threatened by exter-nal influences which affect thebiodiversity of the region”, headded.
The Eastern Cordillera hosts the greatestwealth of fauna and flora in the NAEC
The evaluation covered an area of 9 millionhectares of páramos and montane forest
Luis German Naranjo,Northern Andes
Ecoregional Coordinator:[email protected]
© W
WF-
Can
on /
Kevi
n SC
HA
FER
Contact:
7
fAwa Indigenous Organisation
UNIPA is committedto implementing
programmes related tohealth, education, cultural
respect, institutionalstrengthening and
sustainable agriculture.
ifteen years ago, agroup of eldersbelonging tothe Awa indig-
enous community inRicaurte (Nariño) setup an organisation aimedat achieving the followingobjectives: to defend their land,to create respect for their commu-nities’ lifestyles, to preserve tradi-tions and uses related to nature, tosafeguard their traditional liveli-hoods and to make their own au-thorities known.
On 6 June 1990, the Awa indig-enous organisation (UNIPA, inSpanish) was founded and its head-quarters were established in the vil-lage of El Diviso. The organisationwas set up in response to an imme-diate need to defend their right totheir own land. The organisation’spresident, Olivio Bisbicus, ex-plained that “due to a legal prob-lem with La Brava reservation, wehad to speed up the process of ac-quiring title deeds for our land sincewe ran the risk of losing it”.
Since then, UNIPA has imple-mented a process of institutionalstrengthening, involving proposalsto benefit the community directly.These projects were supported byorganisations such as WWF Colom-
bia, the EuropeanUnion, the re-gional environ-mental authority(CORPONAR-
IÑO) and theNariño local gov-
ernment, among oth-ers. The above organisa-
tions joined forces with theindigenous communities inorder to achieve joint objec-tives aimed at improvingquality of life and the con-serving the natural wealth ofthe Chocó region.
UNIPA works for the wel-fare of its indigenous com-munities. It is committed toimplementing programmesrelated to health, education,cultural respect, institu-tional strengthening andsustainable agriculture bymeans of inter-institutionalalliances. For example, WWFColombia has been involvedin different initiatives set upby this organisation since 2003 aspart of its project “Conservationand sustainable development inthe Chocó Biogeographic Region:building capacities for livelihoodimprovement and environmentalsustainability”.
The above projectis funded by the Euro-pean Union and WWFand is being imple-mented by a group ofalmost 40 different or-ganisations through-out the Chocó-Darienecoregion. The projectaims to strengthen lo-cal conservation and
sustainable development processesas well as conservation activitiesleading to better standards of liv-ing for rural communities.
This project, alongside UNIPA’sefforts, aims to improve livelihoodsamong the inhabitants of the 21 le-gally established indigenous reser-vations and a further four whoseapplications are still being pro-cessed. All the reservations are lo-cated within an area of approxi-mately 200,000 ha of rainforest, thepredominant ecosystem through-out Awa territory, located on theborder between Colombia and Ec-uador.
In Search of a Dream
© W
WF-
Col
ombi
a /
Dia
na O
RD
OÑ
EZ
The Awa territory in Colombia has an area ofapproximately 200,000 ha of rainforest
next page
8
The initiative is workingtowards a territorial zoningand management plan for
282,385 hectares ofmangrove.
wPacific Territories,
Together in Mangrove Managementith the developmentof a pilot strategy forthe recuperation, con-
servation, management and sus-tainable use of the mangrove eco-systems on the Pacific coast of Co-lombia, the Regional Environmen-tal Authorities (known by Spanishinitials, CARs) of the Departmentsof Nariño (Corponariño), Cauca(CRC), Valle (CVC) and the Re-gional Environmental Authority forthe Sustainable Development ofChocó (Codechocó) and WWF Co-
lombia, united their efforts withAfro-Colombian and indigenouscommunities in the Chocó Biogeo-graphic Eco-region, for the purposeof maintaining and recuperatingthis important ecosystem.
