relat.rio am-do sul - capitulo 5 modificado · 227 chapter 5 1. antecedents the brazilian...

Chapter 5

Photo: José Sabino

227

CHAPTER 5

1. Antecedents

The Brazilian initiative

The Brazilian Ministry of Environment (MMA)supported the accomplishment of a process of ampleconsults to specialists on the diverse taxonomicgroups that compose Brazilian biodiversity duringthe period from 1998 to 2001. This process wasknown as “Seminaries of the Brazilian BiomesEvaluation”. Five Brazilian sets of biomes had beenfocused: Amazon; Pantanal and Cerrado; Caatinga;Atlantic Forest and Southern Fields; and Coastal andMarine Zones. These evaluations had counted onthe participation of about 1,000 representatives ofthe academic sector, non-governmentalorganizations and governmental managers, andresulted in the indication of 900 priority geographicalareas and many priority actions for conservation,sustainable use and benefit sharing of Brazilianbiodiversity.

The areas identified in this process basedthe Decree No 5,092, of May 21st 2004, and theDecision 126, of May 27th 2004, of the MMA, thatdefines as priority geographic areas the 900 onesiindicated in the consultation process. These areasare presented in a map (Figure 5.1), which is aproduct of the Conservation and Sustainable Use ofthe Biological Diversity Project - PROBIO/MMA. Thismap was published in December 2003, reedited inMay 2004 and is available in the site of the Ministry( h t t p : / / w w w . m m a . g o v. b r / i d _ e s t r u t u r a=14&id_conteudo=743).

In agreement with the mentioned Decision,these identified areas must orient the federal policiesdirected towards the ex situ conservation;sustainable use; sharing of the benefits derived fromthe access to the genetic resources and the

INITIATIVES OF INDICATION OF PRIORITY GEOGRAPHICAREAS FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE

NEARBY THE BORDERS OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES

associated traditional knowledge; research; recoveryof degraded areas or threatened species andeconomic valuation of biodiversity.

A total of 385 areas had been mapped in theAmazon, 87 areas in the biomes Cerrado andPantanal, 82 areas in the Caatinga, and 182 inAtlantic Forest, and 164 areas in the coastal andmarine zone. The map defines three importancecategories for the conservation areas: extremelyhigh, very high and high. There are also those definedas insufficiently known, which, therefore, demand astudy effort to enhance biodiversity knowledge. Thisclassification, as well as the map revision is a taskattributed to the National Biodiversity Commission(CONABIO). The official map of the priority areasrepresents an essential tool for the government andsociety to work more efficiently towards thesustainability.

Some of the identified areas (68) arecontiguous or continuous to the borders of the SouthAmerican countries (Tables 5.1 to 5.4) and can betarget of cooperation actions in biodiversitymanagement. In the same way, the other SouthAmerican countries could also have establishedpriority geographical areas for conservation andsustainable use of their biodiversity. In general, theNational Biodiversity Strategies, which can beaccessed in the CD-Rom attached to thispublication, mention initiatives for the elaboration,establishment and strengthening of a ProtectedAreas System within their territories. Thus, Brazilsuggested considering this as a potential tool for theorientation of bilateral and regional cooperationactions. Therefore, it was requested to the countriesinformation on national initiatives to identify priorityareas for the biodiversity conservation particularlyin the areas nearby the borders with other countries,as the example of what had been made for Brazil1.

1 Here are presented the information provided by Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay and Peru.The other countries had not supplied information or they have not established the priority areas for conservation within theirterritories.

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Figure 5.1 Brazilian priority geographic areas for biodiversity conservation, its sustainable use and benefit-sharing. Thesquares represent the importance categories for conservation: red - extremely high; orange - very high; yellow - high;purple - insufficiently known; gray - new area identified by the regional groups. The lines represent the biomes: green -Amazon; light blue - Cerrado and Pantanal; orange - Caatinga; red - Atlantic Forest and Southern Fields; dark blue -Coastal and Marine Zones.

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Table 5.1. List of priority areas for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use located in the Amazon region nearby theBrazilian borders with the South American countries (see the complete map in http://www.mma.gov.br/id_estrutura=14&id_conteudo=743), as well as their priority level for conservation and the recommendations suggested bythe participants during the identification process of the areas. SP: State Park; IT: Indigenous Territory; BR: BiologicalReserve; ER: Extractivist Reserve; NP = National Park; EE: Ecological Station; CU: Conservation Unit; FR: ForestryReserve; NF: National Forest.

BorderingCountry

Biome General PriorityArea Name AreaCode Size(ha) Recommendation

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

LaranjeirasExtractivistForest

Corumbiara SP

Pedras NegrasER

Colorado River

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

AM-18

AM-19

AM-24

AM-25

AM-28

AM-39

AM-40

32,443.30

610,875.97

109,680.15

114,598.42

26,456.08

88,070.97

214,051.94

Sustainable use of the natural resources;Elaboration of the plan for the sustainableuse of the natural resources andbiological inventories

Protection; Surveillance and Protection ofthe river sources; elaboration of biologicalinventories

Sustainable use of the natural resources;Development of economic sustainabilityand social-environmental program andelaboration of biological inventories

Creation of conservation unit; Elaborationof biological inventories

Incorporation of the existing conservationunit; Incorporation of the area in theBiological Reserve and Surveillance ofillegal hunting

Sustainable use of the natural resources;Development of economic sustainabilityand social-environmental program andelaboration of biological inventories

Protection; Surveillance along theNorthern limits of the Biological Reserveand Management updating

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Peru

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Madeira River’shollow

1 - Extremelyhigh

New areadefined by theregional group




2 - Very high

2 - Very high

2 - Very high

1- Extremelyhigh

AM-53

AM-56

AM-57

AM-58

AM-59

AM-237

AM-238

AM-203

AM-171

1,432,312.30

429,931.85

126,726.97

538,854.32

271,076.73

64,685.04

48,453.34

981,692.66

879,797.43

Realization of studies for the definition ofpriorities actions

Sustainable use of the natural resources;Implantation of the plan of naturalresources utilization and strengthening ofthe inhabitants association

Protection and environmental recovery;Surveillance, recovering of somedegraded areas and elaboration ofbiological inventories

Creation of conservation unit;Transformation of the area into a NationalPark and Extractivist Reserve andelaboration of biological inventories

Sustainable use of the natural resources;Implementation of actions for theconsolidation of the Western AmazonEcological Corridor

Creation of conservation unit; Creation ofConservation Unit for Sustainable Use

Creation of conservation unit; Creation ofConservation Unit for Sustainable Use

Realization of studies for the definition ofpriority actions

Protection, Surveillance andcomplementation of the biologicalinventories

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

Pau d’óleo Farm

Igarapé Lage IT

Guaporé BR(part)

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Rio Cautário ER

Rio Guaporé IT

Serra da Cotia

Pacaás Novas IT

Xapuri

Acre / XapuriRiver

Medium AcreRiver

Serra do DivisorNP

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CHAPTER 5

BorderingCountry

Biome General PriorityArea Name AreaCode Size(ha) Recommendation

Sustainable use of the naturalresources; Regulation of thepermissible use for the surroundingarea of the Serra do Divisor NationalPark; elaboration of biologicalinventories; and to study alternatives ofthe use of the natural resources

Realization of studies for the definitionof priority actions

595,955.96

100,609.81

AM-172

AM-173

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

EasternExtension of theSerra do DivisorNP

Kampa do RioAmônea IT

Amazon

Amazon

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Colombia

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Alto Juruá ER

Nukini IT

NorthernExtension of theSerra do DivisorNP

Vale do Javari IT

Right bank ofJavari River

Quixito River

Kulina do RioEnvira IT / Kulinado Igarapé doPau IT

High Purus River

Alto Purus IT

Rio Acre E.S.

Rio Acre IT

Mamoadate IT

High TurauacáRiver

Içá - altoSolimões

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

2 - Very high

1 - Extremelyhigh

2 - Very high

2 - Very high

2 - Very high

1 - Extremelyhigh

2 - Very high

2 - Very high

2 - Very high

2 - Very high


2 - Very high

AM-174

AM-176

AM-177

AM-184

AM-185

AM-186

AM-189

AM-190

AM-191

AM-199

AM-200

AM-201

AM-230

AM-339

Sustainable use of the natural resources

Sustainable use of the natural resources;Elaboration of biological inventories

Incorporation of the area into the NationalPark of the Serra do Divisor, throughout itsextension towards the north, in order toact as an ecological corridor



Protection; Regularization of the LameirãoIT




Realization of studies for the definition ofpriority actions; Elaboration of biologicalinventories

Protection

Protection

Sustainable use of the natural resources;Elaboration of biological inventories

Protection; Surveillance and biologicalinventories

545,409.87

37,017.34

80,250.46

8,767,964.06

702,991,636

Colombia

Colombia

Colombia

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Várzea do AltoJapurá

Alto Rio Negro,Médio RioNegro I and II,Rio Téa and RioApaporis ITs

2 - Very high

1 - Extremelyhigh

2 - Very high

AM-287

AM-239

AM-240

185,783.47

10,767,741.88

672,376.02

Sustainable use of the natural resources;Elaboration of floristic and fauna inventoriesand studies on fishing management

Sustainable use of the natural resources;Implantation of the Protection Plan andSurveillance of the ITs; Elaboration ofbiological inventories; development ofapplied researches (ecology, creation offishes and useful plants) and ethnical-knowledge; annulation of the National Forests

Incorporation of the existing conservationunit; Development of studies for the areaincreasing of the Pico da NeblinaNational Park; creation of the Funaiworking group for the identification of theMarabitanas IT Cué-Cué; anddevelopment of sustainable agriculturepractices in the surrounding areas

Between Picoda Neblina NPand the Alto RioNegro IT

75,294.68

433,108.85

689,509.34

392,320.65

329,193.38

203,182.49

970,934.97

301,799.40

79,267.40

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CHAPTER 5

2,467,684.54

57,082.41

216,627.68

1,722,971.49

979,817.72

1,171,615.09

1 - Extremelyhigh

2 - Very high

New areadefined bythe regionalgroup

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

São Marcos andRaposa Serra doSol ITs

Manoá/Pium ITand Moskow IT

Jacamim IT

High TrombetasRiver

Pico da NeblinaNP

Overlapping areaof the Pico daNeblina NP andYanomami IT

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Guyana

Guyana

Guyana

Guyana

Venezuela

Venezuela

AM-262

AM-269

AM-271

AM-164

AM-243

AM-245

Sustainable use of the naturalresources; delimitation; implementationof the monitoring of the man’s actions;and elaboration of studies of the Inter-relationship of the biodiversity, ethnical-knowledge and indigenousmanagement practices