The initiative is currently work-ing towards a territorial zoning andmanagement plan for 282,385 hect-ares of mangrove swamps in pilotareas in the municipalities ofTumaco (Nariño), Timbiquí(Cauca), Buenaventura (Cauca Va-lley) and the San Juan Littoral
(Chocó). This is a contribu-tion to the improvement ofthe living conditions andenvironmental sustainabili-ty of the local populationsthat are affected by inten-sive logging, mining andaquatic activities takingplace in these territories.
This effort, which willinvolve 40% of the ruralpopulation in these mu-nicipalities, hopes that 170hectares will become partof the recuperation processand 200 hectares in themanagement process. It isalso hoped that the imple-mentation of three sus-tainable production alter-natives which involve 700families and the strength-
ening of the organisational andparticipative capacity of the Com-munity Councils and grassroots or-ganisations, as well as the recu-peration of two marine speciesused in traditional agriculture.
The CARs in their capacity as re-gional environmental authorities,and the communities involved in theinitiative will centre their actions onstrengthening training for the terri-torial organisations, and in theimplementation of actions for the re-cuperation of the mangrove swampecosystem. They will help in thegathering of technical and economicknowledge of the families in the ini-tiative, as well as following up theadvances through a monitoring planin accordance with the socio-envi-ronmental reality of the communi-ties living in the mangrove swamps.
Carmen Candelo, Training Coor-dinator of WWF Colombia, said that“This process will reduce the impactproduced on these ecosystems interms of alteration and degradation,not only of the biodiversity, but alsoof the socio-economic conditions ofthe population”.
Carmen Candelo,Capacity Building Coordinator
“Over the last 15 years, UNIPA has slowly managed toestablish itself within the indigenous communities, provid-ing capacity building for the Awa people. In fact, now weare recognised and trusted by our people. Therefore, we hopethat this organisational process will continue to makeprogress and that communities and young people will remaincommitted to this initiative in order to achieve our dream ofimproving livelihoods”, concluded Bibicus.
Beatriz GallegoProgramme Officer Choco
Biogeographic Ecoregional [email protected]
WW
F C
olom
bia
/ M
aría
Xim
ena
Gal
eano
The government, communities and WWF Colombia joinefforts for the recovery and maintenance of the mangrove
continued from previous page
Contact:
Contact:
9
Org
aniz
ació
n In
díge
na d
e A
ntio
quia
Org
aniz
ació
n In
díge
na d
e A
ntio
quia
Indigenous Forestry Management PlanA Community Purpose
The Plan selected a productionarea of 13,285 hectares
The Plan will be thepiloting of a commercial
experience inindigenous reserves
Martha Lucy MondragónForests Coordinator
s ome 60,000 hectares oftropical forest and tropicalrain forest - home to indig-
enous communities in Mutatá andChigorodó (in the region of Uraba,north-western Colombia) - will bethe focus point for the implemen-tation of a Community ForestryManagement Plan. The specificarea includes the indigenous re-serves of Yaberaradó and Polines (inthe municipality of Chigorodó) aswell as Jaikerazabi and Chontadu-ral (in the municipality of Mutatá).
The Plan –drawn up by thetechnical team of the Urabá RegionIndigenous Forestry ManagementProgramme with the support ofWWF Colombia, the Urabá Sus-tainable Development Authority
(Corpourabá), the Co-lombian Forestry Pro-gramme and ParamilloNational Park– se-lected a productionarea of 13,285 hect-ares. This intends tostrengthen the man-agement capacity andterritorial control ofthe indigenous com-munities through envi-ronmental recupera-tion by forestry man-agement, the sustain-able management oftheir forests and theimprovement of theirquality of life.
One of the firstphases of the imple-mentation of the Planwill be the piloting of acommercial experiencein the indigenous reserves of Polinesand Chontadural, in an area of ap-proximately 100 hectares. It ishoped through this exercise togather important information inorder to continue the implementa-tion of the Forestry ManagementPlan and the community forestrycompany.
“The indigenous communitiesare conscious of the need to man-age their forest resources in a sus-tainable way as an alternative tomore environmentally, socially andculturally damaging practiceswhich are becoming evident in cer-tain areas”, said Gustavo Rojas,technical Coordinator of the For-estry Management Programme ofthe OIA (Antioquia’s IndigenousOrganisation)
The Community Forestry Man-agement Plan is an opportunitythat more than 2000 indigenouspeople were looking; this permits arespect for their customs and ances-tral l ifestyles. It assures thesustainability of the forests throughthe organisation of integrated useprocesses and the transformationand commercialisation of forestproducts.
The Community Forestry Management Plan is anopportunity through which more than 2000 indigenous
people assures the sustainability of their forests
Contact:
10
designed to measure the effectiveness of the processesbeing carried out within a particular conservation areaand its ecosystems, and the relationship these processeshave on the communities.
The first exercise using this tool took place in 2000,in the South-Western Territorial Regional Departmentof the National Parks System and WWF Colombia ap-
plied the method-ology in FarallonesNational Park lo-cated in the ChocóB i o g e o g r a p h i cEcoregion, whichis considered a pri-ority area by theWWF.
As a result ofthis exercise, Fara-
llones NP conservation objectives concerning the hy-dro resource supply, natural forest ecosystems, habi-tat maintenance for the traditional groups in the area,and the provision of natural spaces for environmentaleducation, ecotourism and research were 80% on tar-
In 2004 themethodology was
used as a pilotexercise in 90% ofthe protected areas
in Colombia
Sandra Valenzuela, Planning and
Development Coordinator:[email protected]
get. This showed that the work being carried out iscoherent with the proposals of the National System ofProtected Areas.
Additionally, the Analysis framework brought im-portant information about the intercultural relationsin the area. In fact, Luis Fernando Goómez, the ParkDirector, maintains that by applying this methodol-ogy it was evident that,“we had a 20% presence and‘recognition’ in the communities. Now we havestarted a process that allows us to get to know betterand be more sensitive to the Afro-Colombian and in-digenous populations, for the purpose of formingworking groups and setting timetables with a viewto focussing the processes on the conservation andsustainable use of the 205,266 hectares of this Na-tional Park.”
This has involved the Afro-Colombian communi-ties living close to the Naya River, and we havestrengthened our contact with the Association of In-digenous Tribal Leaders in the Cauca Valley (Aciva).This is a significant step, since the Effectiveness Analy-sis for Protected Area Management proposes the activeparticipation of local communities.
Taking this result as a case study, in 2004 the meth-odology was used as a pilot exercise in 90% of the pro-tected areas in Colombia. This has improved the ad-ministration of these areas and permitted the method-ology to be used in the supervision and carrying out ofdifferent projects in corresponding areas.
This whole procedure has enabled the work carriedout to be valued within these protected areas and newprocesses to be proposed in order to conserve the re-sources, now that this method seeks to identify in time,advantages and disadvantages in relation to topics re-lating to biodiversity, environmental services and com-munity participation.
In 2006 The Colombian National Parks Authority(PNN) and WWF will work on the second phase of thetask. It is hoped that the results obtained during 2004can be processed and used as important strategies inthe PNN offices, thereby enabling specific responsibili-ties to be sha-red out amongthe work te-ams to thatthey can workjointly withthe local popu-lations.
© W
WF-
Can
on /
Kev
in S
CH
AFE
Rcontinued from 1
Contact:
11
©Ed
war
d PA
RK
ER
A Bet for RuralConservation
Peasant Development Association
In 1991 the Network of Natural Reserves of La Cocha was created
w ith the objective of improving the qualityof life of the local population, generatingprocesses for the care and sustainable use
of their natural resources, and preserving their envi-ronmental riches, more than 3,000 people belonging to550 peasant and indigenous families in the municipali-ties of Pasto, Chachaguí, Buesaco and Yacuanquer (inNariño department, Colombia) got together to form thePeasant Development Association (known by it Span-ish initials, ADC).