Creation of conservation unit; creation ofconservation units of integral protectionand elaboration of biological inventories

Protection; elaboration of managementplan with the definition of use of naturalresources by the traditionalcommunities; development of studies onthe possibilities for the ecologicaltourism and regularization of visitation;and transformation of part of the S.Miguel highway

Protection; establishment ofmultidisciplinary working group withindigenous participation (Federation ofthe Indigenous Organizations of RíoNegro - FOIRN and Yanomami RioCanaberis and Affluent Association -AYRCA) for the re-definition of the limitsand management categories

BorderingCountry

Biome General PriorityArea Name AreaCode Size (ha) Recommendation

Sustainable use of the natural resources;surveillance and protection againstinvasions; elaboration of ethnical -biological, biological and ecologicalinventories, and the annulation of theNational Forests, illegally included in theYanomami Indigenous Territory, createdbased on geographical purposes

Sustainable use of the natural resources;surveillance to avoid miners to enter theDemini area

Sustainable use of the natural resources;surveillance of invasions and protection ofthe surrounding areas; evaluation ofenvironmental degradation causes byminers and wildfires; elaboration ofbiological, ecological and ethnical-biological inventories and the annulationof the National Forests, illegally includedin the Yanomami Indigenous Territory,created based on geographical purposes

1,050,694.32

1,536,344.98

AM-247

AM-248

AM-251

2 - Very high

2 - Very high

2 - Very high

Yanomami IT inAmazonas

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Venezuela

Venezuela Overlapping areaof the YanomamiIT, the Serra doAraçá SP and theAmazonas NF

Yanomami IT inRoraima

Venezuela 5,893,121.53

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CHAPTER 5

BorderingCountry

Biome General PriorityArea Name AreaCode Size (ha) Recommendation

Sustainable use of the natural resources;delimitation and implementation of themonitoring of the man’s actions; andelaboration of studies of the inter-relationship of the biodiversity, ethnical-knowledge and indigenous managementpractices

Sustainable use of the natural resources;delimitation and implementation of themonitoring of the man’s actions; andelaboration of studies of the inter-relationship of the biodiversity, ethnical-knowledge and indigenous managementpractices

Sustainable use of the natural resources

Sustainable use of the natural resources;surveillance and protection of the ITsurrounding areas to avoid invasions andassure refuge hunt areas; andimplantation of the environmentaleducation program for the surroundingpopulations



Santa Inês IT

São Marcos ITand RaposaSerra do Sol IT

TumucumaqueFR andTumucumaqueIT

Jumina IT

Galibi IT

Uaçá IT

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

2 - Very high

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

AM-261

AM-262

AM-157

AM-136

AM-137

AM-138

26,676.50Venezuela

Venezuela

Suriname

FrenchGuyana

FrenchGuyana

FrenchGuyana

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

FrenchGuyana

FrenchGuyana

Amazon

Amazon

MediumOiapoque River

High Jari River -Tumucumaque

1 - Extremelyhigh

2 - Very high

AM-146

AM-153

1,207,172.64

1,986,817.25

Creation of conservation unit


413,313.82

6,981.13

66,175.79

2,467,684.54

1,830,070.70

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CHAPTER 5

Table 5.2. List of priority geographical areas for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use located in the AtlanticForest and Southern Fields nearby the borders of Brazil with the South American countries (see the complete map in http://www.mma.gov.br/id_estrutura=14&id_conteudo=743), as well as the priority level for conservation and the recommendationssuggested by the participants during the process of identification of these areas.

Argentina

Uruguay

Uruguay

Paraguay

Paraguay

BorderingCountry Biome General

PriorityArea Name AreaCode Size (ha) Recommendation

AtlanticForest andSouthernFields





CampanhaGaúcha

CampanhaGaúcha

LowlandGrasslands ofBagé

Paraná (IlhaGrande)

Iguaçu

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

2 - Very high

1 - Extremelyhigh

1 - Extremelyhigh

MA-733

MA-733

MA-735

MA-676

MA-680

2,609,495.75

2,609,495.75

848,118.46

646,530.24

224,923.51

Create conservation unit and increase theconservation unit size

Create conservation unit and increase theconservation unit size

Forest Recovery

Management

Management

Table 5.3. List of priority geographical areas for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use located in the Coastal andMarine Zones areas nearby the borders of Brazil with the South American countries (see the complete map in http://www.mma.gov.br/id_estrutura=14&id_conteudo=743),as well as the priority level for conservation and the recommendationssuggested by the participants during the process of identification of these areas.

BorderingCountry

Biome General PriorityArea Name Area

Code Size (ha) Recommendation

Uruguay

Uruguay

FrenchGuyana

FrenchGuyana

CoastalandMarineZones

CoastalandMarineZones

CoastaandMarinelZones

CoastaandMarinelZones

Mirim Lagoon

Chuí

Oiapoque Rivermouth to Ponta doMarrecal

Amapá Plataform

3 - High

3 - High

1 -Extremelyhigh

1 -Extremelyhigh

MC-864

MC-869

MC-737

MC-870

268,151.70

1,513.53

631,022.58

7,694,408.98

Management, intensification of theintegrated program for the managementof the fishing resources, involving IBAMAand the fisherman colonies; to integratethe management of the lake with Uruguay,to which part of the area belongs to.

Management, recovery and biologicalinventory

Biological inventory

Management, biological inventory andcreation of conservation unit of direct use

234

CHAPTER 5

Table 5.4.List of priority geographical areas for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use located in the Cerradoregions nearby the borders of Brazil with the South American countries (see the complete map in http://www.mma.gov.br/id_estrutura=14&id_conteudo=743), as well as the priority level for conservation and the recommendations suggested bythe participants during the process of identification of these areas.

BorderingCountry

Biome General PriorityArea Name Area

Code Size (ha) Recommendation

Suriname

Guyana

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Paraguay

Paraguay

Cerrado

Cerrado

Pantanal

Pantanal

Pantanal

Pantanal

Pantanal

Savannahs in theParu Region

RoraimaSavannahs

Serra da SantaBárbara

Western Border ofPantanal A

Western Border ofPantanal B

Bodoquena

Chaco (Pantanalde Porto Murtinho)

Insufficientlyknown

1 -Extremelyhigh

3 - High

1 -Extremelyhigh

1 -Extremelyhigh

3 - High

2 - Veryhigh

CP-531

CP-532

CP-536

CP-537

CP-538

CP-539

CP-540

1,466,159.76

2,381,824.49

125,706.85

226,496.30

126,954.04

406,671.62

334,444.47


Management and creation ofconservation unit

Management

Biological inventories

Management


Management

235

CHAPTER 5

2. Argentina

In Argentina, a formal process of identificationof priority areas for conservation has not beencarried out yet. In reality, it is known which are thepriority and fragile areas, but it lacks a validationthrough a consultation process, what must beorganized in a short term.

3. Bolivia3. Bolivia3. Bolivia3. Bolivia3. Bolivia22222

The most important in situ conservationinstrument at the moment is the National ProtectedAreas System (Sistema Nacional de ÁreasProtegidas - SNAP),whose main objective isthe strategic conservationof representative samplesof the biodiversitycomponents, either inquantity (surface) and inquality (conservationstate). Twenty one areasconforms the SNAP, 17 ofwhich are being managedand are tied to more than60 municipalities. Theseprotected state areasoccupy more than175,000 km2, equivalent to17% of the nationalterritorial surface.

Bolivia is divided in several ecoregions(Figure 5.2). Some ecosystems are well representedin the SNAP, like for example the humid mountainousforests of the Yungas, the Andean humid forests orthe Chaco ecosystems. Nevertheless, someecosystems still are not represented in the SNAPand therefore require a special protection. Manyprotected areas were arbitrarily created and do notpresent relevant biological values, reason why theymust be redefined. On the other hand, manyimportant areas for conservation, with locallydistributed biodiversity and high levels of endemism,are adjacent to densely populated zones, with highantropic pressure and outside the protected areas.

Figure 5.2Ecoregions of Bolivia.

2 Text and Map extracted from the National Biodiversity Strategy of Bolivia, included in the CDrom attached to this publication.

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Figure 5.3 Ecoregions of Chile.

4. Chile

Chile is divided in 12 eco-regions (Figure 5.3)and share three main terrestrial ecosystems: theAndean high plateau, shared with Peru, Bolivia andArgentina; the Rain Sub-Antarctic Forest and thePatagonia Tundra, shared with Argentina. In theocean, Chile shares the Pacific Ocean with Peru,Ecuador and Colombia and in this case, there is animportant international agreement firmed by thesecoastal countries: the Convention for the Protectionof the Marine Environment and the Coastal Zone of

the Southeast Pacific and its complementaryagreements. Within the framework of thisConvention, the Protocol for the Conservation andAdministration of the Marine and Coastal Areas ofthe Southeast Pacific was subscribed in 1989 (moreinformation on these agreements in Chapter 4).

Table 5.5 presents a list of 190 priority sitesfor the biodiversity in Chile, defined within theframework of the National Biodiversity Strategy(complete document can be accessed in theCdRom).

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CHAPTER 5

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

RegionNameNum RegionNameNum

Valle de Azapa

Quebrada de Camarones

Cerros de Poconchile

Acantilados de Punta Madrid

Punta Blanca a Cerro Camaraca

Desembocadura Rio Camarones

Desembocadura Rio Lluta

Punta Gruesa (Oasis de Niebla)

Alto Patache (Oasis de Niebla)

Punta Lobos (Oasis de Niebla)

Alto Chipana (Oasis de Niebla)

Caleta Buena (Oasis de Niebla)

Cerro Camaraca (Oasis de Niebla)

Alto Junin (Oasis de Niebla)

Huantajaya (Oasis de Niebla)

Huantaca (Oasis de Niebla)

Pabellón de Pica (Oasis de Nie

Mejillones del N-Caleta Junin

Punta Patache

Bahia de Chipana

Cuevas de Anzota

Sector Precordillera Tignamar

Desembocadura de Vitor

Quebrada de Vitor

Desembocadura del Rio Loa

Valle de Lluta

Salar del Huasco

Salar de Coposa

Salar de Michincha

Quebrada de Garza

Sector Pan de Azucar

Cuarta El Aguila-Quebrada Cardones

Rinconada de Caquena

Laguna Huantija

Salar Aguas Calientes IV

Laguna Legia

Oasis Quillagua

Desembocadura Rio Loa

Peninsula de Mejillones

Desierto Florido

Estuario Rio Huasco y Carrizal

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

II

II

II

II

II

III

III

Table 5.5 Priority Sites for the Biodiversity in Chile. I – Tarapacá Region; II – Antofagasta Region; III – Atacama Region;IV – Coquimbo Region; V – Valparaíso Region; RMS – Metropolitan Santiago Region; VI – L.G.B. O’Higgins Region; VII- del Maule Region; VIII - del Biobio Region; IX - La Araucanía Region; X - Los Lagos Region; XI - Aisén Region; XII -Magallanes Region and the Chilean Antártica.