Since 1980 the organisation has consolidated its ef-forts for rural conservation in different territories thro-ugh the creation of Working Collectives – an idea basedon an age-old ancestral method which works thanksto the collective efforts of the groups aimed at achiev-ing common conservation goals.
Today there are four groups in the ADC involvedin working collectives that support the rural conser-vation efforts of this organisation. The Peasant Asso-ciation of La Cocha (Asoryacocha), is located in thedistrict of Encano, has 72 families participating in afull-time system of sustainable production and recu-peration of natural ecosystems thus contributing tothe establishment of biological corridors. The OrchidPeasant Association (Asorquidea) works in the mu-nicipality of Yacuanquer. Here 74 families work onfood sufficiency and the recuperation of soil fertilityand the protection of water sources in the area. TheUnified Peasants Association (Asounificados), whichextends from municipalit ies of Buesaco andChachaguí, has 60 families working on the recupera-tion of terraced soils. Finally, the Gualmatán Collec-tive, through its system of production-conservation,gathers together 55 families in the municipality ofPasto.
These four associations make the consolidation ofthe ADC possible and in their respective territorieswork on food sustainability and biodiversity conserva-tion, social organisation and management, the Inheri-tors of the Planet Programme, geographic informationsystems and communications.
Reaping the benefits
Because of the exploitation of vegetal carbon andtimber in the municipality of Encano, in 1991 the Peas-ant Association of La Cocha (known as Asoyaracocha)decided to set up the Network of Natural Reserves ofLa Cocha as a conservation and sustainable productionalternative aided by the ADC. Today there are 52 peas-ant and indigenous families participating in the Net-work and they work for the conservation of an area ofapproximately 4000 hectares of cloud forest, páramosand wetlands.
Sixteen percent of this area is located in the upperbasin of the Guamués River where Lake La Cocha issituated. This is the best conserved wetland area in theNorthern Andes and was declared in April 2000 as aRamsar site, or Internationally Important Wetland
next page
12
WW
F C
olom
bia
/ D
iego
M. G
AR
CÉS
The ADC hasconsolidated
common efforts forrural conservation
actions.
Area. This achievement permitted the ADC to partici-pate in the construction of a policy for internal wet-land areas in Colombia, which was drawn up between2001 and 2003. It is hoped that this will guarantee thesustainability of the hydro resources through rationaluse and the conservation of these strategic ecosystems.
All the work done by the ADC with the support ofthe Network of Private Reserves of La Cocha, which isaided by WWF Colombia, was recognised by the Foun-dation for Participative Environmental Management(Fungap, in Spanish) at the end of 2005. The schemewas awarded the “Successful Participative Environmen-tal Management for Wetlands in the Americas 2005”prize by the Dutch Committee of the World Conserva-tion (IUCN, in English) and the World Convention onImportant Wetlands (Ramsar).
Martha Ortega, director of the ADC, maintains that“These types of recognition are only a sample of whatthe ADC can achieve towards the future, and we hopeto continue our work strengthening and positioningthe processes already started. This involves political is-sues, food sustenance, the conservation of our ecosys-tems and the growth and well-being of the populationthrough local leadership”. Se added, “All these possi-bilities opened up 25 years ago with the foundation ofthe ADC, which can share its experiences today”.
The experience of “Harvesting Diversity in South-eastern Colombia: A Conservation and Welfare Alter-native for Human Development (Network of privateReserves of La Cocha)” recognised this participativeprocess that seeks to improve the quality of life andthe conservation of environmental and cultural diver-
sity within the area thatforms the Peasant De-velopment Association.
This diversity in-volves the participationof 512 young boys, girlsand youngsters thatmake up the Inheritors ofthe Planet Programme. Five groups (Friends of Nature, TheToucans, The Orchid, Gualmaventura and Green Life),from five localities in the departament of Nariño, all workon conservation, research and communication activitieswithin their territories.
One example of the work done by the Inheritors ofthe Planet Programme is the radio communicationsinitiative in the La Cocha area and the team of youngpeople dedicated to making videos, known asGualmavisión. These videos help in promoting the ac-tivities and specific achievements of the Working Col-lectives that make up the ADC.
Each one of these ADC initiatives involve the ac-tive participation of the community, they arise fromthe need to conserve rural territories and environmen-tal riches in the area, as well as the farming and indig-enous cultures represented by this organisation. It ishoped that in the next25 years, more workcan be done to protectthe natural resourcesin this area so impor-tant for the local com-munity.
Martha Ortega,Director ADC
continued from previous page
Contact:
13
Calendar Orinoco 2006A Tribute to the Orinoco Basin
With the aim of highlighting the important work be-ing carried out within the Orinoco Basin EcoregionalProgramme, WWF Colombia launched its new calen-dar Orinoco 2006. Support was received from the WWFInternational Network, (WWF , WWF Switzerland,The Living Waters Programme, and the Latin Ameri-can and Caribbean Secretariat of WWF International),the Dutch Government’s International CooperationDivision (DGIS), and UK’s Ministry of InternationalDevelopment (DFID).
With photographs and text, this publication illus-trates the joining of waters from the Andes and theGuyana Shield, two geologically distinct worlds withparticular characteristics. Fresh water corridors crossthe savannah plains reaching the Orinoco Delta wherethey meet up with the Atlantic, forming an importanthabitat for the reproduction and life cycles of manymarine species. This habitat is also shared by highlyvulnerable species like the Arrau or Charapa turtle, theOrinoco caiman, the giant otter, the pink dolphin andthe jaguar.
With Orinoco 2006, WWF not only shows its com-mitment to the region and the focus of its work, butalso permits the establishment and strengthening ofrelations with different groups in the region.
Analysis Effectivenessfor Protected Areas
With the support of the Embassy of the Nether-lands, DFID, the Global Network of WWF andthe World Bank, WWF Colombia and the Colom-bian National Parks Authority published apedagogic manual for the applicability of Analy-sis Effectiveness for the Management of Pro-tected Areas with Social Participation.
This useful tool examines the efficiency of theprocesses already under way within an area ear-marked for the conservation of its ecosystems,and the relations with the communities livingthere through long-, medium- , and short-termapplication of the analysis.
The explanation of the methodology of thedifferent components and the steps to be fol-lowed, are developed in the publication’s fourseparate texts. There is also a CD-ROM outlin-ing all the applications of the methodology.
thepublicationsCarmen Ana Dereix
Publications and Brand: [email protected]
Contact:
14
Regional Strategy forHigh Andean
Wetlands
Eight Ramsar Convention member countries represent-ing Andean wetlands (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Co-lombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Perú) have designed aRegional Strategy for the Conservation and Sustain-able Use of High Wetland Areas.
As part of the strategy, WWF Colombia published“High Andean Wetlands: Fragile and Strategic Ecosys-tems that Offer Environmental Services for theWellbeing of Millions of People”. The aim of this publi-cation is to make known the objectives, principles andactions of this regional initiative in the framework ofthe ninth meeting of the Ramsar Convention held inUganda in 2005. As well as the publication, there is apromotional video.
The Andean Regional Strategy has the support ofthe Danone Group, the World Conservation Union(IUCN), the Ramsar Wetland Convention, the BritishMinistry for International Development (DFID) andthe WWF.
Practical, OnlineEnglish-Language
Training Guide
The Global Water Partnership (GWP) re-cently concluded the on-line the English digitalversion of the manual Organising Workshops: AGuide for Educators. The book in Spanish wasoriginally published in 2003 by WWF Colom-bia, In Wen (formerly DSE – Germany) and theInstitute for Communication in Organisations(IFOK). For GWP this manual is a key tool tocarry out educational and capacity building pro-cesses amongst several actors.