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

III

III

III

III

IV

IV

IV

IV

IV

IV

IV

IV

IV

IV

IV

V

V

V

V

V

V

VI

VI

VI

VI

VI

VII

VII

VII

VII

VII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

Estuario Rio Copiapo hasta MorroCopiapo

Salar de Pedernales y Alrededores

Laguna Valeriano

Laguna Grande

PuntaTeatino-Qda.Honda

Sta. Ines

Estero Derecho

Cerro La Virgen

Guanta

Cuarta El Espino

El Durazno

Los Choros

Culimo

Condoriaco

Arrayan

Cordillera Melon

Los Molles

Bosques Zapallar

Sta. Ines

Alicahue

Laguna Verde

Las Cardillas

Alto Huemul

La Robleria

Humedal de Laguna de Bucalemu

Humedal de Laguna de Topocalma

Arcos de Calan

Bosques nativos de Digua y Bullileo

Bosques de Ruil y Hualo de Curepto

Tregualemu

Alta cuenca del Achibueno

Vegas del Itata

Adi Alto del Bio Bio

Altos de Ninhue (Cordinación de Cerros)

Humedales y Sistema LacustreIntercomuna Concepción

Fundo Nonguen

Laguna Santa Elena

Humedal Tubul Raqui

Adi Lleu-Lleu

238

CHAPTER 5

RegionNameNum RegionNameNum

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

VIII

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

X

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

IX

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101102103

104105106107

108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123

S.P. Tregualemu, Ramadillas y rio Petorca

Quebrada Caramavida

Isla Quiriquina y Tumbes

Altos de Escuadron

Fundo Villucura

Tome Neuque

Area Marina adyacente a Isla Mocha

Río Polcura

S.P. Nevados de Chillán

S.P. Cerro Cayumanque

Area de Manejo Lafquenche

Area de Manejo Nigue Norte y Sur

Area de Manejo Punta Queule

Estuario Río Imperial

Estuario Río Queule

Cuerpo de Agua del Lago Budi

Humedales ribereños al Lago Budi

Vegas de Puren

Area Amortiguacion Parque NacionalNahuelbuta

Area Amortiguacion MonumentoContulmo

Humedales Costeros Moncul

Laguna Moncul

Curso de Agua Mahuidanche – Quitratue– Donguil

Bosques Pantanosos

Río Cholchol

Humedales Queule

Bosques Pantanosos Mahuidanche –Quitratue – Donguil

Bosque Relicto Rucamanque

Bosque Relicto Ñielol

Vegas Chivilcan

Villa Las Araucarias

Cerro Adencul

Veranadas de Lonquimay

Laguna Renaico

Curinanco

Amp Parque Nacional Chiloe

Cordillera de la Costa

Tic - Toc

Mocho Choshuenco

Cascadas - Volcan Osorno

Río Maullin

Chaiguata

Isla Guafo

124125126127128129130131

132133134135136137138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

Rio Puelo

Llico Norte

Llico Sur

Mehuin Rio Lingue

Mar Brava

Piti Palena

Sector Hudson

Desembocadura Lago O’Higgins - RioPascua

Lago Presidente Rios

Mallin Grande - Furioso

Monumento Natural Dos Lagunas

Archipielago W Canal Messier

Isla Kent - Quitralco

Estepa Jeinimeni - Lagunas Bahia Jara

Islas Oceanicas Guamblin, Ipun

Bahia Anna Pink - Estero Walker

Entrada Baker

Deltas General carrera Oeste

Subcuenca Rio baker

Sector Ventisquero Chico

Rio Caleta

Lago Escondido

Canal Whiteside

Lago Blanco - Kami

Isla Carlos III e islote Ruper

Bahia Lomas

Murray Hardy

Omora Dientes Navarino

Yendegaia

Cordón de Cantillana

Loncha

Roblería del Cobre de Loncha

El Roble

Altos del Río Maipo

El Morado

San Gabriel

El Volcán

San José de Maipo

Río Olivares, Río Colorado, Tupungato

Humedal de Batuco

Humedal de Batuco 2

Piedmont Andino

Cuenca Estero El Yali

Cajón de Los Mosquitos

Río Clarillo

X

X

X

X

X

XI

XI

XI

XI

XI

XI

XI

XI

XI

XI

IX

XI

XI

XI

XI

XII

XII

XII

XII

XII

XII

XII

XII

XII

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

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5. Colombia5. Colombia5. Colombia5. Colombia5. Colombia3

The Humboldt Institute and the WWF hadrecently published an analysis of the gaps ofconservation of the National Parks System4. In thisanalysis, ecosystems not well represented in thesystem were identified for each Colombianecoregion. In summary, the typical ecosystems ofdry, very dry or highly seasonal regions are lessrepresented and are the ones that need biggerattention. This is the case of seasonal systems inareas of periodic flooding or with edaphic particularcharacteristics.

In particular, the work that has been made insome zones of Colombia allows prioritizing twobinational zones for in situ conservation: the zone

of Andean oriental “piedmont”, in the border ofColombia and Ecuador. This is a band of continuousbush that connects high-Andean forests with plainforests. It is an indigenous territory of the Cofánpeople, who are interested in the conservation oftheir sacred territories.

Also in the border with Ecuador, there is anextensive region of humid Páramos, in the bandbetween the Chiles volcano in Colombia and thereserve del Ángel in Ecuador. This is also anindigenous territory in Colombia and a draft of thework plan for the conservation of this binational zonehas been already initiated.

WWF-Colombia is the entity with moreinformation regarding the priority areas forconservation of the biogeographic Chocó, andcounts on regional diagnostic and identification ofpriority areas in this band that includes Colombiaand Ecuador (more information in www.wwf.org.co/colombia/que_hacemos/choco_biogeografico.php ).

6. Guyana6. Guyana6. Guyana6. Guyana6. Guyana55555

Currently Guyana has only two officiallyprotected areas. One is the National Park Kaieteur,which is located along the river Potaro and is rich inplant and animal species, many of which areendemic. The Park, which has less than 300hectares, was established in 1929 and presentsvegetation formations that vary from forest tosavannahs. The gold mining and the illegaldeforestation threaten the area around it. Anotherlegally protected area is the Iwokrama InternationalCentre for Rain Forest Conservation andDevelopment, with about 371,000 hectares oftropical forest. This site is part of the Guiana ShieldFrontier Forest, one of the four remaining intactforested areas left in the world.

The Agency of Environment Protection ofGuyana makes available general information on theprotecting areas proposed for the country. They are:

n Kanaku Mountains: The apparent highbiodiversity of the region (75% of the forestspecies, 60% of the birds and 80% of the mammalspecies that occur in the country) reflects the

3 Information supplied by Natalia Arango, Main Researcher on Protected Areas, from Humboldt Institute, Colombia.4 These data are published in the book “Vacíos de Conservación del Sistema de Parques Nacionales de Colombia desde una Perspectiva Ecoregional”, WWF/Colômbia and Humboldt Institute, 2003.5 Information taken from the web sites of the Environment Protection Agency - www.epaguyana.org - and of the WWF-Guiana(www.wwfguianas.org).

RegionNameNum

169

170

171

172

173

174

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187

188

189

190

Corredor Fronterizo Alto Andino

Corredor Limítrofe Sur (Angostura)

Corredor Limítrofe Norte (Chacabuco)

La Vacada de Huelquén

Fundo Huechún

Alto de la Cuenca del Mapocho

Colina-Lo Barnechea

Cerro Bustamante

Mallarauco

Corredor Río Maipo

Peldehue

Corredor Río Mapocho

San Pedro Nororiente

Cerro Lonquén

Cerro Águilas

Cerros limítrofes

Melipilla-San Antonio

Las Lomas-Cerro Pelucón

Cordón de Naltagua

Cerros Alto Jahuel-Huelquén

Cerro Chena

Cerro Cabras de Tiltil

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

RMS

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uncommon diversity of habitats that vary fromsavannahs, gallery forests and semi deciduousforests in the lowest areas, to the evergreenmountain forests within an altitudinal band of 150-900 m.

n Roraima Mount: This area contains manyelements of the fauna and flora of the GuyananShield that are not found in any other place. Thismountainous region is little studied within Guyana,but it is known that it is rich in rare plants andanimals at the Venezuela side, where a greatNational Park exists. The Roraima Mount containssome types of vegetation that protect an importanthydrographic basin, vital for Guyana. The areathat it occupies was proposed as a HumanityPatrimony and as a National Park.

n Orinduik Falls: Located in the North of Lethem,in the border with Brazil, the Orinduik Falls areone of the older geologic formations in the countryand are encircled by dry savannahs. This areawas proposed as a National Park, a naturalmonument and as an important site forconservation.

n Southeastern Forests: It occupies a great areaat the south of Guyana, in the border with Braziland Suriname. Preliminary data indicate that thisforest is different from the other found in Guyanaas it possesses a rich and unexplored flora andfauna, with many possible new registers forGuyana and not described species. In this way,this area was proposed as an important area forconservation.

n Shell Beach: This beach, located in the westcoast of Guyana, between the estuary of the WainiRiver and the Pomeroon River, presents a greatcoral bank, of approximately 10 km in length. Itcontains a number of significant ecosystems bothnationally and globally. It is the only place inGuyana that still presents big intact areas ofmangrove and coastal swamps. It is one of themost important nidification areas in the world forfour sea turtles species, which are beingconstantly studied (leatherback turtle –Dermochelys coriacea; green turtle – Cheloniamydas; Olive Ridley turtle – Lepidochelysolivacea; and careta-careta - Caretta caretta).However, the rest of the flora and fauna was notstudied. The area was proposed as a Wild LifeSanctuary.

7. Paraguay

Paraguay has not yet carried out anidentification process of priority geographical areasfor biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.Nevertheless, it possesses a system of conservationunits (the National System of Wild Protected Areas- SINASIP) that covers 5.98% of the national territory.About 70% of the total of protected areas are in factconsolidated in terms of land ownership and limitsdemarcation. Moreover, the government defined twobig areas for the Biosphere Reserves. There arealso indications of potential areas for the creation ofnew conservation units.

According to the First National Report ofParaguay to the Convention on Biological Diversity(2003), there are initiatives in the public sector tothe ordering of the transboundering zones (even stillnot implemented). An important example is the“Memorandum of Understanding for the Elaborationof an Action Plan for the TransbounderingManagement of Wild Protected Areas in Paraguayand Bolivia”.

Another initiative is the Identification of PriorityAreas for the Conservation in five Ecoregions withinSouth America, between Bolivia, Panama, Ecuador,Colombia and Paraguay.

In September 2001, the Declaration ofCooperation for the Sustainable Development of theGreat American Chaco was subscribed as base forthe signature of the Cooperation Treaty of the GreatAmerican Chaco. This initiative aims at thesustainable economical and environmentaldevelopment and has been promoted by theProvincial Government of the Argentine Chaco withthe consensus of the Secretariat of SustainableDevelopment and Environmental Policies inArgentina, the Environment Secretariat of Paraguayand the Ministry for Sustainable Development andPlanning of Bolivia.

Within the Non Governmental Organizationssector, many experiences arise, for example:

n The Mbaracayú Forum (Inland AtlanticForest) done with actors of the civilsociety and of the public sector of Braziland Paraguay in September 2001;

n The “Project of Conservation of theParanaense Forest or the Inland AtlanticForest” (between Argentina, Brazil and

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Paraguay), begun in 1995 with the supportof the WWF, United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID),Binational Itaipú and the WorldConservation Union (UICN); and,

n In 2000, the Pantanal Programme wasbegun for the Identification of Priority Areaswithin Pantanal (supported by USAIDthrough The Nature Conservancy - TNC).Meetings with the three involved nations(Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay) have beenorganized with the active participation ofthe Government and the NonGovernmental Organizations ofParaguay.

Figure 5.4. The 38 PriorityZones for Conservation in Peru. Theareas marked in red are the NaturalProtected Areas within the National

System of Protected Natural Areas -SINANPE; the areas marked in

purple are the Priority Zones notcovered by the SINANPE; the areas

marked in green are the onescovered by the SINANPE; and theareas marked in blue are the ones

insufficiently covered by theSINANPE.

8. Peru

Peru has 57 protected natural areas withinthe National System of Protected Natural Areas(SINANPE – Sistema Natural de Areas NaturalesProtegidas por el Estado), totaling about 16 millionha, what represents about 13% of the nationalterritory (the areas name and their extension can beaccessed in http://www.inrena.gob.pe/dganp_cat.html). In 1998, the Priority Zones forConservation were delimited in 1998 and serve asbasis for the areas definition for biodiversityconservation within the SINANPE. The Figure 5.4shows the 38 Priority Zones for Conservation, aswell as the protected natural areas within theSINANPE. It is important to detach that, although 13of the priority zones are covered by the SINANPE,

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15 of them are insufficiently covered by it and 10 arenot covered at all. Seven of these 10 last zones arelocated in the border of Peru with other countries (3,4, 6, 8, 10, 21 and 38), what may be subside for thecreation of transboundary protected areas.

9. Conservation of CommonEcosystems

The representatives of the South Americancountries, joint in Rio de Janeiro, identified diversepriority, concrete and immediate actions for bilateraland regional cooperation (Chapter 1). Among them,they emphasize the actions towards theconservation of common ecosystems, like thedevelopment of the Regional or Sub regionalProtected Areas Networks, in addition to thestrengthening of the national systems of protectedareas, bordering zones and ecological corridors.The sub regional actions referring to the commonecosystems of the Chaco, the Andean Corridor andthe Amazon, identified as priority, are mentionedbelow.

9.1. Chaco

The consolidation of the Program of Subregional Action for the Great American Chaco(PASCHACO), ecosystem that involves Argentina(46%), Paraguay (34%) and Bolivia (20%), wasconsidered of great importance by the participantsof the Meeting. The region, that occupies 6% of theSouth America, presents noticeable climaticgradients and a great diversity of environments,divided into the Sub regions of the Humid Chaco,Dry Chaco, Arid Chaco and the Mountainous areas.The extensive plains predominate; the south-westernportion is occupied by mountain ranges; great riverscross in the Northwest-Southeast direction until theirconfluence with Paraguay-Paraná; dry and floodedsavannahs, wetlands, salt lands, swamps, and agreat extension and diversity of forests and shrubbyformations are also observed. All this environmentaldiversity leads to a high variety of animal and plantspecies that makes the Chaco one of theinternationally key areas in terms of biodiversityconservation6.

Outside Argentina, the Paraguayan andBolivian Chaco are within areas of low population

density, generally under extensive cattle use onimplanted natural pastures, either in extensivesurfaces or in small disassembled and cultivatedparcels. The soybean and the cotton are the maincultures in both countries.

The Great American Chaco is under a severeprocess of natural resources degradation, withserious consequences, such as the high ecosystemfragility, the irreversible character in someprocesses, the increase in the desertification, andthe impoverishment and migration of the population.Faced with the necessity to revert the poverty, topreserve the ecosystem and to cease the seriousdegradation of the natural resources, the involvedcountries consider the Great American Chaco as aunit for sustainable development promotion. Theyalso state the necessity to work together within theframework of the International Convention of FightAgainst Desertification, as well as in agreement withthe Conventions on Biological Diversity and ClimaticChange.

This process denominated Program of SubRegional Action (Programa de Acción Subregional -PAS) responds to the guidelines fixed by the UnitedNations Convention of Fight against Desertificationand Drought, which has been ratified by the threecountries. In addition, in the X Meeting of Ministersfor the Environment of Latin America and theCaribbean, it was decided to promote the PASprocess for the Great Chaco, as a mechanism tocomplement the National Action Programs of Fightagainst Desertification in the respective countries.

The program has as general objective theimprovement of social and economic populationconditions of the Great American Chaco, preserving,conserving, and recovering the ecosystem throughthe accomplishment of common actions towardsthe sustainable use of the natural resources, andthe implantation of a participative model thatcontemplates the necessities, expectations anddemands of the different involved social actors.

A consolidation of the institutionalrelationships among the three involved countries isexpected at the end of the present program.Furthermore, it is expected to obtain a basedocument that clarifies the environmental, social andeconomic diagnosis of the Sub-region and thatestablishes the priority action lines. This will resultin the future in the improvement of the decisionmaking based on the consolidated experiences7.

6 http://www.elgranchaco.com/BaseDeDatos/regional.aspx7 Information obtained in http://www.medioambiente.gov.ar/granchaco/

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9.2 Andean Corridor

Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru andBolivia, country-members of the Andean Community(Comunidad Andina de Naciones - CAN8) form theAndean Corridor. The Andean physical geography,characterized by its elevation, mobility, tropicallocation and geologic youth, creates uniquebiodiversity conditions. The tropical Andes in thesecountries constitute the global biodiversity epicenter,with approximately 25% of the biological diversity ofthe planet, associated to a valuable cultural diversity.

The Andean region account with 45,000 to50,000 vascular plants, of which 20,000 areendemic, 1,666 species of birds (677 endemic),1,309 species of amphibians and reptiles (822endemic), 414 species of mammals (68 endemic)and 3,389 species of vertebrates (withoutconsidering the fishes), of which 1,567 are endemic.This biodiversity is extremely vulnerable in an agemarked by climatic change, the globalization and theirrespective impacts.

Under these circumstances, the conditionsof high diversity and extreme economic, social andenvironmental vulnerability of the mountainecosystems require an integrated biodiversitymanagement, using an ecosystem approach inorder to identify sustainable production processesand biodiversity products that will add value andcontribute to job creation and poverty mitigation.

With respect to the Andean Corridor, it wasidentified, in the scope of the Meeting with the SouthAmerican countries, the need for the developmentof a Multi regional and/or Binational Project for theInca Path, and another for the management ofWetlands in the High-Andean. An abundant andvaried fauna characterizes the Inca Path, with somethreatened species like the Spectacled Bear(Tremaretos Ornatus), the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupícola peruviana), the dwarf deer (Pudumephistopheles), among others. This has motivatedthe Peruvian Government to declare the zone as aConservation Unit, in 1981, with the purpose ofconserving and preserving the natural and culturalresources of great scientific and historical value.

Within the framework of the RegionalBiodiversity Strategy for the Countries of the Andean

Tropic (RBS)9, accorded in the city of Lima, Peru,on July 7th 2002, by the Andean Council of Ministersof Foreign Affairs, the transboundary ecosystems(continental, marine and coastal) and the threatenedspecies heve been prioritized. The CAN presentedin December 2001 the thematic document“Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems andProtection and Recovery of Threatened Species”10

with an evaluation of the conservation state of thetransboundary ecosystems among the Andeancountries, and an analysis of the policies, strategies,plans and norms adopted by the involved countriesto the conservation and sustainable use ofecosystems. Such document can be accessed inthe Andean Community website (http://www.comunidadandina.org/developmentdct2.pdf)as well as in the CD-rom attached to this publication.The information that follows was based on bothdocuments.

9.2.1 Transboundary terrestrial ecosystems

Causes and consequences of the ecosystemsdegradation

In the CAN member countries’ NationalReports on Biodiversity, different factors arementioned as directly and indirectly responsible foraffecting the conservation state of the terrestrialecosystems, and hence the biodiversity. Among thementioned causes, some of them are listed asfollows:

n High poverty levels;n Insufficient environmental education;n Population increase;n Extension of the agricultural/livestock

frontier;n Forest Extraction;n Opening of new roads;n The slash and burn system;n Burning;n Overgrazing;n Contamination.

The consequences and effects of theseactions are reflected in habitat alterations, asfragmentation, reduction and destruction.

The transboundary terrestrial ecosystems

8 More information in http://www.comunidadandina.org9 The complete document can be found in the CDRom attached to this publication.10 Document related to the Second Regional Meeting on Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Threatened Species,in the scope of the Andean Community, occurred in Lima, Peru, from 26th to 28th March 2001.

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among the CAN country-members are listed in Table5.6. The transboundary ecosystems preliminarilyidentified as the most threatened are:

n Deciduous Forest towards the Caribbean(border of Venezuela and Colombia);

n Deciduous Forest (Pacific) (border ofEcuador and Peru);

n Deserts of the North of the Andes and theMountain range of Perijá (border ofVenezuela and Colombia);

n Moist Andean Forests of the Northwest(border of Colombia and Ecuador).