The publication, developed by Carmen Can-delo Reina, WWF Colombia Capacity BuildingCoordinator, together with Gracia Ana OrtizRuiz and Barbara Unger, presents concepts andguidance to plan, organise, carry out, evaluateand follow up the different training workshopsin any context. The digital versions, both inEnglish and Spanish can be downloaded fromConnect: https://intranet.panda.org/documents/document.cfm?uFolderID=106&uDocID=69428and WWF Colombia’s site: http://www.wwf.org.co/colombia/publicaciones.php?lang=en
15
Colombia Programme
March 5 to april 7 2006
March 13 2006
March 16 to 24 2006
May 28 to june 2 2006
Org
aniz
ació
n In
díge
na d
e A
ntio
quia
With the intention of evaluating the differentconservation actions supported by WWF UK inColombia, anevaluating team will be in the countryfrom March 5 until 7 April 2006. They will studycertain areas of the Northern Andes and the ChocóBiogeographic ecoregions where WWF are working onprojects (financed or co-financed by WWF UK). Theidea is to highlight the relevance, effectiveness andimpact of these projects, and recommend improve-ments for future work. The team will also look athow the use of funds is used in the projects and dis-cuss the lessons learned in order to contribute to abetter organisational understanding so as to lead tobetter credibility and transparency. The team will bemade up of representatives from WWF UK, WWF Bo-livia, WWF Colombia and an external evaluator. Sandra Valenzuela,Planning and Development [email protected]
A workshop on the base line revision of theNational Protected Area System will take placeon the 13 March in Bogotá. The workshope is withinthe framework established under the UnderstandingMemorandum signed by The Nature Conservancy(TNC), Conservational International (CI), WWF Co-lombia and the National Parks Authority.Ximena Barrera, Policy [email protected]
From the 16 -24 March, WWF Colombia will formpart of the WWF Delegation at the 8th conference ofsignatory states of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity (CBD) which will be held in Curitiba, Bra-zil. At the meeting WWF Colombia will participate inthe Working Group on Protected Areas, and present acase study jointly with the The Afro-Colombian Com-munities Process (PCN, in Spanish) in a parallel eventorganised by the IUCN. It will also support the WWFdelegation in following up the targets set by the coun-tries in the CBD framework. WWF Colombia will ac-company the Colombian National Parks Authority inreporting on the advances in the development of theProtected Areas Understanding Memorandum.Ximena Barrera, Policy [email protected]
The Seventh Inter-American Congress on theConservation of Private Lands will take place inCartagena, Colombia from the 28 May to 2 June 2006.This encounter hopes to interchange experiences thatcontribute to private conservation in the Americas,strengthen public-private cooperation and promotethe effective conservation of biological diversity in thelong-term. The event is being organised by The Na-ture Conservancy (TNC), The Natura ColombiaFoundation, The Colombian Civil Society Networkof Private Reserves, the National Parks Authority(PNN) and WWF Colombia.Ana María Lora, Policy [email protected]
ouragenda
16
Northern Andes
March 1 2006
March 2 2006
March 3 to 7 2006
March 14 2006
March 3 2006March 27 2006
Orinoco Basin
February 28 to march4 2006
March 8 to 14 2006
On 1 March, the National Parks Authority (PNN),the Corporation for the Protection of the Meseta deBucaramanga and WWF Colombia will organise afield trip to the Berlín Páramo, in the depart-ment of Santander as part of the process of thisbeing declared a protected area.Andrés Felipe Trujillo, GIS Assistant. [email protected]
There will be a meeting on 2 March in Bucaramanga,department of Santander on how to establish theenvironmental module of the North-easternTraining School. Participants include the Itza Foun-dation and WWF Colombia.Andrés Felipe Trujillo, GIS [email protected]
On 3 March in Bucaramanga (Santander department)a meting will be held between the National Parks Au-thority and WWF Colombia with the aim of analysingsome of the aspects related to the possible extensionof Guanentá Flora and Fauna Sanctuary.Andrés Felipe Trujillo, GIS [email protected]