ForestsThe forest systems are among the most

important transboundary ecosystems and includethe forests of the Amazon plain, the moistmountainous forests, on the eastern slopes of theAndes, as well as the Chocó forests on the Pacificside. These forest areas together constitute the areasof greatest biodiversity on Earth. These forests arerich in timber and non-timber resources and in wildlifeand have the function of protecting the river basinsand soils. The main threat facing them is theconversion to cropland.

The management of the forest ecosystemshas been mainly directed to the commercialexploitation of timber resources, with some

agricultural and forestry activity and forestplantations, to a greater or lesser degree in thedifferent countries. In these ecosystems, actions forprotection, recovery and sustainable use arerequired. Each country has developed differentstrategies in order to achieve the sustainabledevelopment of such areas11.

Transboundary initiatives in forest ecosystemsA transboundary initiative has only been

identified in respect to forest ecosystems. Thisinitiative, the Binational Project ITTO, between Peruand Ecuador, is coordinated by the National Instituteof Natural Resources (INRENA - Peru) and theMinistry of the Environment (Ecuador) and executedby the Conservation International in Peru and theOrganization Natura in Ecuador. Their axes are thebiodiversity conservation and the sustainable useof the resources in benefit of local populations.

From the analysis of the forestry policies andstrategies and the diagnosis of the conservation stateof forest ecosystems, it was suggested to consideras possible regional actions in the ambit of the RBS,the interchange of experiences on recovery andsustainable forest management and the formulationof specific conservation activities for transboundaryforests, according to their conservation state andopportunities of sustainable uses.

11 Complete information on the strategies of each country and the Andean RBS can be found in Chapters 2 and 3 as well as inthe CDRom attached to this publication.

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Table 5.6. Transboundary Terrestrial Ecosystems among the CAN country-members.

Ecosystems Bol.

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

(x)

x

x

x

xx

x

xxx x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x( x )

x

( x )

x x

x x

x

x

x

Modified classification based on Hueck & Selbut (1972) and Dinerstein et al. (1995).Source: Thematic Document Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Protection and Recovery of Threatened Species, inhttp://www.comunidadandina.org/desarrollo/dct2.pdf. and the document of the Regional Biodiversity Strategy for the TropicAndean Countries (CDRom).(x): occurring over smaller areas.

Peru Ecu. Col. Ven.

x

x

Amazon rainforest (Hylaea)

Moist forests of the southeast (Acre, Madre de Dios)

Moist forests of the Napo (western Hylaea)

Moist forests of the Japurá-Río Negro area (northwestern Hylaea)

Meadow forests and floodable forests

Andean moist forest

Yungas eastern slopes of the middle Andes)

Mountainous forests of the Eastern Cordillera Real

Mountainous forests of the Eastern Cordillera

Mountainous forests of the Venezuelan Andes

Moist forests of Catatumbo (evergreen tropical rainforest)

Mountainous forests of the northwestern Andes

West Ecuadorian moist forests

Dry forest (deciduous forest)

Broadleaf tropical dry forests (dry valley vegetation)

Dry forests of Tumbes/Piura (dry forest, succulents)

Xeric thicket of Barranquilla and Guajira (dry forest, thistles)

Savannah

Floodable grasslands of the western Amazon region

Pampas del Heath and Iturralde (palm savannah)

Savannahs of the Amazon region (Campos Cerrados, Chaparrales)

Plains of Venezuela and Colombia (Praderas de los Llanos)

Andean high mountain ecosystem – mountainous grasslands

Central Andean Puna

Central Andean Wet Puna

Páramo of the Yunga

Central Andean Páramo

Northern Andean Páramo

Páramo of the Mérida Mountain Range and of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

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Savannahs and GrasslandsAnother ecosystem group are the

grasslands, which include the savannah complexes,the Páramo and the Puna. Great extensions of thesavannahs can be found in the bordering areabetween Venezuela and Colombia, and on a smallscale, on the Peru-Bolivia border. The savannahsposess a rich wildlife. They are subjected to seasonalflooding and cattle farming is the main land use.

The high mountainous grasslandecosystems, such as the Páramo and the Puna,cover enormous areas, usually well populated andalso with intensive cattle farming. The Páramo is ofgreat importance in Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuelaand the north of Peru. Part of it is in the countries’borders. The Páramo plays an important role in waterconservation, but is a very fragil and threatenedecosystem. This situation deserves theconsideration of the Andean-Amazon countries toadopt measures for regional conservation. OnlyEcuador has developed a specific policy for thePáramo ecosystem.

Dry ecosystemsThe Andean countries also possess important

dry ecosystems, such as the Pacific coast in Peru,the Puna in Peru and Bolivia, the inter-Andean valleysand the Chaco in Bolivia, and the Caribbean coastin Colombia and Venezuela. This situation could

arouse interest in building experience-sharing eventswithin the Andean Strategy. The transboundary dryecosystems areas - albeit small - are threatened,and require binational measures for their protection,recovery and sustainable use. All the CAN membercountries have ratified the Convention to CombatDesertification, which, together with the resolutionsadopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity,constitute a framework for joint action.

9.2.2 WetlandsThe freshwater and the coastal wetlands are

another important and highly diverse ecosystemgroup in the five countries of the Andean Community.The main causes of loss or degradation of thewetlands in the region are basically related to humanactivities and environmental pollution, including theincreasing appropriation of water resources forhuman use. Profound economic and social changeshave marked effects on the present situation andon future sub-regional trends, in what concerns theenvironment in general and the wetlands inparticular.

The Andean countries share hydrographicriver basins (Table 5.7). The total surface of theshared river basins represents an importantproportion of the continental CAN territory. Theseriver basins constitute important bonds that canreinforce the Andean policies of bordering integration.

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Table 5.7. River basins shared by the Andean countries. At first, the country where the river comes out and then, the onewhich receives the waters.

Colombia

Colombia

Colombia

Colombia

Colombia

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Peru

Peru

Peru

Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela

Peru-Ecuador

Colombia-Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Colombia

Peru

Peru

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Guajira Peninsula

Maracaibo (Catatumboregion)

Orinoco

Negro

Putumayo

San Miguel - Putumayo

Napo

Tigre

Pastaza

Morona

Santaigo

Chinchipe

Mira

Puyango-Tumbes

Catamayo–Chira

Acre

Madre de Dios

TDPS System (Titicaca,Desaguadero, Poopó,Salar de Coipasa)

Caribbean

Caribbean

Orinoco

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Pacific

Pacific

Pacific

Amazon

Madera-Amazon

Endorreica delAltiplano

Estuarine Lagoons, River, Swamps

Rivers, Swamps, Estuarine Lagoons, SwampyForests, Artificial Reservoir

Rivers, Swamps, Flooded Plain

Rivers, Forest Wetlands in Flooded Plains

Border withCountry Shared Basin Basin Kinds of Wetlands Present (*)

Estuary, Swamps, Rivers, Mangroves

Mangroves, Rivers

Rivers, Lagoons

Rivers, Forest Wetlands in Flooded Plains

Lagoons, Rivers, Savannahs and FloodedForests

High Andean Lagoons, Rivers, Flooded Plain,Titicaca Lake and Poopó

Source: Thematic Document Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Protection and Recovery of Threatened Species, inhttp://www.comunidadandina.org/desarrollo/dct2.pdf and the document of the Regional Biodiversity Strategy for the Tropic AndeanCountries, Thematic Documents (CDRom). (*) The identification of Coastal Marine Wetlands is very incomplete.

Transboundary Initiatives within the CANThe development of Binational or Multinational

Programs for Management of Shared River Basinsis fundamental. The most advanced example is themanagement of the Titicaca Lake’s River Basin forwhich Peru and Bolivia have subscribed anagreement of water condominium and commonmanagement. The management of the wetlands inthe tropic Andean countries is made basically withinthe framework of the RAMSAR Convention. Thismanagement is being developed in different extentsin each country.

Some transboundary initiatives involvingwetlands and river basins can be identified in thescope of the CAN:

n Peru - Bolivia: these two countriessigned an agreement regarding the“Condominium of the waters of the TDPSSystem (Titicaca, Desaguadero, Poopó,Salar de Coipasa)”. According to thistreaty, the countries can not use waterswithout mutual agreement. Therefore, thestability of this hydrological system, whichis extremely fragile and involves manyinhabitants, is assured. At the presenttime, a project for biodiversityconservation has been developed withinthe TDPS System. This project willsupport the coordinated management ofthis important system.

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n Peru - Ecuador: a project directed to thewater health has been impelled in themangroves located nearby the borders ofthese two countries, with support of theFood and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations (FAO).

n Peru - Ecuador: the Binational Plan forDevelopment of the Bordering RegionPeru -Ecuador, resultant of the peacetreaties, is based on the planning andintegral management of shared riverbasins.

Some possible actions that could beconsidered in the Regional Strategy arise from theanalysis made:

n Make an inventory and evaluation of thetransboundary wetlands;

n Reinforce the rational wetlands use,applying the RAMSAR directives ofrational use;

n Revision of national laws, policies andstrategies of the countries destined toharmonize laws or to identify opportunitiesof experience interchange from thecountries that have comparative

advantages to the ones that requiresupport;

n Integrate the conservation and rationalwetlands use into plans of national andlocal development, and into plans of soiland river basin use.

9.2.3 Marine and coastal ecosystemsThe marine ecosystems of the CAN member

countries are included in four provinces (Table 5.8),whose marine jurisdictions cover a little more than3.5 million km2. In them one can find: the mostproductive waters of the world (the Humboldt currentecosystem); one of the areas with the greatestmarine biodiversity in the world (the TropicalCaribbean); and one of the most important centersof marine endemism in the world (the GalapagosIslands). The rapid growth of coastal populations,urban development and its associated pollution, aswell as fisheries and fish farms, and thedevelopment of large-scale industries such as oilextraction and mining are the main factors of thecoastal transformation, and contribute to the habitatdestruction and hence of the animal populations. InTable 5.8, the main activities and threats to each ofthe four analyzed provinces are summarized.

Table 5.8. Activities and threats for the four Biogeographic Provinces of the CAN, according to Sullivan & Bustamante(1999).

Province

Tropical delAtlántico Noroeste

Cálida-Temperadadel PacíficoSudeste

Tropical delPacífico Este

Galápagos

CAN Country-members

Colombia andVenezuela

Colombia, Ecuadorand North of Peru

Peru

Ecuador

Activity and fishing resources

Handmade fishing, lobsters, fishes,turtles and shells

Fish Farms, industrial andHandmade fishing; king prawn andpelagic fishes

Industrial Fishing; pelagic fishes

Handmade fishing, invertebratesand fishes

Threats

Ecotourism, pollution, overpopulationand urban development

Pollution, mangroves felling and urbandevelopment

Over fishing, pollution and urbandevelopment

Ecotourism and invasions of continentalpopulation

Source: Thematic Document Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Protection and Recovery of Threatened Species, inhttp://www.comunidadandina.org/desarrollo/dct2.pdf and the document of the Regional Biodiversity Strategy for the Tropic AndeanCountries, Thematic Documents (CDRom).

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Given the fluid characteristic of water, themarine ecosystems are transboundary by nature.Actually, the countries of the CAN have put very littleemphasis in the marine scope. Nevertheless, theyrecognize that they share the responsibility of itscoastal resources management. In this context, theAndean Community members have drawn upspecific policies for the Integrated Coastal ZonesManagement (ICZM), which are in different stagesof revision and implementation. This integratedmanagement was proposed in the Agenda 21adopted by the United Nations Conference onDevelopment and the Environment in1992.

It is encouraging to note that Ecuador andColombia have already started to implement theinitial stages of an ICZM. Likewise, Ecuador andVenezuela already have protected areas, whichcover some of the most important types of marineand coastal habitats. For example, the Reserve andNational Park that protect the Galapagos archipelagoand its surrounding waters are of special importance.

In addition, they have signed a series ofinternational agreements referring to the marineenvironment: some regarding the control of theshared sea use for trade, others addressing thesovereign right over resources contained in territorialwaters, including common rights to marineresources outside the national jurisdictions; and,more recently, those dealing directly with theprotection of the marine environment and theconservation of marine species. Some examplesare the conventions to prevent the marinecontamination from hydrocarbon spills (marineAtlantic fauna and flora), RAMSAR (aquatic birds inwetlands), CITES (control of illegal trade of flora andfauna products), the Cartagena Convention (marineenvironment and coastal areas of the GreatCaribbean).

Of particular relevance for the AndeanCommunity are the regional agreements that group,

on the one hand, the countries with Pacific shores(Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) and, on the otherhand, the Caribbean countries (including Venezuelaand Colombia). Both agreements seek to implantcoordinated management of the shared marineenvironments, including mechanisms to controlenvironmental pollution and promote theconservation of these ecosystems’ biologicaldiversity.

9.2.4 Management of protected areasThe CAN member countries are making great

efforts to conserve the quality of their environment,both in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Themanagement of protected areas continues to be themost widely used instrument in the conservation ofecosystems and species, with the advantage that alarge body of international experience is available inthis field, especially in transboundary areas.

The Member Countries have considered theecosystem approach in the management ofProtected Areas. This approach is being promotedby the CBD and is a strategy for the integratedmanagement of land areas, water extensions, andliving resources, and promotes their conservationand sustainable use in an equitable way.

Twenty protected areas have been identifiedin zones nearby the borders of the Andean countries(Table 5.9), of which five have a potential forcoordinated binational management, since there areprotected areas on both sides of the border(detached areas). These areas are the TambopataCandamo Reserved Zone and Bahuaja SoneneNational Park in Peru, which are adjacent to theMadidi National Park in Bolivia; and the Tamá NationalPark on both sides of the border of Colombia andVenezuela. The other 15 areas have no continuitywith protected areas in the neighboring country. Mostof these areas are National Parks, and due to theirmanagement category, are highly sensible areas.

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Table 5.9. Preliminary list of protected bordering areas in the CAN member countries.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia

Colombia

Colombia

Colombia

Colombia

Colombia

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Venezuela

Venezuela

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Peru

Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela

Colombia

Peru

Peru

Peru

Bolivia

Bolivia

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador

Colombia

Colombia

NO

YES (13 and 14)

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES (20)

NO

NO

NO

YES (15)

YES (2)

YES (2)

YES (12)

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES (8)

850,000

1.896,000

483,700

422,000

293,500

158,100

548,000

48,000

51,300

603,400

982,000

2,440

1.080,000

537,000

Proposed

91,300

75,102

2,972

295,288

139,000

Area(Hectares)CategoryContinuity with

adjacent areaNameBorder withCountry

National Reserve

National Park - Natural Area ofIntegrated Management

Natural Area of IntegratedManagement

Natural National Park





Ecological Reserve

Wildlife Reserve

National Park

National Park

Reserved Zone

National Park

National Park

National Park

Reserved Zone

National Sanctuary

National Park

National Park

Sources: Thematic Document Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Protection and Recovery of Threatened Species,in http://www.comunidadandina.org/desarrollo/dct2.pdf and the document of the Regional Biodiversity Strategy for the TropicAndean Countries, Thematic Documents (CDRom). Republic of Ecuador, (2000); Ruiz (2000), Instituto Humboldt et. al (1998c);Miranda (1999); Llosa (2000); Republic of Venezuela (2000).

The existence of contiguous protected areasrepresents an opportunity for an integratedmanagement. This is the case of Bolivia-Peru. Butin the cases that the bordering area is protected onlywithin a country, it represents a risk of having highsensitivity areas where part of their limits is out ofcontrol. It is necessary to develop a regional workthat analyzes the convenience of creating an areain the border of the country that lacks coordinatedmanagement agreement, as well as of establishingagreements that allow the country that does not haveprotected area plans to use its territory as a dampingzone of the protected neighboring area. These areaspects that must be considered by the RegionalBiodiversity Strategy of the Tropic Andean countries.

Tables 5.10 to 5.11 show the ecologicalcharacterization and the conservation state of theecosystems in the borders of Venezuela-Colombia,Colombia-Ecuador-Peru and Peru-Bolivia,according to the available information for eachcountry. Only some protected areas are mentioned,mainly the ones located in bordering areas.

In the transboundary ecosystems ofVenezuela and Colombia (Table 5.10) the extensiverural areas with few remainder of natural vegetationprevail in the Andean zone and towards the riverbasin of Maracaibo. The Mountain range of Perijá,along with the Mountain range of Santa Marta,contains a restricted threatened biodiversity andthere are efforts from both countries to protect it.

Manuripi Heath

Madidi

Apolobamba

La Paya

Amacayacu

Catatumba-Bari

El Tuparro

Tama

Cayapas Mataje

Cuyabeno

Yasuni

El Cóndor

Tambopata Candamo

Bahuaja Sonene

El Cóndor

Cerros de Amopate

Tumbes

Manglares de Tumbes

Sierra Perija

Tamá

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The areas of greater soil fertility continue beingtransformed into agricultural lands. An extreme caseis the loss and degradation of the naturalecosystems from the coast, in the depression ofMaracaibo, towards the deciduous/semi deciduousand evergreen forests of the mountain range, untilthe rain forests of Catatumbo. The Catatumbo Bari

National Park is located in this zone.The low lands include the biggest complex

of the transboundary savannahs of the AndeanCountries, with a length of approximately 800 km,but there is no policy of conservation andmanagement between the bordering countries.

Table 5.10. Characteristics of transboundary ecosystems between Venezuela and Colombia (from North to South).

Unit

Spiny xerophilousShrubs

Tropophilous Forests,semi deciduous anddeciduous

Rain Forest, submountainous andmountainous,evergreen MountainRange of Perija andOriental

Sub mountainous RainForest of Catatumbo

Rain Forest, submountainous andmountainous,evergreen MountainRange of Mérida

Páramos of SantaMarta, Perijá and ofMérida

Páramos of the Westernand Eastern MountainRange

Wooded Savannah

Not flooded Savannahs

Not flooded Savannahs

Rain Forest, Evergreen,partially flooded

Moderateintervention

Strong pressure,Frequent burnings

Moderate humanintervention, timberextraction, strongthreats

Strong humanintervention, strongthreats, cattle farming

Moderate to strong,colonization,agriculturalexpansion, poppycultivation

Cattle farming,poppy cultivation

Agricultural use(potato) andlivestock farming

Sparsely populated,Extensive Cattlefarming, cultivatedpastures

Sparsely populated,Extensive Cattlefarming

Sparsely populated,cultivated pastures,Extensive Cattlefarming

DemographicCharacteristic,

useSubunits

Conservation of theriver basin towardsthe agriculturallands,Biodiversity,Moderate Endemism

High biodiversity andendemism

Biogeographicconnection

River BasinConservation, highbiodiversity andendemism

Water Reservoir,endemic species

As above

EcologicalImportance

Medanos NP (VEN)

Fragile, only remnants,Macuira PA (COL)

Perijá NP (VEN), alsoincludes deciduous forest,Macuira NP, El Cocuy,Pisaba (COL)

Catatumbo-Barí NP (COL),Ciénegas de Juan NPManuel (VEN)

Tamá NP (COL/VEN)

Conservation StateProtected Areas (PA)

32,000

67,000

21,800

Total Area (Km2)*

Savannahs

HighAndean

Ecosystem

CaribbeanDry

Forest

AndeanRain

Forest

Parima-Tapirapeco NP ,Sierra La Neblina NP(VEN)

BiodiversitySparsely populated,felling and grazing,Mining, gold

Important mosaic ofecosystems forfauna and floraconservation

Cinaruco NP, YapacanaNP (VEN), El Tuparro NP(COL)

355,000and areas

of“Amazoniansavannahs”

59,000total

small

17,000

Paramillo NP, Cocuy,Pisaba(COL)

Part of the Santa Marta NP(COL), Perijá, NevadaMountain Range, La CulataMountain Range (VEN)

AmazonRain

Forest

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720,000total

El Tuparro NP (COL),Yapacana NP (VEN)

Sparsely populatedLowland Forest,riverside, Morichales

AmazonRain

Forest

Water Control,fishes

UnitDemographic

Characteristic,use

Subunits EcologicalImportance


Total Area (Km2)*

Sources: Thematic Document Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Protection and Recovery of Threatened Species,in http://www.comunidadandina.org/desarrollo/dct2.pdf and the document of the Regional Biodiversity Strategy for the TropicAndean Countries, Thematic Documents (CDRom). NP: National Park; PA: Protected Area (*) From Dinerstein et al. (1995) for allecosystems in South America, not only in the border.

Table 5.11 presents the characteristics of thetransboundary ecosystems of Colombia, Ecuadorand Peru, because along the Putumayo River thereis a continuous border between Colombia and theother two countries. Nevertheless, it also includessome own ecosystems of the Peruvian-Ecuadorianborder.

The table includes reduced ecosystems andothers of great size. Regarding the dry forests, there

are only remainders and they do not include bigprotected areas. Possibly there are small ones thatare so fragmented that the survival of biota isquestionable. A special case is the dry forests ofMarañón in Peru, with an area of 15,000 km2,considered highly threatened by the activities offorest extraction, cattle farming and the expansionof the African palm plantations, in addition to the oilexploration and extraction (Dinerstein et al. 1995)

Table 5.11. Characteristics of transboundary ecosystems among Colombia, Ecuador and Peru (from North to South).

Amazon RainForest

Unit

Riverside Forest,Lowland andMorichales

Rain Forest Japura/Negro, BajoPutumayo andSolimões, evergreen,partially flooded

White-sandedForests (Barichales)

Rain Forests of Napo

Mountain Forests ofthe Real OrientalMountain Range(COL/ECU), ElCóndor MountainRange,Cutucu

NorthwesternMountain Forests

Pacific Rain Forests

Subunits

Few people, dangerof deforestation, cattlefarming

Few people, Yaguasand Boras, Fellingand grazing (Leticia,Iquitos)

Influence of theIquitos city

Hydrocarbon,colonization

Under the biggestdemographicpressure, colonization

Increase in thehuman, agricultureand cattle farmingpressures

Increase in thecolonization, timberextraction and roadconstruction

DemographicCharacteristic,

use


Fish Migration, watercontrol, nests of rarebirds

Area with the biggestprecipitation in theAmazon, highdiversity of foresttypes

Endemism

Topography, variablesoil and precipitation,highly diverse biota

lacks conservation

Amacayacu NP,Cahuinarí (COL),Yaguas (PE), ForestryReserve Amazonas(COL)

In danger, there is noprotected area

Fragmentation, LaPaya NP (COL);Faunistic ReserveCuyabeno, Yasuni NP(ECU)

NP Sumapaz,Picachos (COL) NP ElCóndor projected byECU/PE

High level offragmentation; PuracéNP and IndigenousReserve Chiles (COL)

Sanquianga NP (COL)

Conservation StateProtected Areas

(PA)Total Area

(Km2)*

small

720,000

Small

370,000

84,000

53,000

40,000

Andean RainForest

Dry Forest

Area of steep relief,microhabitat of manyspecies

High diversity ofrestrictly distributedspecies and ofecosystems

High speciesdiversity, endemism

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Unit SubunitsDemographic

Characteristic,use


ConservationStateProtected

Areas (PA)Total Area

(Km2)*

65,000total

Fragmentsof few hain COL,moreextensivein thesouth

59,000total

14,000

Cerros de AmotapeNP (PE), Plan for aBinational BiosphereReserve

As above

Remainders highlythreatened, needssupport forregeneration

Munchique PA, Huila,Nevado de LasHermosas, Puracé,Sumapaz, Picachos(COL); El Angel, etc.(ECU)

Tapaconas PA,Namballe (PE)

Scarce Formation little known

EphemeralLittle known

Fragile,biogeographicimportance, lianasdiversity

Water Reservoirs,endemic species

Small Area, waterstorage

Extensive cattlefarming, timberexploitation

Caprine

Fertile soils,agriculture areas andof humanconcentration

Agriculture (potato)and cattle farming use

Grazing, burnings

Dry Forests ofTumbes - Piura

Desert Matorral ofTumbes - Piura

Dry inter-AndeanForests (different ateach country)

Northern AndeanPáramo (Western,Central and EasternMountain Ranges)

Páramo of theCentral MountainRange (Peru)

Dry Forest

Sources: Thematic Document Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Protection and Recovery of Threatened Species,in http://www.comunidadandina.org/desarrollo/dct2.pdf and the document of the Regional Biodiversity Strategy for the TropicAndean Countries, Thematic Documents (CDRom). NP: National Park; PA: Protected Area (*) From Dinerstein et al. (1995) forall ecosystems in South America, not only in the border.

An outstanding aspect in the tranboundaryecosystems between Peru and Bolivia (Table 5.12)is the enormous diversity of ecosystems andspecies present in five bordering Protected Areas.These areas include from the Amazon forests andthe plains of the Iturralde province (includingsometimes the savannahs of Beni) below 200 m,until high mountains of 6,000 m, in the EasternMountain range, including a northern-southernextension of more than 300 km in straight line and atotal of more than 5 million of ha (Binational

Management Subprogram of Bordering ProtectedAreas within the framework of the Integrated ActionProgram - Programa de Acción Integrado Peruano-Boliviano, PAIPB, Miranda, 1998). This situationrepresents a unique opportunity to maintain thehabitats of these ecosystems, including intact thecultural inheritances of the Incas and the pre-Incas.At the moment, they count on a very low populationdensity and a not developed road network, whatfavors the conservation of these ecosystems.

High AndeanEcosystem

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Table 5.12. Characteristics of transboundary ecosystems between Peru and Bolivia (from North to South)

AmazonRain Forest

Unit

SouthwesternRain Forest(TropicalSeasonal RainForest of Acre)

Lowland Forests,Flooded Forests

Subunits

Timberexploitation,deforestation forcattle farming,hydrocarbon, goldmining

Few people,timber exploitation

DemographicCharacteristic, use

Biodiversity, native areaof the Nut and Rubber,endemism of primates

Fish Migration, watercontrol, nests of rarebirds


Manuripi Heath PA (BO),Alto Purús (PE)

Isiboro Secure PA (BO) AltoPurús (PE)


534,000

Total Area(Km2)*

Sources: Thematic Document Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Protection and Recovery of Threatened Species,http://www.comunidadandina.org/desarrollo/dct2.pdf and the document of the Regional Biodiversity Strategy for the TropicAndean Countries, Thematic Documents (CDRom). NP: National Park; PA: Protected Area (*) From Dinerstein et al. (1995) forall ecosystem in South America, not only in the border.

Dry Forest

HighAndeanEcosystems

AndeanRain Forest

Savannahs

Madidi PA (BO)

Included in plans Mauri-Mazo Cruz – Moquegua(Aymara Lupaca, PE)

40,000and 15,000

184,000

Biogeographicconnection, littlestudied

Extreme ecosystem,little studied

Titicaca Lake (basin) Binational Project ALT, for asustainable biodiversitymanagement

189,000

Few humansettlements,charcoal

Overgrazing,firewoodextraction

Many people, cattlefarming,overgrazing,agriculture,firewood

As aboveAs aboveAs aboveAs above

Valuable region due toits high diversity ofecosystems andspecies with analtitudinal rangebetween 200-6000m

Few people andlow infrastructure,PunctualExploitation ofmining,agriculture andtimbers

Few people andfew cattle,burnings

Pampas with or withouttrees, oligotrophic, pp.with stanched waterbiodiversity, endemism

Included in PAs ofBahuaja - Sonene (PE)and Madidi (BO) andTambopata Candamo PA(PE) and Apolobamba PA(BO)

Inter Andean DryForest

Puna and dry highAndean grounds

Puna and dryhigh Andeangrounds

Páramo of theYungas

MountainousRain Forest (theYungas s.str.)

Sub mountainousForest (SubAndean RainForest)

Rain Forest ofPie de Monte

Pampas of Heathand of IturraldeWoody SavannaFlooded SavannaNot floodedSavanna

189,000and 73,000

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Transboundary initiatives of the Andean countriesThe concrete actions of shared management

of bordering areas can be considered incipient, butsome transboundary initiatives have been identifiedregarding the management of protected areas:

n Peru-Colombia: The Colombo-PeruvianPlan for the Development of thePutumayo River basin covers fiveprograms. Within the EnvironmentProgram, it involves actions ofmanagement of protected areas.

n Ecuador-Peru: The Organizations ProNaturaleza (Peru) and Arco Iris (Ecuador)have been developing initiatives topropose a Transboundary BiosphereReserve including existing areas in thezone of the Tumbes Forests.

n Ecuador-Peru: There is an initiative toconstitute a Binational Biosphere Reservein the region of the Condór MountainRange, as a result of the 1998 peaceaccords.

n Bolivia-Peru: the implementation of aBinational Subprogram of BorderingProtected Areas Management is beingdesigned within the framework of theIntegrated Action Program between Peruand Bolivia (PAIPB). In addition to thisgovernmental initiative, the ConservationInternational and WWF promote theconstitution of the Vilcabamba - AmboróCorridor as a strategy of integratedmanagement of a set of protected areasand intermediate spaces. This corridor iswithin the eco-region of SouthwesternAmazon. The proposal of a BiosphereReserve, within the framework of thePAIPB, includes three protected borderingareas that comprise the Vilcabamba-Amboró Corridor.

n Colombia-Ecuador: Nearby the border ofthese two countries there are twoinitiatives of eco regional planning impelledby WWF: the Eco regional Complex ofthe Northern Andes that also includes partof the border between Peru and Colombia

(WWF, 2000) and the Eco regional Visionof the Chocó (WWF, 2001).

n An initiative that is not binational, but thatinvolved the help of the 5 AmazonianAndean countries, is the RegionalProgram of Planning and Management ofProtected Areas in the AmazonianRegion, developed within the frameworkof the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT),with support of the FAO.

The identification of the conservation needsin the transboundary ecosystems acquires a vitalimportance and must be oriented to identifyconservation actions that must accompany theproductive and commercial activities, within theframework of the sustainable development.Furthermore, the identification of joint actions willreinforce the programs of bordering development incourse between the Andean countries.

9.3 Amazon9.3 Amazon9.3 Amazon9.3 Amazon9.3 Amazon1111111111

The Amazon region encompasses the entireeast - central area of South America, to the east ofthe Andean Cordillera and from the Guyana Shieldin the north to the Brazilian highlands in the south.Its elevation ranges from 4,000 meters, in thewestern Cordillera, to sea level. It has an area ofmore than 7,8 million km2, 40% of the SouthAmerican continent, and includes portions of Bolivia,Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru,Suriname, and Venezuela. The enormousecosystem richness of the Amazon region hasallowed the survival and development of unique lifeforms:more than 30,000 species of plants,approximately 2,000 species of fish, andapproximately 1,800 species of birds. More than16% of the entire world’s fresh water drains throughthe Amazon Basin. The area is characterized byheavy precipitation and covers about 2/3 of the totalworldwide surface of tropical rainforest. Large areashave been set-aside as national parks and protectedareas by the governments of the Amazon countries.

The Amazon region cannot be consideredonly as a reserve for biodiversity; it is also animportant storehouse of resources for development.

11 Information based in the document “Binational Programs for Border Cooperation” prepared by the Technical Units of theBinational Frontier Programs of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, with financial and technical support of the GeneralSecretariat of the Organization of the American States (OAS), Executive Secretary for Economical and Social Issues, Department ofRegional Development and Environment, Washington D.C., 1993. http://www.oas.org/usde/publications/Unit/oea08b/begin.htm

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It contains one of the largest known bauxite reserves,approximately 15% of the world’s total, and it is oneof the major suppliers of iron and steel. Timber andtimber products, gold, and tin, are other commoditiesproduced in the region that are under increasingdemand for export. The proper management of theAmazon’s natural resources is vital for the countriesof the region and for the whole world.

In this context, the process consolidation ofthe establishment of a Regional Strategy of theAmazonian Biodiversity was identified as a prioritysub regional action within the Meeting with the SouthAmerican countries (December 2003). This priorityaction involve all the country-members of theAmazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT), signed in Julyof 1978 by Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela,Colombia, Guyana and Suriname to assure therational and sustainable use of the importantAmazonian natural resources. The ACT is an ampleagreement that sets the collaboration among themember countries as a instrument for promotion ofscientific and technological research and informationexchange; responsible use of natural resources; freenavigation on the Amazon river system; protectionof navigation and trade; cultural heritagepreservation; health care; creation and operation ofresearch centers; establishment of an appropriatetransport and communication infrastructure;increase in tourism; and transboundary trade12. Allthese measures are to be bilaterally implementedor by groups of countries to promote the harmoniousdevelopment of the involved territories.

The ACT is a relevant multi-lateral agreementfor the promotion of co-operation between theAmazon countries in favor of the sustainabledevelopment in the region. In 1995, during a meetingin Lima in order to reinforce the organizationalaspect of the Treaty, the chancellors of the eightcountries decided to create a Permanent Secretariatfor the Amazon Cooperation Treaty to be based inBrasília, restating the importance of the Amazon asan essential source of raw materials for food,chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Theformulation of plans and strategies for environmentalconservation and the promotion of the region’ssustainable development was recommended aswell as the increase of the cooperation centered onresearch and management in the biological diversity,water and hydro-biological resources, transport,communications, indigenous peoples, tourism,

education and culture.

9.3.1. Projects of binational integrationThe member countries found the ACT to be

a valuable framework for promoting binationalcooperation in bordering areas through integratedprojects. In order to establish mechanisms for theimplementation of bordering projects, bilateralcooperation agreements were signed as a basis forintegrated binational studies. To date, the bilateralagreements are: Brazil - Peru, November 1975;Colombia – Ecuador, Colombia-Guyana andColombia - Peru, all of them signed in March 1979;Brazil - Colombia, March 1981; Brazil and Guyana,October 1982; Bolivia - Brazil, August 1990; Braziland Venezuela, July 1995 (more details in Chapter4).

In general terms, the objectives defined bythe countries for the binational studies on borderingintegration can be summarized as follows:

n Foster environmental management of thebinational projects areas and encourageautonomous and sustainabledevelopment by making proper use ofnatural resources potentials andrespecting their constraints;

n Contribute to raising the living standardsof the local people by generatingproductive activities and employmentsources, and to improve or install basicphysical and social infrastructure that willmeet the needs of the people;

n Promote the integration of each nationalarea with the rest of the country andensure that this integration acts as acatalyst for development;

n Carry out environmental ordering(ecological and economic) as a basis forland use planning and to implementproduction models that consider thecapacity of Amazonian ecosystems.These activities are part of a sustainabledevelopment process in which traditionalinhabitants of the region, includingindigenous and native communities, canparticipate actively;

n Conserve the biodiversity of the region;and

n Strengthen the national agencies

12 http://www.tratadoamazonico.org/Esp/index.htm

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concerned with environmental planningand natural resource use, and to promotethe creation of mechanisms forinteragency activities.

While each bordering integration plan orprogram has its own characteristics, their commonobjectives can be summarized as follows:

n Strengthen scientific research to generatenew manners of managing naturalresources;

n Provide more protection for natural areasand wild lands by creating national,binational, or trinational reserves andparks;

n Support national and regional institutions,public or private, that are responsible forthe implementation of norms for land use,infrastructure, and resources use,

improving their capacity to operate asdevelopment instruments;

n Encourage groups involved in ruraldevelopment and valuate the traditionalmethods of indigenous populations;

n Connect currently settled areas to nationaleconomic and productive activities; and,

n Organize the land settlement processesin certain areas.

9.2.4 Proposed strategiesBased on the regional diagnosis made for

each one of the transboundary areas and the balanceof their potentialities and limits, policies andstrategies were elaborated to structure the binationalplans of transboundary development. In general, thespatial strategies drawn from the studies can besummarized as follows:

n Zone the binational projects areas to identify its ecosystems and design technologies, and establish production andmanagement systems that best suit these ecosystems;

n Organize and consolidate currently settled areas and new settlements;

n Pay attention to the necessities of local and indigenous communities;

n Promote border security by improving living conditions, basic services, transport, and communications;

n Strengthen the management capability of local agencies in charge of executing the programs and projects;

n Conduct inventories and disseminate information on the social and cultural values of the region;

n As far as possible, integrate the education and health services and the marketing, transport, energy, andcommunications systems of the bordering regions;

n Encourage vertical integration of extractive production and the adoption of sustainable production methods as a wayof increasing the primary producer’s participation in the final added value; and

n Encourage participation of producers and communities in the decisions, affecting the course of their own development;take advantage of the traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous and local communities in the promotion ofsustainable development.

At the Regional Level

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The sectoral strategies proposed at the national level arise out of national planning directives, already establisheddevelopment objectives, and the general strategy described above. They can be summarized as follows:

• Natural resources and the environment. Promote territorial ordering of the binational project areas; prepareenvironmental research programs and proposals to invest more the national resources in actions that improveenvironmental quality; establish training programs on natural resources management; foster an awareness of theimportance of managing Amazon region’s natural resources.

• Productive sectors. Strengthen existing experiment stations so that they can develop appropriate models for raisingregional productivity; develop river transportation to improve social, cultural and trade relations between the borderingareas and other parts of both countries; support establishment of agricultural industry through a credit program.

• Population. Create conditions that enable the people of the region to live a dignified and productive life. Therefore,education and health facilities and services should be expanded and integrated; support native communities’development; promote nutrition education; develop programs of community participation in the house building andbasic sanitation systems with appropriate technology; and support binational programs for the control of transmittablediseases.

• Physical infrastructure and spatial integration. Evaluate the new infrastructure projects and promote new designsthat minimize negative environmental impacts and that take natural hazards into account in future investments;support projects for the improvement of the communication infrastructure; prepare a plan for the development offeeder roads and connections to the more remote areas and integrate them into the region and into the individualcountries; promote binational infrastructure projects in transportation and communications and in energyinterconnections for population centers and rural communities.

• Bordering development. Promote surveys for regional social and cultural values; use the development potential ofbordering areas to develop international trade and transport by supporting relationships with other parts of the countries.

• Science and technology. Promote dissemination and exchange of appropriate technology in production, education,housing, and urban infrastructure.

At the National Level

The execution of studies and the formulationof binational plans and programs have shown thatin some countries, the institutions that are supposedto serve as central repositories of the inventories orqualitative information on natural resources neitherexist nor are effectively organized. Where there areseveral of them, they are not connected with eachother in a way that allows the conduction of studieson ecosystems and their interrelationships. It is thusnecessary to prioritize the strengthening of theinstitutions responsible for this work and to promotespecialized training of their research personnel.

The formulation of binational plans andprogrammes reassured the main purpose ofbordering integration, which is to integrate the social,economic, and institutional structures of the areainto relatively homogeneous core units, even thoughthey belong to different countries. This approach,besides promoting joint solutions to commonproblems, has made it possible to each country

identify and implement projects on a larger scalethan they could achieve individually in its ownbordering areas. This is based on an understandingof the role that bordering areas play and on theknowledge of their shared potential.

The relevance of Boundary Cooperation wasstressed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia,Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Surinameand Venezuela, which during the 8th Meeting ofChancellors of the Members of the AmazonCooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), onSeptember 14th 2004, approved the Declaration ofManaus13. Through this document the Chancellorsapproved the Strategic Plan for the ACTO, whichdefines the Strategic Axes of Action, theProgrammatic Areas, and Operational Tools forguiding the activities of the Permanent Secretariatof the ACTO from 2004 throughout 2012. Thedocument elaborated by the ACTO Secretary-General comes as a response to the sustainable

13http://www.otca.org.br/en/noticia/noticia.php?idNoticia=51

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development challenges of the Continental Amazonand will function as a guiding tool for the PermanentSecretariat’s future activities. The Strategic Plan isorganized around four main axes: 1. Conservationand Sustainable Use of Renewable NaturalResources, 2. Knowledge Management andTechnology Exchange, 3. Regional Integration andCompetitiveness, and 4. Institutional Strengthening.Furthermore, with this last document, theChancellors emphasize their conviction that thecooperation and the integration of the Amazoniancountries will contribute in a decisive way to thegradual formation of a South American Communityof Nations.

The ACT has therefore fulfilled the importantpolitical role of approaching among the country-members, which identify themselves with thecommon problems related to the development andthe conservation of the Amazonian environment.

10. Bibliography10. Bibliography10. Bibliography10. Bibliography10. Bibliography

Dinerstein, E., D.M. Olson, D.J. Graham, A.L. Webster,S.A. Primm, M.P. Bookbinder & G. Ledec. (1995). AConservation Assessment of the Terrestrial Ecoregionsof Latin America and the Caribbean World WildlifeFund, The World Bank Washington D.C. 129 pp.

Instituto Humboldt., PNUMA, Ministerio del MedioAmbiente, 1998c. Informe Nacional sobre el Estadode la Biodiversidad 1997. Colombia. Tomo III:Capacidad Nacional actual para la conservación y eluso sostenible de la diversidad biológica. Editado porMaría Elfy Chávez y Natalia Arango. Santafé de Bogotá.349 pp.

Llosa Gonzalo. 2000. Conservación de EcosistemasTransfronterizos. Primer informe. 18 pp.

Miranda C. 1998 Estudio de Prefactibilidad para laImplementación de un Subprograma Binacional deManejo de Areas Protegidas Fronterizas en el Marcode Programa de Acción Integrado Peruano Boliviana(PAIPB) República de Bolivia – República del Perú,Programa de Acción Integrado Peruano Boliviano,Secretaría General de la Organización de los EstadosAmericanos.183 pp.

República del Ecuador, 2000. Estrategia para el DesarrolloForestal Sustentable del Ecuador Ministerio delAmbiente del Ecuador (No publicado). 13 pp.

Ruiz L., 2000. Amazonía Ecuatoriana Escenario y Actoresdel 2000 EcoCiencia-Comité Ecuatoriano de la UICN.95 pp.

Sullivan K. & Bustamante G. 1999. Setting geographicpriorities for marine conservation in Latin America andthe Caribbean. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.125 pp.