From 3-7 March in La Cruz (Nariño department) WWFColombia and the National Parks Authority will hold ameeting on how to put into place the work plan for thedeclaration of Doña Juana-Cascabel protected areawhich has 64,000 hectares of páramo, Andean and HighAndean forests located on the Amazonian slope.Olga Lucía Hernández, Programme [email protected]
On 14 March in Versalles (Cauca Valley depart-ment) there will be a workshop on the defini-t ion of conservat ion object ives for theParaguas mountain range. The Versalles andSerraniagua Corporations, WWF Colombia and theEnvironmental Authority will participate.Andrés Felipe Trujillo, GIS [email protected]
The Regional Environmental Authorities of theDepartment of Nariño and Amazonia, together withWWF Colombia will meet on 27 March in Pasto(Nariño department). The goal is to establish the stepsto follow in the restructuring process for the RegionalProtected Areas System in the Amazonian area.Olga Lucía Hernández, Programme [email protected]
From 28 February – 4 March. WWF Colombia will hostAlice Eymard-Dovernay of WWF Switzerland. Shewill have the opportunity of getting to know first handthe work being carried out by the Colombian NationalParks Authority (PNN), The Colombian Institute forRural Development (Incoder) and the Corporation forthe Sustainable Development of Northern and EasternAmazonia (CDA) in Puerto Inírida (Guainia depart-ment). The objective is to increase the representation ofprotected areas in watershed of the River Inírida.Saulo Usma, Orinoco Programme [email protected]
WWF Colombia will participate in the worldmeeting of WWF Freshwater Programmes tobe held in Chihuahua (Mexico) from the 8-14 ofMarch 2006. The financing of WWF developmentprogrammes will be examined. There will also bea training course with experts in the topic of wa-ter.Saulo Usma, Orinoco Programme [email protected]
17
March 1 to 3 2006
March 9 2006
Chocó Biogeographic
March 1 2006
On 1 March in Bogotá, WWF Colombia and theCaja de Herramientas Foundation will meetwith the idea of establishing a possible relation-ship between the “Conservation and SustainableDevelopment in the Chocó Biogeographic Region:Building Capacities for the Improvement of theQuality of Life and Environmental, Sustainability”,a project co-financed by WWF and the EuropeanUnion, and the “Colombian Community Networkof Environmentally Friendly Producers”. This issupported by the Government of the Netherlands,the U.S. Environmental and Childhood ActionFoundation in cooperation with the ColombianMinistry of the Environment, Housing and Terri-torial Development’s Strategic Plan for Green Mar-kets. It is hoped to establish lines of action to betaken for alternative sustainable products andbiocommerce. This meeting will also be a forumfor interchanging and adding to strong points ofboth projects.María Fernanda Jaramillo,Chocó Ecoregional Programme [email protected]
A communications workshop will take place inJuanchaco (Malaga Bay, Valle del Cauca department)from March 1-3, 2006, hosted by the Inter-institutionalCollective for the Conservation and Defence of theNatural Values of Málaga Bay. The workshop hopes tostrengthen communication processes so as to estab-lish action strategies to preserve and defend the Bay.julio mario fernández b, Communications [email protected]
On March 9 2006, the Ecosystems Office of theMinistry of the Environment, Housing and Terri-torial Development, together with the Regional En-vironmental Authority of Choco (Codechocó) andlocal authorities, community representatives andWWF Colombia and other NGO, will hold a meet-ing in the municipality of Pizarro in the RiverBaudó Delta (a Ramsar site in the departmentChocó), to look at the steps to be followed forsome of points in the Ramsar site managementplan.María Fernanda Jaramillo,Chocó Ecoregional Programme [email protected]
WWF Colombia Communications
julio mario fernández b
Communications Coordinator
© WWF Colombia
WWF Colombia
Tel: +57 (2) 558 25 77
Fax: +57 (2) 558 25 88
Cra. 35 No. 4A - 25
Cali - Colombia
www.wwf.org.co
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most experiencedindependent conservation organizations, with almost 5million supporters and a global network active in morethan 100 countries.
WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’snatural environment and to build a future in whichhumans live in harmony with nature, by:
• Conserving the world’s biological diversity• Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is
sustainable• Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful
consumption.
Des
ign: