CO0014 Colombia: Conservation & Management of the Utria Sound National Park



Project Summary:

The project's main goal is to promote conservation and sustainable development of the Utría Sound National Park and its buffer zone by incorporating, strengthening local communities, and facilitating greater participation of local communities in development of the region. The Utría Sound National Park is located in the Chocó Biogeographic Region of Colombia and was established in 1987 as a natural conservation area, covering an area of 54,300 ha, from the Pacific coral patches to over 1,900 m in the Baudó Range. This area is considered one of the highest conservation priorities for the Pacific Chocó Region. With the passage of the new law recognizing collective black territories, considerable emphasis will be placed on developing conservation criteria in the delimitation of these territories. The project will be working at several levels to address the effective community based conservation to assure adequate protection of the park, and promote greater participation of local communities in the decisions regarding development in the region.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 20Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 EE & Capacity Building 60
Oceans and Coasts 80 Protected Areas 0
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 40
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

The Utría Sound National Park is located in the Chocó Biogeographic Region of Colombia and was established in 1987 as a natural conservation area, covering an area of 54,300 ha in the Baudó Range. For the past five years, WWF has provided technical and financial assistance to the region aimed at developing and implementing an integrated conservation strategy for the park and its surrounding region. The activities thus far undertaken have focused on promoting the sustainable management of the park and its buffer zone by incorporating and involving the local communities, non-governmental and governmental agencies within the region. The entire Chocó Biogeographic Region of Colombia is under threat by large scale development interests, including government plans to extend existing road into the region, to establish a new Pacific Coast port to serve the coffee growing regions of the Andes and to build dams and industrial fishery operations. Furthermore, there has been considerable attention focused on the region due to the Transitory 55 Article, and the subsequent Ley 70, of the new Colombian Constitution, which gives the local black communities rights to the land and the responsibility for the rational use of its natural resources. Fundación Natura with whom WWF has been collaborating in the region is taking a very active role in monitoring these developments and attempting to influence decisions on the large scale construction plans. This will continue to be an issue and will require the participation of the local communities that will be affected. Most recently, considerable political pressure is mounting on completing the Pan American Highway which would cut through the Darien of Panama and the northwest region of Colombia. The HSA and GC programmes are developing a strategy to take a more proactive approach to this proposal and what could have a considerable negative impact on biodiversity in the region. The Utría Sound National Park is exceptionally endowed with biological, cultural and ethnic richness and diversity. Humpback whales visit the marine area of the part during migration and, although still considered to be little­studied by biologists and botanists, the part has yielded approximately 200 marine species. There are also several indigenous communities living in three "resguardos" (legally protected indigenous lands) inside the park, covering approximately two­thirds of the park, and Black communities which are found within the park's buffer zone.

Project Objectives:

1. Community Programmes: To work with the indigenous and Black communities inside and outside the park and regional planning with local municipalities to promote sustainable agriculture and natural resource use activities.

2. To develop and carry out a series of applied research efforts aimed at improving natural resources management.

3. To strengthen local community participation in development plans that will affect the region.

4. To assist local communities in the definition of collective Black territories in the region of the park.

5. To develop a strategy for influencing the decision being made about the completion of the Pan American Highway.

CO0014.1: Territorial Mgmt. Plans & Regional Dev. Dialogue with Indigenous Communities (Jan. 94 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

1. To establish the necessary infrastructure, trained personnel, and park management systems to promote the sustainable management of the Utría Sound National Park and its buffer zone.

2. See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

Littoral Zones; Mangrove; Tropical Moist Forest.

Activity Methods:

Community Conservation; Education.

Activity Species:

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).

CO0014.5: Small Grants for Community­Based Initiatives (Jan. 94 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

CO0017 Colombia: Mgmt. of Tatabro River Watershed: Bajo Anchicaya: Buffer Zone, Far. de Cali NP

Project Summary:

This grant provides support to Fundación Herencia Verde (FHV) to continue its work in conservation and sustainable use of land and forest resources of the lower Anchicaya River watershed, a buffer area to the northwest of Los Farallones de Cali National Park. The park represents the full elevational gradient of the Pacific slopes of the western Colombian Andes and is recognized as one of Colombia's most biologically diverse parks. This area is located on the western and eastern flanks of the western range of the Andes in the Chocó Biogeographic Zone of Colombia, WWF's highest biogeographic priority for Colombia. Tatabro also sits in close proximity to a major road that links Cali with Buenaventura, the primary Pacific coast commercial port in Colombia, and an important development pole along the Pacific coast. Colonization by small scale agriculturists, forest exploitation and gold mining have presented serious and immediate threats to these important biological resources. However, black communities have been located in this region for several decades, and while out­migration has fractured many of the communities, there are relatively stable communities of agriculturalists who also practice forest extraction. The wider objective of this project is aimed at promoting and establishing effective processes in the Pacific Littoral region of Colombia that will contribute to defining a different development model for the Pacific that draws on and conserves the inherent cultural, ethnic and biological diversity in the region. This project is focusing on integrating environmental criteria into the definition of black collective territories that may be applied in other regions of the Chocó. The project will develop participatory territorial mapping based on radar images, photo interpretation, and ground­truthing with local communities. The ultimate goal is the development of management plans of the black territories in the Pacific and methodologies for defining more effective community­based resource management on communal lands, both indigenous and black territories. Research initiatives will continue to focus on characterizing the ecological and biological characteristics of the region aimed at identifying alternative resource management options, such as natural forest management, butterfly ranching, organic agriculture, and use of non­timber forest products. Training efforts are under way with the community organizations in financial management, marketing of organic agricultural products, and planning for resource management, particularly as part of the definition of black communal territories in the region, as part of the new constitution of July 1991 (Article 55). FHV is also developing initiatives in Environmental Education (EE) that will be integrated into the overall effort to define the ecological parameters that should be incorporated into the definition of collective black territories in the Pacific. These EE activities will build on the research initiatives which in many areas will be participatory in nature (e.g. ecological and biological characterization, forest inventories, organic agriculture).
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 70Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 30 EE & Capacity Building 40
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 0
Non-Priority Biomes 0
Species 0Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 60
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

The Pacific region (or Chocó) of Colombia covers an area of approximately 71,000 sq km and possesses a multitude of ecosystems, including one of the greatest concentrations of mangroves in the world. It is noted for both very high levels of biological diversity and endemism and has been identified as a high priority for the conservation activities in the WWF Colombia Country Plan. Unfortunately, the Chocó is also one of the most threatened regions in Colombia. While it has been largely ignored for decades by the Colombian Government, it is now being viewed as the next development frontier. In 1985, PLADEICOP presented a regional development plan for the Pacific coast of Colombia. The Chocó is finally starting to garner the attention of international organizations and funding, as well. A USD9 million GEF project is just getting under way for the Colombian Chocó. WWF is one of the few international conservation organizations that has consistently focused its attention on the Chocó during the past several years, and the support that WWF is providing to our local counterparts should enable them to play an important role in defining the directions of international donors. Further, empowering and strengthening local community organizations is permitting them to play a more direct role in the definition of development policies in the region. In July 1991, Colombia approved a new constitution which provided for greater participation of civil society in political processes and gave a higher profile to environmental quality as a right of all citizens. Also, for the first time, the rights of the black communities in the Pacific littoral regions of Colombia were recognized. Article 55 was signed into law in August 1993, which provided for the recognition of communal territories in the historical riverine settlements of the black communities. This provides a special opportunity to promote and strengthen processes of community based resource management in the Pacific of Colombia, and for communities in the region to play a stronger role in defining the development trajectory in the Pacific littoral region. This project will be managed by Fundación Herencia Verde of Cali. Established in 1983, this NGO is dedicated to preserving Colombia's natural heritage mostly through sustainable development and environmental education programmes. The Fundación has also developed a growing presence in the Colombian conservation community, has played an important role in the development of a new law to legalize black territories, and has been working on policy issues related to development in the Pacific region of Colombia. FHV has been working in the Pacific area for over 5 years and has established good working relationships with local communities and regional counterparts. The local project director will lead a team consisting of a forester, social anthropologist and agronomist. FHV's GIS specialist, based in Cali, will work half­time on this activity. Additional support in environmental economics, agroforestry and ecology will be provided on a consultancy basis. Activities in environmental education/extension, butterfly ranching, ethnobotany and ecotourism will be managed by specialists in these fields supported by counterpart agencies and projects (InterAmerican Foundation, BioPacifico/GEF, Government of Canada).

Project Objectives:

The project has made steady and consistent progress in a difficult region of the country. During the 1995­1996 year, the technical team has consolidated and focused its efforts through strategic planning that have accompanied those that FHV is undertaking on an institutional level. The team has developed a multi­year plan that is linked to the involvement of FHV in legalizing black territories in the Pacific as part of the 1991 constitution.

The five general strategic objectives are:

1. To integrate environmental parameters into the definition and management of the territories of the black communities in the Pacific of Colombia.

2. To apply the use of GIS systems to the definition of these territories.

3. To contribute through scientific research and participatory characterization of the ecology of the Anchicaya watershed, to more effective planning and management of natural resources and ecosystems.

4. To promote the sustainable use of natural resources and sustainable production systems that contribute to meeting human needs.

5. To generate processes and methodologies for the collective planning and management of natural resources in communally held territories of the black communities.

6. To empower and strengthen local campesino organizations in the region.

7. To incorporate the participation of technicians working in other priority areas of the Pacific in the dissemination and application of these methodologies in developing management plans and monitoring activities.

CO0017.1: Mgmt. of Tatabro River Watershed: Bajo Anchicaya, Buffer Zone of Far. de Cali NP (Dec. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

The mapping and planning project should lead to;

1. Proposals for methodologies and criteria to be incorporated in formal processes of territorial demarcation implemented by relevant government agencies and local communities.

2. Proposals by local communities for territorial demarcation incorporating sustainable management guidelines and based in part on landscape unit maps integrating vegetation type, topography, and land use.

3. A participatory study of key socio­economic and ecological variables (e.g. household economies, productivity of forest ecosystems from timber and non­timber forest products, water quality).

4. Relevant staff within NGOs and key community members trained in aspects of the above.

5. Participation of the black communities in other conservation initiatives on private lands such as the Red de Reservas Privadas de la Sociedad Civil.

The land use project should lead to:

1. Case studies of existing agroforestry mixed cropping and forest management systems with promising ecological and economic attributes.

2. Interventions in cropping, fodder and animal husbandry systems evaluated e.g. agroforestry, mixed cropping and novel small livestock production.

Additional outputs expected:

1. Define indicators to monitor and evaluate the impact of conservation efforts in the Chocó from a biogeographic perspective.

2. Apply the use of GIS systems in the definition and M&E of these territories.

Activity Biomes:

River Systems; Tropical Moist Forest.

Activity Methods:

Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Education; Forest Management.

CO0017.3: Monitoring & Evaluating Conservation Efforts in the Choco (formerly CO0851.02) (Dec. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

River Systems; Tropical Moist Forest.

CO0017.4: Resource Mgmt Plans/Define Communal Black Territories (formerly CO0851.03) (Dec. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

River Systems; Tropical Moist Forest.

CO0018 Colombia: Conservation & Community Dev. in the Bay of Malaga & Area of Infl., Buenaventura

Project Summary:

View Map

Bahia Malaga is located in the Central part of the Pacific littoral region of Colombia, one hour north by boat of Buenaventura, the principal Pacific port in Colombia. The region is recognized for high levels of ecosystem and species diversity, including coastal (mangroves, estuary, reefs, beaches) and terrestrial (tropical humid forests) systems. The region has been subject to considerable development pressures for many years which have intensified over the past 5­8 years. This has led to considerable clearing of surrounding forests. Several development projects are still in discussion, including the construction of a port facility and a pipeline to carry refined petroleum products to the interior parts of the country. Further, there are intense pressures for the development of tourism activities in the region, which pose threats to the four principal communities in the region who rely on tourism, fishing, agriculture and some hunting for meet their subsistence and economic needs. Many of the inhabitants in the region have already sold their lands to people from Cali, who use the region for weekend recreation. CENIPACIFICO (Centro de Investigaciones Marinas y Tecnólogicas del Pacífico) has been working in conservation of the region since 1990, and has aimed to promote more sustainable resource use and development in the region through environmental education, increased citizen participation and responsibility for development decisions, and organizational strengthening of community groups. The overall aim of the project is to generate processes and attitudes that value, conserve and protect the ecological richness in the region.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 0Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 EE & Capacity Building 50
Oceans and Coasts 100 Protected Areas 0
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 50
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

The Bay of Malaga is located in the central Pacific or Chocó region of Colombia, just north of the major port of Buenaventura (B\ventura). The Bay and its area of influence covers about 200,000 Ha. The area is characterized by unusually high biological diversity, species endemism, and a variety of habitat types (tropical wet and pluvial forests, mangroves, coastal estuaries and coral reefs). Given that the Bay of Malaga does not receive an influx of freshwater from a major watershed, it has more characteristics of ocean systems in terms of the fauna found in the bay including whales, dolphins, corals, and marine fish species. There are 32 small islands found within the Bay, each with mangrove habitats. Bahía Malaga was identified as one of the priority sites in an analysis that was conducted by WWF in 1986 of conservation threats and opportunities in the Chocó region. WWF's involvement began in 1990 in response to serious threats that faced the zone of influence and Bahía Malaga when the road linking the Malaga Naval Base to the Cali­B/ventura road was completed. This road opened up the pulp concession of Cartón de Colombia, and to additional forest exploitation by colonists from other parts of Colombia. The situation for conservation in Bahía Malaga is particularly problematic. Several years ago, plans were developed to convert Malaga into a port and new development pole in the Pacific. The establishment of a naval base, located close to the mouth of the Bay, the subsequent construction of a road to the naval base (funded by the Swiss), and a proposed airport have all encouraged increased land purchase by people from other parts of the country, particularly Cali. This land speculation is also leading to further clearing of forests in the areas surrounding the beaches of Juanchaco and Ladrilleros and associated watershed management problems. It is important to note that in Juanchaco, in terms of area, only 1/3 of the area is owned by the Black residents, and 2/3 by outsiders and recent arrivals who are constructing vacation homes. These changes in land tenancy threaten the potential for the establishment of collective Black territories as defined under the new constitution. In 1993, ECOPETROL began plans to construct a pipeline to carry refined petroleum products from a terminal to be constructed in Bahía Malaga to Buga through the watershed of the Calima River. An environmental impact assessment had been conducted but was still pending approval when ECOPETROL began to bring in the pipes and materials. In addition, the assessment and design were all done with limited if any consultation with the communities, which is contrary to a number of statutes laid out in the constitution of 1991 calling for greater community participation in development plans. In addition, there had been no public review of the proposed project in terms of its environmental impact in Malaga, and penetration of the Calima River Watershed, identified by Gentry and Colombian biologists as one of the richest areas in the Chocó and remaining relatively undisturbed. WWF has become more closely involved with the negotiation process with ECOPETROL by providing training to Black communities that will be affected by the project and to staff at ECOPETROL in negotiations methodologies. WWF will continue to support the conservation efforts in the region over the next three years. This site represents one of only two marine projects in Colombia that WWF is supporting. WWF's assistance has played a positive role in the region, particularly with regards to the raising citizen awareness in the region, and in the negotiations with ECOPETROL. There are considerable outside interests aiming to develop the region such that Bahía Malaga could in fact take over as the major port in the Pacific given the management problems in B/ventura due to sedimentation and geologic features of the Bay. The naval base is already being used for loading and unloading containers from ships coming into the Bay. In addition, although it is not officially recognized, whales do travel into the Bay. The purpose is not clear, but it appears to be an important site in their migrations.

Project Objectives:

General Objectives:

1. To contribute to the conservation and sound management of natural resources in the Bay of Malaga, the improvement of the quality of life of its inhabitants, and the formulation of a proposal and plan for the sustainable development in the region.

Specific Objectives:

1. To contribute to the policies and strategies of territorial planning and management in the Bay of Malaga, through training and analysis and organizational strengthening.

2. To strengthen the capability of one of the key actors in the region, CODEBALPA (Comite, Comunitario para el Desarrollo y Defensa del Balneario del Pacifico) as an instrument for the development of a sustainable management plan in the region.

3. To promote effective incorporation of environmental education into the Integrated Education Plan through training with teachers and students.

4. To strengthen the pedagogical skills of teachers in the local schools in elements of environmental education and for improved education in the region.

5. To form multipliers outside of the school who can promote environmental awareness.

CO0018.2: Community­Based Resource Management and Envrionmental Education (Sep. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

Coral Reefs; Littoral Zones; Mangrove.

Activity Methods:

Community Conservation; Ecotourism Development; Education; Policy Development.

Activity Species:

Corals (Coraces); Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena); Whale (Balaenopteridae).

CO0853 Colombia: Conservation & Mgmt of Watersheds in Buffer Zone of Los Farallones de Cali NP

Project Summary:

View Map

This project is focused on the conservation and protection of the upper watersheds of the buffer zone of the Los Farallones de Cali National Park. This park covers 150,000 ha in the Western Andes of Colombia and has extremely high levels of species richness, endemism, and ecological diversity. It contains at least 700 species of birds, or 20% of the total number of species in Latin America and the Caribbean. Management of the watershed also provides protection of one of the major sources of water for the city of Cali. Park management has not been able to arrest colonization and inappropriate use of the natural resources of the park and adjacent areas, and this has led to the deterioration of the mountain environment in and around the national park, particularly along the eastern and southeastern flanks of the park. Further, the policies of the government have not been adequate to deal with the farm families living within the park borders. The project aims to address these issues through a combination of participatory planning and interinstitutional coordination among government and non­governmental agencies, policy and land use zoning, environmental education, and alternatives practices in natural resources management.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 50Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 50 EE & Capacity Building 0
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 40
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 60
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

View Map

Los Farallones National Park covers a total of 150,000 ha from the eastern flanks to the western flanks of the western range of the Andes. It is important for the elevational gradient represented, the highly threatened high Andes ecosystems and the watersheds protected that provide water for the city of Cali and the agricultural zones in the Cauca Valley. The management of the park and surrounding buffer zone falls into the hands of several national and regional state agencies, including the Ministry for the Environment (Parks Unit), the regional development corporations of the Cauca Valley (CVC) and the Environmental Division of the Municipality of Cali (DAGMA). This creates considerable complications for management. The park is home to many human settlements and increasing pressure on its eastern side from expanding urbanization from Cali. It is critical that policies and land use zoning be developed and carried out to address this increasing pressure. The project is aimed at working closely with the parks unit and in collaboration with other NGOs, better understand the status of human settlements in the region and approaches to the management of resource users in the park and buffer zone.

Project Objectives:

1. To promote a process of interinstitutional coordination and consensus building for the improved management of Los Farallones de Cali National Park.

2. To promote the establishment of incentives for private landowners to conserve existing forest and reforest deforested areas with native species, particularly for those landowners located within the park boundary.

3. To promote a process of land use zoning recognizing the property rights of farmers in the region and addressing the increasing pressure from the urban population to establish weekend homes.

4. To provide training for local communities on alternative and sustainable use of natural resources.

5. To undertake both formal and informal environmental education activities with communities and in area schools.

6. To raise awareness and consciousness among local communities and in Cali on the importance of watershed management and conservation of natural resources.

7. To conduct policy studies on the benefits of watershed protection and water pricing policies for the urban consumer.

8. To integrate conservation considerations into municipal planning in Cali.

CO0853.1: Conservation & Management of the Watershed of Rio Pance (Aug. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

The watershed of Rio Pance is located within 20 minutes of the city of Cali and is one of the principal areas for recreation of the lower income families of Cali. An urban park is located in the lower part of the watershed and the community of Pance in the middle region close to the limits of the park. The river and community receive anywhere from 5,000­20,000 visitors in a weekend which represents considerable pressures on the natural resources, generation of trash. These visitors are also an important opportunity to gain access to the population of Cali who enjoy the benefits of having a national park, including watershed protection, hydrological resources, and recreation. Fundación Farallones first received WWF support in 1990. During the following two years its goals were to raise awareness of the importance of conserving the upper watersheds to assure a steady supply of water for the inhabitants of Cali. The most visible accomplishment in the first year was the acquisition of a private reserve, "Hato Viejo," at the head of the Pance River, and the construction of the Fundación's headquarters and environmental education centre. From this centre, the Fundación continues to consolidate its watershed protection and management objectives, while at the same time undertake a variety of environmental education activities aimed at consciousness raising and the sustainable use of resources, especially in connection with the increasing number of tourists who visit the area on a weekly basis. The Fundación is also participating in the "Red de Reservas de la Sociedad Civil," and in PROCUENCAS, an interinstitutional coordinating body of governmental and non­governmental entities concerned with protecting the watersheds of Los Farallones de Cali National Park and the water supply for Cali.

Activity Objectives:

The principal objectives for Fundación Farallones are:

1. To continue activities aimed at raising the consciousness of the community resource users and visiting tourists regarding the importance of the conservation and protection of the Pance River watershed.

2. To examine natural resource use by community (i.e., food vendors for tourists, etc.) in and around Pance and determine alternative sources of resources.

3. To establish an environmental education programme with community members and area schools to promote the conservation and protection of the Pance River watershed and the buffer zone of the Farallones de Cali National Park.

4. To experiment and validate natural forest regeneration on steep slopes.

Activity Biomes:

Tropical Moist Forest.

CO0853.2: Integrated Regional Planning & Policy Formulation for Natural Resource Mgmt. (Oct. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

Los Farallones de Cali National Park, as is the case with a large number of parks in Colombia, is home to a number of rural families. Conflicts over the presence of these settlements in national parks lacks and effective solution. In many cases landowners have rights to their lands, as they were there prior to the establishment of the park. In addition, new colonists continue to penetrate the park and the buffer region no longer serves as a buffer due to increasing colonization on some fronts and urbanization on other fronts (eastern flanks near the city of Cali). The park is managed by a number of authorities and has a number of NGOs active in the region promoting conservation. This complex situation requires several steps to arrive at a proposed management plan that incorporates the interests and needs of all of the actors. In addition, there is a need to begin to examine the policy issues connected to watershed management and water consumption practices related to Cali's water supply. The policy research should be done in the context of sensitizing Cali's principal institutions involved with natural resources and community development to the importance of conservation and watershed protection, and to the long­term implications for urban development if steps are not taken to remedy the poor management of water resources.

Activity Objectives:

1. A series of policy analyses, studies, and workshops focusing on incentive policies that may be used to encourage sound use and management of natural resources, sustainable water consumption practices, and rural­urban linkages to the use of natural resources. Public participation will be promoted in the policy dialogue and formulation. Regional economic development plans will incorporate conservation parameters.

Activity Biomes:

Tropical Moist Forest.

Activity Methods:

Policy Development.

CO0854 Colombia: Conservation, Env. Ed. & Sustainable Development in Central Andes of Colombia

Project Summary:

This project aims to support the conservation, environmental education, and sustainable development activities in the upper watershed in the area of influence of Los Nevados National Park in the Department of Quindío. This park and the surrounding buffer zone protect the threatened montane forest and paramo ecosystems, including the severely endangered wax palm, the national tree of Colombia. The park and buffer zone also protect the watersheds that supply the economically important coffee growing regions of the Central Andes. This is an ongoing programme that has been conducted since 1991 by Fundación Herencia Verde, with WWF support. The Alto Quindío Natural Reserve (Acaime) and the project area are located in the municipality of Salento, in the northeast part of the department of Quindío. Acaime, which sits within the buffer zone of Los Nevados National Park, protects one of the few remaining tropical cloud forests in the Central Cordillera of Colombia. Salento is both the largest and oldest municipality in the department, and is an important agricultural zone. Salento and the entire department of Quindío, with their agreeable climate and breathtaking views, have also been heavily touted as prime tourist destinations by the Colombian Government.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 65Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 35 EE & Capacity Building 30
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 20
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 30
Treaties & Legislation 20
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

The Andes region comprises about 28% percent of the national territory of Colombia, distributed over a topographically diverse area, including three mountain ranges and various valleys. With high biodiversity, excellent soil, varying climates, and hydrological richness, this region has become the preferred home for more than 70% of the population. This area also contains the most threatened forest types in the country: dry and montane forests. Colombia's rich biological heritage is complemented by its ecological systems, including an extensive and very important network of hydrological resources. As colonization of the Andean region increases, the water­producing high Andean forests are quickly being cleared for grazing and agriculture. This deforestation has severely degraded watersheds and their ecological processes, causing severe problems with erosion, sedimentation, loss of soils, water quality and reliability, and habitat destruction. As a result, several extremely important watersheds around the country now are threatened and many cities have experienced energy and water rationing during the drier seasons, and are faced with the potential of destructive flooding during the rainy seasons. Destruction of these systems means the loss of biologically rich forest resources in terms of species diversity and endemism. In many cases, the deforestation occurring in the upper watersheds is driven by the need of local landowners and farmers to find new, fertile land to grow small crops and/or raise their cattle. However, the remaining available land often is on steep slopes, thereby greatly adding to erosion, soil nutrient runoff, and the overall degradation of the watershed. The actions of landowners in the upper watershed area therefore have a significant impact on the entire watershed. The consumers in the lower watershed are affected directly by reduced water quality, quantity, and reliability. The difficulty lies in the limited income­generating options available to the upper watershed landowners and the direct impacts their actions have throughout the entire watershed system. Since 1991, WWF has been supporting the activities of Fundación Herencia Verde in the upper watershed of the Quindío River in the buffer zone of the Los Nevados National Park. The initial focus of the project was on the establishment of a nature reserve, focusing on environmental management and education. These initiatives were broadened after two years to incorporate an emphasis on sustainable agriculture, which has evolved into an integrated regional resource management and conservation programme, incorporating complementary forestry, policy, and ecotourism components.

Project Objectives:

The project is now geared to the conservation, rational resource use and protection of the upper watershed of the Quindío River and other areas of influence of Los Nevados National Park in the Central Andes, through the development and implementation an integrated programme for sustainable development.

Specific objectives:

1. To provide technical assistance to the municipality of Salento to ensure an integrated regional planning programme for the sustainable development of the upper watershed of the Quindío river.

2. To carry out activities in environmental education, reforestation, and sustainable agriculture to promote the conservation of the natural resources and privately owned natural forests of the high Andes as a management model for the buffer zone of the Los Nevados National Park.

3. To promote community participation and training activities, and policy incentives for the conservation and management of upper watersheds by private landowners and stimulate the establishment of new private reserves.

4. To develop a strong training focus to motivate other institutions and organizations in the region in environmental education, sustainable agriculture, and forest management.

CO0854.1: Conservation, Env. Education, & Sustainable Development in Alto Quindio Region (Sep. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

Environmental Education: EE activities are being more effectively integrated into local cultural events and local organizations and schools. This approach has garnered the attention of local residents in Quindío and neighbouring departments, as well as municipal leaders.

The objectives of the EE activities are:

1. To guide groups of visitors to the Alto Quindío Natural Reserve (Acaime) and give talks on the ecology of the area.

2. To promote the development of environmental leaders through the creation of new clubs and youth groups.

3. To develop tools for environmental education for the increasing numbers of tourists in the area.

4. To conduct training and workshops with the beneficiaries of the sustainable agriculture and forestry activities.

5. To develop a formal EE programme in collaboration with the teachers in the local school.

6. To provide technical assistance regarding the role of environmental education in the implementation of the municipality's regional development plan.

Sustainable Development: The programme has broadened to incorporate a stronger forestry component and will begin to examine policy issues that integrate forest conservation and water use and management. Planning with individual landowners is going beyond livestock management to develop integrated land use plans which include agricultural production, livestock, forestry, and conservation of native forests. Several research initiatives are being undertaken which feed into both the EE activities and the policy analyses.

The objectives for the sustainable production activity are:

1. To promote livestock management through the use of pasture rotations to more effectively use smaller areas of pasture.

2. To provide technical assistance to area landowners in the installation of 'biodigestores' and septic tanks.

3. To provide technical assistance to area landowners with planting of 'live fences' using eucalyptus and other fast­growing species.

4. To provide technical assistance regarding sustainable production methods in the implementation of the municipality's regional development plan.

Forestry: The general objectives of the forestry component are:

1. To promote the conservation of the high Andean forests in the Quindío region and the preservation of biological and genetic diversity through forest management.

2. To generate techniques for the sustainable use of high Andean forests and adapt silvo­pastoral techniques to the Salento region.

3. To provide baseline information on the region's natural resources (such as forestry, hydrology, soil and climate conditions) to use in the development of an integrated watershed management programme which recognizes the importance of the conservation actions by private landowners to the benefits (environmental goods) received throughout the watershed.

4. To gather and systematize research data on the natural resources of the Alto Quindío watershed to use in the development of a regional sustainable development plan for the Municipality of Salento and its communities.

5. To contribute to the training of individuals involved with the development of the regional sustainable development plan for the Municipality of Salento.

Other objectives for the forestry component include:

1. To provide technical support to the sustainable development activity, specifically in planting live fences.

2. To conserve native forests remnants and reforestation.

3. To provide technical support to the research of policy issues that integrate forest conservation and water use and management (for example through the use of photo interpretation and mapping capabilities of the Geographic Information System).

4. To provide technical assistance in the quantification of water runoff and production from areas under different types of vegetation to demonstrate the importance of forest cover for water conservation.

Reforestation and Native Forest Incentives: The concept of applying incentives to achieve conservation objectives is gaining support and acceptance by both NGOs working for environmental conservation and GOs in charge of natural resource management. Incentives are an attractive way to approach the conservation or management of natural resources. If designed and implemented carefully, they can positively influence the factor(s) causing unsustainable resource exploitation. In the early 1990's, with attention focused on the problem of tropical and temperate deforestation, several countries began looking to reforestation to replace depleted forest resources and relieve pressure on remaining native forest. To promote reforestation, many countries began adopting fiscal incentive packages that subsidize the establishment of plantations of fast growing pine and eucalyptus species, non­native to the regions in which they are being planted. While it is desirable that widespread reforestation occur, and while incentive programmes may be effective ways to influence reforestation, it is essential that the process be closely monitored and controlled. There is evidence from Chile, for example, where an incentive programme has been in place for almost 20 years, that native forests have actually been felled and replaced by state­subsidized plantations of non­native species. From the ecological perspective, plantations of exotic pines and eucalypts may be of lower biological diversity than the natural systems they replace. Moreover, they are often associated with negative impacts on the local hydrological and climatic regimes. In late 1992, and based on the "success" of Chile's plantation incentive programme, Colombia adopted legislation to promote plantations under state subsidy. To promote activity to monitor and control this programme as it develops in Colombia, WWF supported a visit to Chile in mid­1992 by two Colombians who gathered data and experience with respect to the Chilean experience. As a means of targeting the possible effect that plantations might have on native tree species and forest in Colombia, FHV began to carry out a project to research and develop legislation that would provide incentives for native species conservation, restoration, and reforestation, specifically focused on the Central Andes region of Colombia and the upper watershed of the Quindío River. Such a programme was needed in part to mitigate the potential and likely loss of native tree species for fast­growing exotics under the newly formulated Forestry Incentive Certificate programme, which provides direct subsidies for reforestation activities. In 1993, Fundación Herencia Verde, together with the Red Nacional de Reservas Privadas de la Sociedad Civil, began exploring what and how legal and economic incentives could be applied to activities aimed at reforestation with native species, the establishment of nature reserves, and other conservation activities by private landowners.

Objectives for the Reforestation component include:

1. To use a participatory approach conduct workshops and seminars with state agencies and landowners to develop criteria for the economic incentive mechanisms to be offered to private landowners to establish nature reserves which reflect the value of the ecological processes (i.e., water regulation and production; erosion/sedimentation control; biodiversity, etc.) of the land.

2. To conduct policy analyses at the economic, political, social and legislative levels to determine viable incentive mechanisms available for conservation and reforestation activities. This would include carrying out studies to quantify and qualify value of ecological processes of land/forests to include in the analysis at the economic level.

Activity Biomes:

Agricultural Land; Tropical Moist Forest.

Activity Methods:

Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Education; Policy Development; Training.

CO0855 Colombia: Conservation Priorities & Direction in the Colombian Amazon

Project Summary:

Define priorities and opportunities for conservation in the Colombian Amazon.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 50Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 50 EE & Capacity Building 40
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 20
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 40
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

The Amazon drainage and adjacent forests are situated in the southeast of the country extending from the Piedmont of the eastern cordillera of the Andes to Brazil and from the Río Guaviare in the north to the Ríos Putumayo and Amazonas in the south. The region may be loosely divided into two subregions. First, to the south of the Caquetá river along the Piedmont, a hilly jungle area is interspersed among the alluvial plains of the Andes white rivers. This area houses an enormous variety of flora, large trees and with the greatest affinity, floristically, with the Río Napo area of Ecuador. Second, the forested rocky area which separates the Orinoco region from the Amazon is crossed by black water rivers and sandy plains of acidic and largely infertile soils. The trees are smaller in stature with a canopy that does not generally exceed 20 m. Patterns of diversity. The Colombian Amazon covers about 5.1 percent of the 5.5 million sq km Amazon basin. Nevertheless, this area covers more than a third of the Colombian territory. As in the rest of the Amazon basin, it is a highly heterogenous region, with forests ranging from Piedmont forests, to floodplains, to gallery forests along rivers surrounded by grassland savannas. The areas of highest diversity are considered to be along the Piedmont of the Andes, where disturbance has also been the most severe. The forest resources of the Amazon comprise a total of about 80 percent of the region (total 38.57 million Ha), and are considered to comprise some 70 percent (27,409,575 ha) of the total extension of commercial forests that have not yet been exploited in Colombia. The rate of forest clearing in the region has been on the order of 430,623 ha/year, although precise figures are not available. Most of this extraction has occurred along the Caquetá, Yari Apaporis, Inirida and Putumayo rivers, especially where the landscape is relatively flat or undulating. Rubber is extracted in the Miriti­Parana, Cedro parallel with the Putumayo, Caquetá and Caguan Rivers.

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The heterogeneity of the Amazon forests reduces their value commercially relative to the Pacific coast where greater uniformity of some species is found. In terms of commercial value, the forests are divided into three regions.

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1. Dense interfluvial forests of the Caquetá, Amazonas, Putumayo and Apaporis Rivers. These are very diverse forests, with dominant species that include Iryanthera laevis, Nectandra costulata, Ocotea sp., Virola sp., and Eschweilera amazonica. The average commercial volumes reach 38 m3/ha for trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 25 cm or greater.

2. Dense forests and savannas of the high hills of the Vaupes. This area is of little commercial value given the steep slopes and the absence of dense forest.

3. Mixed forest and savannas of the Guainia region. Some species in this area are similar to those found in the dense forests, although in lower densities and volume. Estimated volumes are only 17 m3/ha for trees greater than or equal to 25 cm DBH.

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The Colombian Government has for many years emphasized conservation of the Amazon forests. To prevent non-forestry activities, the Colombian Amazon was declared a forest reserve in 1959, but this did little to prevent exploitation in areas where access was relatively easy. As early as 1948, the government established Serranía La Macarena Nature Reserve. By 1990, seven national parks had been established (La Macarena, Amacayacu and its extension, La Paya, Tinigua, Cahuinarí, Los Picachos and Chiribiquete), totalling 6.798 million ha. Beyond the national parks, reserves covering a total of 13.1 million ha. were established as Indian resguardos. This means that a total of 19.898 million ha are under some form of protection. In reality, however, very few of these areas are more than paper parks or reserves. Level of disturbance and patterns of colonization. While the Amazon region of Colombia has suffered considerably less pressure than other regions, the deforestation and land clearing has proceeded apace. Forest clearing in the Colombian Amazon has occurred largely in response to spontaneous and directed colonization that has been concentrated mostly in the periphery. Close to 20,000 sq km have been transformed in the colonization fronts of Guaviare, Caquetá, Putumayo and Macarena. Another 40,000 sq km is being degraded as a result of continuing colonization responding to violent social conditions, the lack of agrarian reform and the declining productivity in existing agricultural systems. Total population levels in the Amazon are recorded at about 550,000, of which approximately 450,000­500,000 are colonists. The remaining 50­100,000 are indigenous peoples. The primary urban centres are Florencia, Leticia and San José de Guaviare. These areas have prospered in recent years, primarily from expansion of the cultivation, processing and commercialization of coca. The initial flow of colonists into the Amazon started in the 1950s, following a time of heightened political violence known as "La Violencia." In 1959, a `directed colonization' programme was promoted by the Agrarian Bank, INCORA and the International Bank, which was intended to expand the agricultural frontier. This programme largely failed due to a variety of technical, economic and institutional factors. More recently, in the same area, the government has been introducing land use planning to its colonization programmes. Implementation of this planning process will be critical to avoid further deterioration of forest resources. In the western Amazonian lowlands, forest settlement has occurred along rivers. The greatest invasion into forest areas, however, has been enabled by construction of penetration roads. No roads have yet been constructed into the Amazon region, but the construction of parts of the Carretera Marginal de la Selva has furthered settlement in the Piedmont. The Colombian Government is seeking funds to complete the Carretera Marginal from Ecopetrol and the InterAmerican Development Bank which would need to traverse or circle around several inadequately protected national parks (Cocuy, Sumapaz, La Macarena and Cordillera de los Pichacos). The economic benefits of this plan are unclear, given the marginal nature of the soils. This area is also the most significant producer of coca, thus surveillance and security may be the primary incentives.

The general agricultural conditions in Amazonia are affected by the high rainfall and leaching of soil nutrients once the forest cover has been removed. This is most significant in the sandy soils of the sectors of Escudo Antigua de Guyana, Guainia and Vaupes. Moderate fertility can be found in the alluvial vegas or "varzea", but "varzeas" are limited by poor drainage for annual crop production. Slash and burn agriculture is a relatively common practice in Amazonia which is made worse by cattle which often follows the subsistence crop production. Alternative crops are being explored for the coca cultivating region but, as is the case in other coca producing countries, most crops perform poorly in these marginal lands. Mulberry to feed silk worms and development of a small scale silk industry are being explored as alternatives near Putumayo with assistance from the Agency for International Development. According to the Manaus 1990 conference, the areas of highest biological priority lie along the flanks of the Andes. Unfortunately, these are still the most conflictive zones associated with coca cultivation, and they are the most heavily populated zones. The completion of the Carretera Marginal may increase the flow of colonists into the area. Nevertheless, there are several areas that should be explored for opportunities, including La Paya National Park and Cordillera de los Picachos. The Nature Conservancy may soon be initiating support to La Paya under the Parks in Peril Programme. In the lowlands, we have provided assistance to Fundación Puerto Rastrojo for establishment of Cahuinarí National Park. We anticipate continued and expanded support to Puerto Rastrojo for management of the park and work with the local indigenous communities. The collaboration initiated with Cultural Survival in Ecuador may prove constructive in Colombia, particularly in the Amazon. WWF has not been involved in anyway with other areas in the Amazon Basin of Colombia. Some binational activities with Peru may be worth considering in the future. Peru is ostensibly going to give much higher priority to the area south of Amacayacu National Park in Colombia. This park is close to Leticia, a major population centre that has also been implicated in the wildlife trade. An exploratory trip to the area to identify institutions, meet with the park staff and other government agencies is planned for FY94.

Project Objectives:

1. To define key priority areas for conservation in Colombian Amazon.

2. To assess institutional capabilities in region.

3. To define potential directions and approaches for working with Indian resguardos in the Amazon Basin.

4. To identify potential pilot site in foothills of eastern Andes for community based conservation initiative and establish project.

CO0855.1: Opportunities and Threats Analysis (Jul. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

Tropical Moist Forest.

Activity Methods:

Information Systems.

CO0855.3: Initiation of Pilot Conservation Effort (May. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

Tropical Moist Forest

Activity Methods:

Protected Area Management

CO0856 Colombia: Community Based Conservation & Env. Ed. in Upper Watershed of Guamuez River

Project Summary:

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The project proposes to develop strategies for community based conservation of natural resources by changing attitudes, training, and offering alternative approaches for more sustainable use of natural resources.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 50
Consumption & Pollution 0Freshwater Ecosystems 50 EE & Capacity Building 60
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 20
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 20
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

La Cocha, located in the headwaters of the Guamues River, is one of the few remaining large, intact, high Andes lake ecosystems in Colombia and thus represents an important priority for the Colombia programme in the conservation of freshwater ecosystems. This river valley covers a total of 38,900 ha of which about 40% is in native vegetation in different states of disturbance. The other 60% is dedicated to agricultural (5,280 Ha) and pasture for milk production principally (17,808 Ha). The lake of La Cocha measures 14 km by 5.4 km at its widest point, with a maximum depth of 75m. It holds a total of 1,554 million cubic meters of water which fluctuates seasonally. The flow rate of the Guamues varies from 8.5 to 9.5 m3/second. Water flows into the lake from 29 small streams or microwatersheds. This river valley has a long history of human habitation. At the time of the arrival of the Spanish to the region in the 16th century, the high Andes was occupied by a group known as Quillacingas. The region now has a population of about 5,000 in 15 different veredas. The population depends of small scale agriculture, milk production and harvesting of forest products, principally fuelwood and charcoal production. Three different vegetation or life zones are found in the upper watershed of the Guamuez River from 2,700 m above sea level to over 3,000. These are humid montane forests which cover about 49% of the region, very humid montane forests with rainfall from 1­2,000 mm per year, and wet montane forests including paramo ecosystems with the characteristic frailejon (Espeletia hartwegiana) and encenillo (Weinmannia silvatica).

The principal threats in the region are due to conversion for agricultural and pasture uses and impoverishment due to extraction for fuelwood and charcoal production. Many of the more land poor inhabitants depend of forest products to generate income. Historically, the forests have been an important source of timber and other products used for medicinal and industrial purposes (tannins for the leather industry). Starting in 1986, the Asociación para el Desarrollo Campesino (ADC) is a NGO based in Pasto in the Department of Nariño, has been working with the small farmers in the region surrounding La Cocha, Colombia's largest high Andes lake, where they have promoted participatory processes and community organizations towards the establishment of a multifunctional cooperative. ADC's primary objectives are to promote organizational processes and the development of social, economic and environmental management processes for sustainable livelihoods. The strength of ADC is its approach towards continuous training efforts and integration of farmers as part of ADC. The initial goal of ADC's work in La Cocha was to develop mechanisms to avoid dependence of intermediaries for agricultural commodities and to provide credit to diversify and reduce the reliance on forest exploitation for fuelwood and charcoal production. Both the success and the scope of ADC's work has grown over the years and has resulted in an increased awareness of and concern for conservation in the region. For example, from 1992 to 1993, the area of private lands owned by small farmers and managed as reserves in La Cocha reached 2,000 ha, a 100% increase. They are continuing the process of strategic planning with members of the community and designing strategies for community based conservation, including applying agroecological production methods on their farms. They are also in the process of developing and implementing activities geared to reforestation and watershed management, and are designing an environmental education programme. In addition to these significant accomplishments in community based conservation, the community at La Cocha and ADC have contributed to a number of other conservation processes such as the Red de Reservas de la Sociedad Civil which is promoting private conservation efforts, and have shared their experience with other communities in both Ecuador and Colombia, and thus stimulated similar efforts.

Project Objectives:

1. To conserve and manage the remnant forests on private lands in the Upper Watershed of the Guamuez River, and initiate a broader set of activities to address the increasing colonization and destruction of area cloud forests and páramo ecosystems.

2. To contribute to the overall watershed management in the region thus assuring a reliable water source for the future aqueduct to feed the city of Pasto.

3. To develop and implement a community based programme of environmental education that may serve as an alternative source of recreation.

4. To establish pilot projects in applied participatory research towards the development of alternative use of natural resources.

5. To expand the number of private reserves to create a full corridor of forested lands of the upper reaches Guamuez watershed.

CO0856.1: Community Based Conservation & Env. Ed. in Upper Watershed of Guamuez River (Apr. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

River Systems; Tropical Grasslands and Savannas; Tropical Moist Forest.

Activity Methods:

Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Education; Forest Management.

CO0858 Colombia: Operacion El Dorado

Project Summary:

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OED is a long­term project of restoration, conservation and natural resource management in the floodplain habitats of the middle/low Magdalena river valley, northern Colombia. It is divided into three phases:.(1) initial land acquisition; (2) pilot programmed design, restoration, implementation and development; (3) consolidation of protected status for lands acquired. The project is located in a particularly rich habitat area: shallow lakes, swamps, riparian, terrace and subandean forests ­ transition between Caribbean rainforests to the south, and seasonal dry forests to the north, where Magdalena river enters Mompox depression. In the whole Magdalena river valley no nature conservation parks do exist; although the inventories made after 1989 show more than 350 species of plants, as well as 184 species of birds, 17 species of Chiroptera and 5 species of primates. A tree nursery with 48 species and a capacity for 50.000 plantules was completed and a field station was established. Community participation ­ centred around a year long ecology and conservation practicum with students from the region and an environmental awareness programme for elementary school children form the vicinity of El Garcero is expected to widen after pilot programme takes on. Activity 1: basic research and database programme; Activity 2: restoration and conservation programme; Activity 3: community interaction programme; Activity 4: environmental education; Activity 5: project management and oversight.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 50Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 50 EE & Capacity Building 30
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 30
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 40
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

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The conceiving of the El Dorado project was started in 1982 during the discussion of early results of a large ecological study of the middle Magdalena developed between 1982­1984. This study gave in­depth insight into the socio­economic and ecological importance of the region alluvial plain habitats and made clear the demand for restoration programmes. In 1987, after a thorough survey of the area between Barrancabermeja and Barranquilla, the project took its present form. A non­profit organization (Fundación Neotrópicos) was created in Colombia for such purposes with the active participation of many specialists in the biological, social, economical and earth sciences.

Project Objectives:

OED is a long term project of ecological restoration, conservation and natural resource management in the floodplain habitats of the middle/low Magdalena river valley.

1. To promote the conservation and wise use of the floodplain habitats.

2. To demonstrate the applicability of an alternative approach to protected area implementation based on community participation and environmental education.

CO0858.1: Basic Research and Database Programme (Mar. 87 - Jun. 96)

Activity Background:

A large ecological survey had been completed in 1983 following which the ecological and socio­economic importance of the area had been stated. It had been complemented by a local details survey in 1987 which helped design this present project. Beginning inventories of organisms showed over 350 plant species as well as 184 bird species, 17 Chiroptera and 5 primate species until today. Now it is needed to carry out some field studies in order to complement the existing data.

Activity Objectives:

Aim:

1. To establish a complete, documental database about the species found in the Monpox depression (low land) with emphasis in El Garcero area.

The activity will consist in the ecological and geographical characterization of El Garcero and its surrounding region.

Another part of the activity will relate to human ecology in the proposed project area. The conservation and rehabilitation activities resources and conservation areas managers. The same information will be of importance to researches and planers. Those will be of crucial importance as in Colombia there is a general lack of basic information on the habitats potentially affected which prevents development schemes to be properly analysed.

Activity Biomes:

River Systems.

CO0858.2: Restoration and Conservation Programme (Mar. 87 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

Although it has been recently stated that the project area is of ecological crucial importance with its rare position between the Caribbean lowland rainforest and seasonal tropical forest. One must admit that the use of it is a non sustainable one. Fire, overgrazing, hunting, agriculture are the usual destroying elements which lead to disappearance of a great surface of this valuable ecosystem. Two approaches are developed to carry out ecological rehabilitation.

On one hand factors that have induced ecological deterioration will be controlled. On the other hand the activity consists in purchasing properties where forest relics can be found in order to collect seeds, and prepare seedlings which will be used for afforestation in selected sites. At the time being 2 properties (600 ha) have been bought in the neighbourhood of one another and named El Garcero near Mompox city.

Activity Objectives:

1. To rehabilitate and protect degraded floodplain habitats through the extensive use of existing relics of natural habitats within the project area. In order to carry out this activity, an ecological research station will be set up in the neighbourhood of the city Mompox. In the core of El Garcero a conservation programme is planned where research activities take place and also the collection of seeds and samplings for the restoration programme. Around the core area, a zoning will provide with traditional utilization of natural resources in a controlled manner.

2. The project executant seeks purchasing properties which are in good conditions for protection and rehabilitation purposes. Two have already been purchased and other are sought in the same area. the wise use model developed by the project include:

a) a demonstration of afforestation techniques and means of landscape protection with native species;

b) management of wild and fish;

c) maintenance of genetic resources and plant animal species for rehabilitation or reintroduction.

Activity Biomes:

River Systems.

CO0858.3: Community Interaction Programme (Mar. 87 - Jun. 96)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

River Systems.

CO0858.4: Environmental Education (Mar. 87 - Jun. 96)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

River Systems.

CO0859 Colombia: Strengthening Development & Execution of Environmental Education in Colombia

Project Summary:

Colombia has established and carried out some valuable and successful programmes in environmental education. These initiatives have been implemented principally by the NGO community, and while they are important they have been limited in their scope and integration with limited multiplier effect, and expansion is still constrained by the absence of trained environmental educators in all sectors. This project will attempt to address these weaknesses by: 1) establishing a coordinating role within WWF to carry out the proposed project and a resource centre of environmental education materials; 2) systematizing and disseminating good practice and experiences in environmental education through a series of participatory evaluations and follow­up workshops and networking activities; and 3) building local capacity through training workshops, exchanges, internships and development of materials.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 0Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 EE & Capacity Building 100
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 0
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 100 Sustainable Resource Use 0
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

WWF has been providing important support to environmental education in Colombia for a number of years mainly through specific field projects. This support has yielded important results, but has been limited in its scope and multiplier effect. In addition, there are many organizations doing important and valuable work in EE which again are focused on specific areas and in many cases do not have contact with other organizations. It is increasingly evident that there is limited learning and disseminating taking place in EE to permit more effective multiplication through training and networking. In addition, by the year 2000, Colombia will probably contain 70% of the population within urban areas. There is a need to expand and integrate WWF's support to EE and begin to incorporate urban populations in the process. The wider objective of WWF's proposed programme in Environmental Education in Colombia is to promote and increase the knowledge, skills and ethics in civil society in Colombia to understand, analyse and address environmental issues, options and tools for addressing and resolving these problems and issues, and to participate in the decision­making regarding the use and management of natural resources. WWF's EE project will help to make the linkages among WWF supported projects and others and to form alliances in the development of training activities with a variety of actors. WWF is recognized for its support and expertise in EE and this project will help to consolidate these efforts.

Project Objectives:

1. To expand the impact and effectiveness of environmental education in Colombia, the project will aim to:

a) to promote more effective integration and coordination of EE efforts in Colombia;

b) promote more effective learning from experiences, systematizing of methodologies and tools, and disseminate these good practices in EE;

c) strengthen and build the human and organizational capacity in EE within executing institutions in Colombia at the local, regional and national level.

CO0859.1: Institutional Partnership and EE Coordinator (Mar. 94 - Jun. 97)

Activity Background:

It is clear from initial assessments of the EE initiatives under way in Colombia, that there is a limited degree of coordination and linkage of organizations working in EE. There are few databases of organizations working in EE. This leads to duplication of efforts and a failure to benefit from the experiences of others. This coordination needs to be developed not only regionally and nationally, but between target audiences, such as EE in schools, EE in nature reserves, EE with urban versus rural populations, or EE targeting women and children. To make the practice of EE more universal and efficient, it is important to establish linkages throughout the country of people working in EE. WWF is well­recognized and respected nationwide in Colombia as an important actor in conservation. With the establishment of the WWF Field Office in Colombia, the demands and requests for assistance have greatly increased and expanded, both to serve as a technical resource in ongoing EE activities, and with other organizations such as the trust fund for the environment, Ecofondo, who with support from debt restructuring with the US and Canadian Governments will be providing support to NGOs working on environmental and conservation issues. In the first round of proposals, more than 60% of those received focused on environmental education, thus highlighting the increased demand and interest in EE. WWF's ability to respond and strengthen its support to environmental education, and to play a greater coordinating role are limited by staff and financial resources that can provide the ongoing technical support to EE projects and activities, increase access to information resources to share more broadly among the conservation and development community, and facilitate the necessary networking among the NGO community and government entities.

Activity Objectives:

1. To develop capacity within the WWF Conservation Programme in Colombia to coordinate and strengthen a range of EE activities in Colombia, achieve greater complementarity and learning processes among activities being supported and executed by WWF and other organizations.

2. To establish and develop within the Colombia Programme Office in Colombia, an EE Resources Centre/Library which will house reference materials in EE, curricular and other EE materials produced in projects, bulletins and other informational materials produced in other parts of Latin America (e.g. Mexico and the WWF­Brazil EE Newsletter).

3. To expand the network of organizations working in environmental education by developing an ongoing database and inventory of good practice, materials and experience in EE.

CO0859.2: CO Systematizing and Dissemination of Good Practice and Experiences in EE (Mar. 94 - Jun. 97)

Activity Background:

What is meant by promoting a process of systematization? The word to systematize implies the organization and analysis of information. In most parts of Colombia, and Latin America in general, there are rich experiences in environmental education that have not been documented nor disseminated. Strengthening and broadening the impact of EE can be gained simply by learning from these "good practices," and stimulating internal processes of self­reflection within organizations working in EE to assure that learning through experience and documenting this experience takes place within organizations. Through a process of self reflection, it is hoped that various experiences in EE can be more fully documented and comparatively analysed, without disqualifying nor overvaluing the different experiences. A number of elements need to be developed: what is the conceptual basis of environmental education in the project (The Why); what is the socio­economic/cultural and historical context within which the project was/is working; what methodologies are used (with whom is the project working, who carries out the project, what pedagogical tools were used); what have been the results or impact of the project both within the executing organization and within the target population, and how were these results measured, with what types of indicators?

Activity Objectives:

1. To create and establish a space for discussion, collective learning and analysis and self­reflection within organizations carrying out EE programmes.

2. To collect information on experiences in environmental education in a document that can be disseminated and used in training and monitoring of EE.

3. To stimulate the establishment of a network among participating organizations and beyond to share experiences, materials, tools and approaches in EE.

4. Environmental education is a key component of a number of sustainable agriculture or natural resource management projects, yet it is not explicitly defined as such. The fourth objective is aimed at collecting information of experiences in EE within these production projects.

5. To establish methodologies for defining indicators for EE projects and catalogue types of indicators used within EE projects or activities.

CO0859.3: CO Training in EE for Trainers and Executors of EE Programmes (Mar. 94 - Jun. 97)

Activity Background:

Carrying out effective environmental education is seriously limited by the lack of trained and qualified professionals. Most individuals working in NGO EE programmes have limited formal training in EE. Unfortunately, the need is urgent and the interest and demand is growing, and the success of EE cannot depend on the longer term training programmes currently just getting under way within a number of universities. It is crucial that effective training be developed that is targeted towards project executants, teachers, trainers and community leaders. The type of training must be action­oriented and should focus on linking environmental education to the resolution of local level environmental problems. Environmental education within schools needs to link the family and community to the school to ensure that the school and EE play a direct role in the community. Finally, training that strengthens and creates an environmental ethic within NGOs is very much needed. Many NGOs talk about conservation and sustainable development, but in many cases only a small part of the organizations understands or has a vision of what this means. Building effective education partly depends on the internal clarity of the organizations carrying out these initiatives.

Activity Objectives:

In association with Colombian partner institutions, this activity aims:

1. To develop training for trainers programmes for teachers, project leaders, community leaders, university students, government employees.

2. To establish training programmes to strengthen NGOs internally;

3. to establish a fellowship, internship and exchange programme that will provide an additional means of providing seriously needed training through experience.

4. To develop training materials for targeting different audiences.

CO0860 Colombia: Strengthening Civil Society and Conservation

Project Summary:

The Colombian Constitution of July 1991 takes a strong stand on environment and provides for direct civilian sector rights and responsibilities to participate in the use and management of natural resources. This represents an important opportunity to promote greater citizen action and participation in decisions being made about the environment. This project aims to strengthen the skills of citizens to more effectively participate in policy and legislative processes regarding the environment, to promote greater knowledge of civil rights, to promote opportunities, and network processes that serve to strengthen the collective actions among NGOs and communities.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 0Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 EE & Capacity Building 70
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 0
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 100 Sustainable Resource Use 0
Treaties & Legislation 30
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

On December 22, 1993 the Colombian National Congress approved Law 99, which formally established the Ministry of the Environment, as called for in the Constitution of 1991. Within this law, citizen rights and participation are recognized with respect to the use and management of natural resources. One important example has been the granting of seats on the Board of Directors of the powerful regional development corporations to NGOs and members of the indigenous and black communities. Another component of the new environmental law that is the decentralization to the municipalities to define land use zoning within the municipality. Private citizens and NGOs have been playing a role in the conservation of biological diversity for nearly two decades, and the contribution of these efforts of conservation on private lands was taken a step further with the support of WWF. The Network of Private Reserves (NPR), formed in 1992, drafted and negotiated the articles of the new environmental law that recognize private lands as legal conservation units and define in general terms options for an economic incentive system to compensate these efforts of private citizens. In general terms, the Constitution of July 1991 redefined concepts within the Colombian national context of common liberties and rights, sovereignty and democracy, property and public action. With regard to the environment, the 1991 Constitution takes a strong stance. More specifically, it provides for direct civilian sector rights and responsibilities to participate in the use, management and conservation of the environment. Article 79 specifically emphasizes the need for greater community participation on decisions made by the government concerning environmental quality, and citizen rights were addressed on two levels. Administratively, greater access to information was guaranteed, permitting access to information held by the government. On a judicial level, new and existing legal instruments were created and strengthened through which citizens and communities could play a greater role in enforcing their basic rights. This includes two key actions: the "tutela," (Article 86) which protects basic individual rights, and popular actions (Article 88), similar to class actions suits in the United States, which defend collective rights of communities and citizens. Both of these instruments are being increasingly applied to environmental problems. Other provisions within the Law 99 include the protection of biological diversity in the interest of humanity and the national patrimony, the civil society's right to a healthy environment and a participatory role in the conservation, protection and restoration of the environment, the protection of hydrological systems for human use and consumption, environmental research, recognition of environmental costs and benefits, the importance of maintaining natural landscapes, and disaster prevention. All of these legal and political changes create a broad­based mandate for greater participation in all aspects of environmental management.

Project Objectives:

1. To support citizen participation in the policy process aimed at the formulation of policies and legislation that are environmentally sound and promote conservation actions and effective management of natural resources.

The particular areas that have been identified thus far are:

1. To focus on policies and legislation related to infrastructure and transportation (roads), citizen participation in the environment, forestry and water policies, land tenure and private reserves and territorial demarcation in the Pacific of Colombia.

2. To integrate management of national parks associated with private conservation efforts.

3. To continue and increase integration of field and policy actions.

4. To develop tools and skills and create opportunities to enable greater citizen participation in the formulation of policies.

5. To promote integration and collaboration among NGOs.

6. To increase contact and dialogue with governmental entities.

CO0860.1: Development of the Network of Private Nature Reserves (formerly 9L0757.06) (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

View Map

The Network of Private Nature Reserves of Civil Society in Colombia (The Red) is a private NGO composed of NGOs, private farms and landholders, rural and urban community organizations, and agricultural cooperatives. The overall objective of the Red is to promote more effective conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and natural ecosystems throughout Colombia by providing its member organizations with training, technical assistance, exchange of information and experiences, small projects funds, expanded environmental education, and as a vehicle to influence environmental and sustainable development policy and legislation. The Red was founded in November 1991 and acquired legal status in March 1993. Since its establishment, the Red has been characterized by democratic and pluralistic processes aimed at conservation in Colombia, as is evidenced by the diversity of members and nature of this nationwide movement. The Red was established to consolidate and strengthen private conservation efforts in Colombia that provide for alternative approaches to the largely ineffective government management of natural resources and the protected areas systems. The forest patches that are protected and managed as part of the Red provide extremely valuable services, in terms of conserving genetic resources, protecting watersheds, providing environmental education, and potentially generating additional income through ecotourism and tax incentives for conservation. The Red is composed of private reserves that range in size from one­half ha to 3,200 ha. There are currently 95 members with more than 25 pending applications. The effectiveness of the network as a conservation strategy depends on linking the conservation of forest remnants as part of regional natural resources management efforts, near larger protected areas, including black territories permitted under the new Law 70 and indigenous resguardos, and through the establishment of forest corridors. Some of the reserves are located near or within the buffer zones of protected areas or resguardos. Others such as the Mini­red of La Cocha in Nariño are aiming to establish a corridor of reserves around the whole lake and the upper watershed of the Rio Guamuez. The legal framework for the private reserves is an important part of the strategy for promoting local participation in conservation. Articles 1, 110, and 116(g) of the new Environmental Law define Natural Reserves of the Civil Society ("Private Reserves"), provide a framework for participation and consultation of Private Reserves in development and natural resource management planning, and require the President to establish a regime of incentives, including economic incentives, for sustainable use of natural resources and for the recuperation and conservation of ecosystems by private property owners.

Activity Objectives:

1. At the national level, continue to participate in and assure effective and broad citizen participation in the development of the regulatory structure for the articles of Law 99 concerning private reserves and promote the development of economic incentives for conservation of private lands.

2. To provide assistance to regional networks of reserves to negotiate at a local level and interact effectively with municipalities and new actors such as in the creation of Regional Parks and Forest Reserves.

3. To complete georeferenced database and develop participatory approach and methodology to the development of management plans, which also provides the baseline information to monitor the social and conservation impacts of the private reserve system.

4. To provide training in the development of management plans.

5. To characterize in greater detail the land tenure situation of members of the network of private reserves which will play a major role in a landowners ability to gain access to incentives.

6. To develop and strengthen approaches to environmental economics in member reserves and NGOs.

7. To promote private lands conservation as a strategy to managing national parks and their buffer zone. A dialogue has begun with the authorities responsible for the management of Los Farallones de Cali National Park which protects the watersheds that provide water for the city of Cali.

8. To continue and expand the communications activities which serve the members of the Red and other interested organizations.

9. To train and strengthen environmental education activities and educators associated with the Red de Reservas.

10. To expand training through workshops, exchanges and student projects in priority areas.

Activity Methods:

Education; Natural Resource Economics; Policy Development; Training.

CO0860.2: Support to ECOFONDO for Citizen Participation (formerly 9L0757.10) (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

Within Colombia, several organizations have emerged that aim to promote greater participation of NGOs and rural communities and community organizations in conservation efforts. Two (the Ecofondo and Red de Reservas) are playing a prominent role as is reflected in their growth over the past two to three years, and they will play a key role in the proposed project. The ECOFONDO is in part a grant­making organization for the non­governmental sector. It has a dual function as a service organization with national coverage. Probably 90% of the registered environmental NGOs in Colombia are currently members of the ECOFONDO attempting to influence its internal policies, gain access to funding and use the ECOFONDO has a means of influencing national policies. During the first year of its operations, its enrolment doubled (38 projects have been approved for funding through debt restructuring funds) and a number of needs have been identified for training and technical assistance. Specifically, workshops in Conflict Resolution will be and are aimed at addressing the management of conflicts within an organization and to assist NGOs in becoming a stronger voice of civil society.

Activity Objectives:

1. To conduct training workshops.

2. To document experiences in negotiations.

3. To network processes in environmental legislation.

4. To involve NGOs to participate more fully in policy and legislative processes.

Activity Methods:

Institutional Support and Development.

CO0860.3: Tools & Skills Development in Dispute Resolution (formerly 9L0759.02) (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

Natural resource management decisions made without input from local communities often prove difficult to implement. They may meet with outright resistance from the groups that they affect. And, without input from the people most dependent on local resources, the resources often will be overexploited, either to meet short­term local needs or to satisfy the consumption patterns of people and industry far from the resource base. Again and again, experience has shown that broad conservation decisions and plans will only be enduring and work well if developed through participatory, consensual processes. Therefore, WWF's long­term commitment to strengthening and promoting conservation must also include a commitment to building conservation plans through participatory means. Participatory decision­making can be more costly and time­consuming in the short run. Over time, however, it gives local communities greater "ownership" of conservation efforts and enhances the prospects for sustainable use of resources and conservation of biodiversity. The dispute resolution approach to resolving environmental issues emphasizes use of collaborative negotiation and mediation ­­ essentially consensus­building strategies. By encouraging the appropriate use of these means for managing environmental conflicts and for resolving environmental problems, training and technical assistance in environmental dispute resolution helps strengthen conditions for effective public participation in environmental decision­making processes. For example, it can give indigenous and black communities more tools for negotiating effectively with government agencies or private companies over resource use contracts. At the same time, environmental dispute resolution strategies provide an alternative means of addressing environmental problems or conflicts that have resisted resolution through other means. While contributing to strengthening participation, environmental dispute resolution also directly seeks to solve environmental problems. Work carried out to date under this project includes five workshops and various forms of technical assistance. A successful pilot workshop was conducted in Popayán, Colombia, in May 1993. As a direct follow­up to that workshop, representatives of both black community organizations and of Ecopetrol asked WWF and RESOLVE to provide additional training linked to the issue of locating a multi­purpose fuel pipeline along the Pacific coast (Bahía Málaga project). The two follow­up workshops were delivered in September 1993. Current in­country partners for the project include: EVALUAR, Fundación Herencia Verde, ASDES, OCN and FUNCOP. The Colombia programme also is conducting several joint dispute resolution activities in collaboration with the Inter­American Foundation.

Activity Objectives:

Goal Statement:

1. To encourage wider appropriate use of consensus­based means for managing environmental conflicts and for resolving environmental problems.

Objectives:

1. In collaboration with in­region partner organizations, continue to provide training on environmental dispute resolution strategies, techniques and institutional mechanisms.

2. To develop additional training materials, including manual, simulation exercises and case studies.

3. To expand programme of technical assistance to encompass organization of policy dialogues on sustainable development issues in the region.

4. To seek funding for and establish a regional conflict resolution centre.

The work undertaken over the next three years would have the overall goal of strengthening capacity for the appropriate use of alternative dispute strategies in the environmental arena in Colombia. WWF and RESOLVE will work to increase capacity in the country in three main ways:

1. To provide continued training in dispute resolution skills to key audiences, including local communities, conservation and development NGO's, private sector organizations and government officials.

2. To provide technical assistance designed to promote broad­based participatory dialogue regarding resource use in key conservation areas.

3. To develop a network of Colombian dispute resolution specialists.

Geographically planned activities would focus on the regions that already are WWF focal areas in Colombia, namely, the Pacific and the high Andean forests. In addition, the dispute resolution activities to be undertaken would be designed to mesh with WWF's overall goal of strengthening key NGO's and community groups' ability to influence policy and legislative processes and decisions being made regarding the management of natural resources.

Activity Methods:

Policy Development; Training.

CO0860.4: Citizen Environmental Rights & Conservation Legislation (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

Since 1991, the Colombia Government has passed landmark legislation on the rights and cultural identity of the black communities, comparable to legislation that has existed for the indigenous communities for a number of years. These laws and negotiations concerning black territories directly and powerfully affect the future of conservation on the Pacific coast of Colombia. WWF has been supporting conservation projects in the region, particularly the Pacific region of the Department of Valle where developmental pressures are considerable. There is considerable political pressure pushing to construct hydroelectric facilities, petroleum pipelines and new roads. The rural communities of the Pacific, both black and indigenous, have kept this area intact but are increasingly facing new difficulties, compounded by illegal extractive activities such as mining and logging. These communities are also some of the poorest and most marginalized in Colombia, with most economic and social indicators well below those reported for the rest of the country. Providing these communities with the tools to negotiate the delimitation of their territories and define future economic development is key. WWF, in collaboration with RESOLVE, ASDES and the OCN, have carried out training and technical assistance in legal rights, conflict resolution and negotiation skills that have already significantly changed the way that decisions are being made. In a major case regarding the establishment of an oil pipeline through black and indigenous communities, as a result of negotiations training, the communities turned back a decision on the placement of the pipeline and successfully pushed for additional environmental and social impact analyses. ASDES (Corporación Asesorias para el Desarrollo) is a small Cali­based organization founded in 1982 that focuses on political and legal rights, women and human rights and rural communities access to resources. They currently have around 10 professional staff with important experience in training communities and tools and skills development. The Executive Director has been working with WWF in training in conflict resolution and this project will greatly increase their competence in environmental matters.

Activity Objectives:

1. To conduct workshops.

2. To develop training materials.

3. To provide technical assistance.

4. To involve citizens to participate in negotiations around development projects in their region.

Activity Methods:

Policy Development.

CO0860.5: Public Interest Law and the Environment (formerly 9L0722.07) (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

FUNDEPUBLICO was established in 1988 by a group of lawyers concerned with the use of the law by citizens and communities. The principal objective of this non­governmental law organization has been to promote and defend the individual and collective rights of citizens and groups affected by environmental degradation, deterioration or proposed development projects. The accomplishments of FUNDEPUBLICO have been considerable. Of 26 actions made in its first six years, 7 were tried in favour of FUNDEPUBLICO and 4 settled out of court. FUNDEPUBLICO has successfully taken on industrial polluters such as a major asphalt producing plant contaminating the region of Bugalagrande in the northern part of the Valle Department. In this case in 1992, they won on constitutional grounds of every citizen's basic right to a clean environment. FUNDEPUBLICO has also successfully defended indigenous communities in areas of high biological diversity. Through the use of tutela, FUNDEPUBLICO stopped illegal forestry operations in indigenous lands in the Chocó region. Most recently, FUNDEPUBLICO in collaboration with Greenpeace, stopped the importation of toxic substances by a Croatian ship.

Activity Objectives:

In response to these new legal opportunities, FUNDEPUBLICO has defined a series of general goals:

1. To increase awareness on legal and constitutional rights.

2. To strengthening the use of legal instruments.

3. To facilitate citizen enforcement through providing legal assistance and training.

4. To strengthen the role of judges in decisions made about the environment.

Activity Methods:

Policy Development.

CO0861 Colombia: Capacity Building and Organizational Development

Project Summary:

Colombia is a country with extremely high biological, cultural and ecosystem diversity, and is recognized as one of the greatest conservation priorities worldwide. In addition to its richness in biological diversity, Colombia is one of the oldest, sustained democracies in Latin America, and has one of the most comprehensive and progressive set of laws and policies regarding natural resources management and environmental protection. Recent changes in the country's constitution and laws, which allow for greater participation in land use planning and development, provides a golden opportunity to couple environmental conservation with sustainable development at the local, regional and national levels. This democratic environment which has produced the recent constitutional changes, is placing ever greater demands on conservation and development practitioners in Colombia, both in number and complexity. Decision makers, project managers, and community leaders are all being called upon to bring multiple skills to bear on sustainable development problems, and often to work in teams across technical and organizational lines. The need for strengthening the technical capacity and skills of people and organizations working on conservation and sustainable development has never been greater. This project focuses on institutional strengthening support to environmental NGOs and GOs. Overall the activities aim to: 1) strengthen the capacity of conservation and development organizations to more effectively manage conservation projects and their own institutions; 2) facilitate an exchange of information between NGOs and GOs, and disseminate lessons learned; and, 3) facilitate the establishment of networks. This will be carried out through a multi­tiered approach: 1) programmes in higher education; 2) short­courses in technical areas; 3) facilitating exchange and networking; and 4) training and TA in organizational strengthening topics such as strategic planning, proposal design, etc.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 0Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 EE & Capacity Building 100
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 0
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 100 Sustainable Resource Use 0
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

The foundation of a sustainable and viable conservation movement depends on the presence of capable professionals and organizations throughout the region. This environmental community­­formed by a diverse and complementary array of regional, national, and local conservation and development NGOs, grass roots and community­based organizations, and public environmental management and education authorities­­must have the capacity to make strategic decisions, fundraise effectively, manage human and financial resources efficiently, influence policy, and plan, execute, and monitor projects. NGOs and GOs are critical to the success and sustainability of conservation efforts in Latin America. While the number of NGOs in the tropical andes has grown explosively over the past decade, there is a need to go beyond proliferation to consolidation of key environmental players in the tropical Andes. While some NGOs and GOs have advanced institutionally, most are struggling with the organizational development challenges which NGOs and GOs typically confront. Most organizations operate with precarious budget situations, are led by individuals with minimal management experience, and have limited resources for infrastructure and training. Strengthening NGOs and GOs will increase these organizations' capacity to implement conservation and biodiversity support efforts, affect national policy, develop sustainable natural resource alternatives, address large­scale development threats, and provide a channel for citizen education.

Project Objectives:

1. To promote more effective conservation and sustainable development in Latin America by strengthening and building the human resource base that may more efficiently and effectively carry out conservation initiatives and influence policies and decisions and programmes regarding the use and management of natural resources.

CO0861.1: Masters Programme in Sustainable Agricultural Systems (formerly 9L0721.06) (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

There is a critical need in Latin America for interdisciplinary training programmes particularly in sustainable resource use and agriculture. Agronomy and agricultural sciences have traditionally been dominated by an emphasis on input intensive practices which tend to be both environmentally unsound and economically inviable. In addition, agricultural expansion represents one of the greatest pressures on conservation areas. The Masters Programme in the Development of Sustainable Agricultural Systems aims to address this need for a more interdisciplinary approach to training in sustainable resource use and agriculture. The Masters forms part of an overall collaborative effort among three organizations, the Instituto Mayor Campesino (IMCA) and Fundación CIPAV (Centro para la Investigación en Sistemas Sostenibles de Producción Agropecuaria), and the Universidad Javeriana. IMCA is an NGO dedicated to improving the conditions of the rural poor and their use of natural resources. CIPAV focuses on developing and extending appropriate and integrated agricultural and resource management technologies to small and disadvantaged farmers. Universidad Javeriana is one of the foremost private universities in Colombia, and is collaborating in this programme through the Institute of Rural Studies which specializes in socio­economic research in rural development. The Masters Programme has received academic accreditation within the Faculty of Economic Sciences in the Javeriana University. The Masters Programme's activities will work simultaneously and in an integral way through training, research, TA and participation in national and regional fora. Students participating in the Master's Programme are chosen from rural development and conservation organizations. The process of selection and association of the entities to participate in the overall Programme to Strengthen Rural Development Projects and Training is based on the philosophy that institutional development and strengthening requires a number of joint actions, including training professional and other human resources involved in rural development projects (peasants, technical staff, functionaries, etc.). Thus, the interest of the rural development or conservation institution and its projects in the Masters Programme was and is paramount to the interest of the individual. The Masters Programme is designed to strengthen the human resources, as well as the whole project, matriculated in the Programme. Participation of a student is conditioned on whether he/she is working with an ongoing conservation or rural development project. As such, it is the project that enrols in the Masters, and is the deciding factor in student participation. The criteria by which projects and institutions are considered are: 1) option and/or institutional management with a focus on sustainable development; 2) the agroecological representativeness and focus on small farmer economies; 3) operational capacity and management of the institution; 4) availability and stability of the professionals; and 5) location in a zone where an impact of the learnings of the Masters would be possible.

Activity Objectives:

1. Results of research and training in different agroecological zones in Colombia facing different environmental and socio­economic problems.

2. Proceedings of workshops.

3. Participants from other organizations in workshops.

4. Publication of methodologies in participation.

5. Twenty new masters students.

6. Internal dissemination and socialization of Masters learning within each of the participating organizations.

Activity Methods:

Agriculture Management.

CO0861.2: Small Grants for Travel/Training/Exchange (formerly 9L0761.02) (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

Opportunities to participate in training courses, workshops, conferences, or participate in networking activities are essential for the development of conservation professionals and the strengthening of conservation organizations. Unfortunately, access to financial resources are often limited, and most organizations lack financial flexibility to quickly respond to training needs and opportunities. The financial mechanisms to disburse funds for this project are designed to respond quickly and efficiently to the training needs of WWF's partners and colleagues and to training opportunities which arise.

Activity Objectives:

1. To facilitate the learning, training and dissemination of information among governmental and non­governmental entities in Latin America regarding environmental and institutional issues.

2. To promote networking among grass roots support organizations, membership organizations, and government entities which have an environmental focus, so that economic and social goals can be more efficiently attained, and programmes more effectively implemented.

Activity Methods:

Training.

CO0861.3: Organizational Development Workshops (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

The Organizational Development workshops aim to strengthen organizations through workshop training in the area of proposal design, financial resource management, human resource management, and monitoring and evaluation. The workshops will draw upon the OD materials developed by the OD Programme with support from the Biodiversity Support Programme, as well as those developed by partner organizations in Colombia and other countries in Latin America. The efforts in this arena will be focused on two fronts: (1) Materials Development and Dissemination, and (2) Workshop Design and Implementation.

Activity Objectives:

1. To increase the abilities of NGOs and state government representatives to gain long­range financial sustainability.

2. To increase the abilities of NGO and state representatives to design a fundraising strategy, calculate indirect cost rates, prepare project budgets, and develop strategies to promote their organization and its programmes.

Activity Methods:

Institutional Support and Development.

CO0861.4: Technical Assistance (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

The need for organizational development­related technical assistance is great among NGOs and grass roots organizations in Colombia. WWF has played a role in channelling technical assistance to organizations in the area of strategic planning, the definition of institutional structures, financial management, proposal review processes, and monitoring and evaluation. In FY97 WWF expects to continue to play a role in the provision of technical assistance through WWF staff and consultants when appropriate.

Activity Objectives:

1. To strengthen the internal capacity of organizations.

Activity Methods:

Institutional Support and Development.

CO0861.5: Forest Management Training (formerly 9L0760.02) (Jan. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

WWF continues to play an active role in promoting natural forest management as a conservation tool in the buffer zones of protected areas in Latin America. Many of the projects WWF supports in the field are either focused on forestry or include a forestry component. As such, many technicians associated with WWF supported projects hold degrees in forestry, yet in practice, few have been trained in the full range of skills now considered essential to effective natural forest management in the tropics. The belief is that, given the opportunity, forest managers themselves are probably the best teachers of good forest management practices. In this sense, WWF does not propose to bring together professionals and instruct them as to how forests should be managed. Indeed, one of WWF's strongest advantages is it's ability to convene groups and facilitate interchanges of knowledge and technology among geographically and professionally dispersed practitioners. WWF's role in this Project, then, is to bring together forestry practitioners and research specialists in a semi­structured format in which information regarding the latest advances in natural forest management are discussed, analysed, and subsequently applied in hands­on, field­based exercises. The Project is made up of a variety of short courses and workshops. The main component is a short­course designed as a review of all aspects of natural forest management including: social considerations, ecological bases (including inter­relationships between flora and fauna in the forest ecosystem), forest inventories, data processing and interpretation, forest silviculture, improved harvesting and extraction, permanent research parcels and monitoring of management impacts, non­timber forest products, forest certification, and forest economics. Students are grouped into small teams that actually perform forest inventories and work with the collected data throughout the successive course modules. By the end of the course, each team produces a final product consisting of a management plan for their specific forest parcel. Research specialists are brought into the course to provide theoretical background material on specific subject matter.

Activity Objectives:

Goal:

1. To improve forest management practices in Colombia through the provision of practical, hands­on training in natural forest management to forestry professionals and technicians associated with both communities and concessions. A subsidiary goal is to provide training that can lead to the certification of a forestry operation as a sustainably managed source.

Activity Biomes:

Tropical Moist Forest.

Activity Methods:

Forest Management.

CO0862 Colombia: Conservation and Management of Paramo Ecosystems

Project Summary:

View Map

The greatest expanse of Paramos ecoregions are found in Colombia. Paramos are characterized by their extreme climatic conditions of high precipitation throughout the year, high winds, extreme diurnal temperature fluctuations, high levels of solar radiation. Paramos have for decades been subject to human pressures for use in agriculture, principally extensive pasture­cattle systems which are accompanied by drainage and frequent burning. The destruction of paramo presents a serious threat to the effective management of water regulatory properties of high Andean ecosystems, and thus to meet water needs of the downstream populations. This project proposes to support private pilot efforts of paramo conservation and restoration and environmental education in areas of strategic importance, promote exchange and mutual learning through a network for Paramo conservation, and link private conservation efforts with national protected areas.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 50Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 EE & Capacity Building 30
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 20
Non-Priority Biomes 50 Species 10
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 30
Treaties & Legislation 10
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

Paramos were named by the Spanish conquistadors after the montane ecoregions found above tree line in the Iberian Peninsula. These were regions considered largely inhospitable with strong winds, rain and snow during the winter months. While the Paramo ecoregion of the equatorial countries of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador are montane ecosystems also characterized by extreme climatic conditions, such as strong winds, extreme temperature fluctuations, high levels of direct solar radiation, and high precipitation, the vegetation structure and water regulatory characteristics are distinctive and are the reasons for considering Paramos as a high conservation priority for the Colombia programme. The greatest percent of the area in Paramo is found in Colombia. The Cordillera oriental and central contain the most important expanse of Paramo, although Paramos are also found in the western Cordillera. WWF has played a minimal role in the conservation and protection of Paramos in Colombia. They emerged as an ecoregion of global importance in the biogeographic analysis funded by the World Bank and conducted by WWF's Conservation Science department, and Paramos are now a national priority for Colombia, given the crisis over water resources and diminished regulatory capacity of montane ecosystems due to serious degradation. Paramos are considered a mix of grasslands and wetlands, that due to drainage to convert them into pasture, and subsequent burning, have lost a good deal of their water regulatory capacity.

Project Objectives:

1. To restore and recuperate intervened systems.

2. To improve production systems.

3. To reduce degradation of paramos located within national parks.

4. To establish incentive mechanisms for private landholders to focus on more sustainable management systems and their economic valuation for environmental services.

5. To raise awareness and appreciation for Paramos.

CO0862.1: Conservation, Env. Educ., & Sust. Dev. in Paramo of Tolima (formerly CO0854.02) (Aug. 96 - Jul. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

Tropical Grasslands and Savannas.

Activity Methods:

Agriculture Management; Education.

CO0862.2: Support for Network of Paramo Conservation Organizations (Aug. 96 - Jul. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

Tropical Grasslands and Savannas.

Activity Methods:

Education.

CO0863 Colombia: Biogeographic Priority Setting and Monitoring

Project Summary:

Conservation efforts in Colombia will be better directed if high quality and up­to­dated biogeographical information is obtained and unified under one system. GIS­based databases already designed for Latin America are a good basis to work on regional biogeographic aspects and design a national adapted Geographical Information System (GIS). This procedure will involve national institutions and scientists that can contribute with their knowledge to adapt to the scale of the national territory previously designed geographic databases. Products will be then shared among institutions who have to direct their resources to conservation projects in the most effective way. A GIS based Biogeographic database for Colombia is a good decision taking tool as well as an important analytical mechanism. Land cover changes, e. g., can be more effectively monitored having a detailed national biogeographical database. The interaction among diverse NGOs and GOs, as well as individuals will be essential to design and make the best use of such a collective effort.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 60Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 30 EE & Capacity Building 0
Oceans and Coasts 10 Protected Areas 50
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 30
Treaties & Legislation 20
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

Biogeographic priority settings for project implementation have been applied for Colombian regions since the 1980's. In 1985 a study pointed out that the Pacific and Andean regions should be prioritized for conservation purposes due to their high biological importance and threat. A deeper analysis was carried out for the whole LA/C region by WWF­US in 1995, called A Conservation Assessment of Terrestrial Ecoregions of Latin America and the Caribbean. This assessment was the result of the collaboration of more than 100 experts, which produced an important decision making guide for better conservation results with limited resources. The production of this complete information system was based on GIS analytical tools, producing a georeferenced database. Even though this recent GIS­based product is of good quality, it needs to be adapted to larger scales, that means for specific regions or countries. At a country level scales important biogeographical aspects must be incorporated using the knowledge of local and national institutions and scientists. Having a database in accordance to the situation and specific characteristics of Colombia will be of significant use for national and regional NGOs. Since the system is digitally­based, GIS data can be easily shared and maps can be quickly updated and reproduced. This database should also be a monitoring base to follow up on aspects like land cover changes, forest reduction, land use alteration, etc. The design and implementation, as well as the update procedures, for this database should involve institutions already working with biogeographical analysis and related issues.

Other activities will be:

1. Conservation status in the Andes of Colombia: the Andean region is under the most endangered ones in the country. Using satellite imagery (Landsat TM) a survey of present original land cover will be made. Fragmentation and path analysis will also be executed to produce information on conservation possibilities at local levels.

View Map

2. Terrestrial, Marine, and Freshwater biogeographic analyses: Present status of the marine and freshwater biomes in Colombia will be mapped according to results obtained from research. The terrestrial ecoregions database for Latin America and the Caribbean will be used to adapt it to a scale that can be better used at a national level. Modifications made will be based on researchers knowledge. A priority setting will be defined for a national level.

Project Objectives:

1. To adapt and unify existing geographical databases for biogeographical priority setting and monitoring purposes in Colombia.

2. To interact with institutions and individuals for the implementation of a good refection of a Biogeographical GIS.

3. To implement, use and offer GIS technical and theoretical skills.

4. To use and offer GIS based products as a decision taking tool for conservation.

5. To use GIS to develop diverse activities related to projects, specific biogeographic analysis and other conservation purposes.

CO0863.1: Consolidation of GIS Tools (Apr. 96 - Dec. 97)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Methods:

Information Systems.

CO0863.2: Conservation Status of Andean Ecosystems (Apr. 96 - Dec. 97)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

Mixed Mountain Systems.

Activity Methods:

Information Systems.

CO0863.3: Analyse Terrestrial, Freshwater, & Marine Ecosystems (Apr. 96 - Dec. 97)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Methods:

Information Systems.

CO0864 Colombia: Conservation of Priority Freshwater Ecosystems

Project Summary:

Colombia is one of the five countries in the world with the greatest continental water resources. Nevertheless, much of the natural freshwater ecoregions are seriously degraded, or threatened. There is not consistent nor coherent policy aimed at sustainable management, protection and conservation of the natural ecosystems that will assure clean and reliable water resources for the future. This project aims to first assess the status of freshwater ecoregions in Colombia through use of geographic information systems and regional on the ground analyses, and second participate and promote effective participation in the development of a National Water Strategy.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 0Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 100 EE & Capacity Building 50
Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 0
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 0 Sustainable Resource Use 0
Treaties & Legislation 50
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

Colombia is one of the five countries in the world with the greatest continental water resources. Nevertheless, much of the natural freshwater ecoregions are seriously degraded, or threatened. One sad example of this situation are the wetlands of the savannah of Bogota where only some 1/10 of the original area is still somewhat intact. There is not consistent nor coherent policy aimed at sustainable management, protection and conservation of the natural ecosystems that will assure clean and reliable water resources for the future. There are valuable data on the status of water consumption, projections for the future, principal users and consumers, coverage of services and treatment, costs and services, but there is limited information systematized that permits a clear understanding of the status of freshwater ecosystems and water regulation of key ecosystems that assure the availability of water for the future. Further, there is a need to develop new policies for all aspects of water management from rational use and consumption to management of strategic ecosystems such as paramos and wetlands. This project aims to first assess the status of freshwater ecoregions in Colombia through use of geographic information systems and regional on the ground analyses, and second participate and promote effective participation in the development of a National Water Strategy.

Project Objectives:

1. To analyse the status of priority and strategic freshwater ecosystems to define strategies and proposal for their management.

2. To establish mechanisms of participation with NGOs in the formulation of policies around water resources.

3. To disseminate the analysis of conservation status of freshwater ecosystems.

4. To contribute to the development of a National Water Strategy which defines new norms, assures effective implementation and permits follow­up by the government and civil society.

5. To develop mechanisms and tools for the resolution of conflicts over the use and misuse of water resources.

CO0864.1: Analysis of the Conservation Status of Freshwater Ecosystems (Jul. 96 - Jul. 98)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Biomes:

River System.

Activity Methods:

Information Systems.

CO0864.2: Support for the Development of a National Water Strategy (Jul. 96 - Jul. 98)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Methods:

Policy Development.

CO0865 Colombia: Country Training Needs Assessment

Project Summary:

The proposed comprehensive needs assessment will analyse and evaluate the key areas, targets, approaches and foci for strengthening and building human and organizational capacities for conservation and sustainable development in Colombia. This assessment will build on existing institutional relationships with a variety of organizations, and incorporate new contacts including network organizations, universities, government agencies and decision makers, and NGOs. The analysis will be participatory and interactive, facilitated by WWF staff and Colombian colleagues, and will examine the most urgent needs for training and education (e.g. technical and interdisciplinary skills development, leadership, information flow), the targets for training, the setting and approach for training (non­formal, formal, on­the­job, projects exchanges, fellowships and internships, one­on­one), and the needs and opportunities from a regional/geographic perspective given the highly regionalized nature of Colombia. This assessment will also examine current initiatives, opportunities and constraints in existing programmes, and the gaps not currently being addressed. The ultimate product of this assessment will be an analytical document in Spanish with an English executive summary to share with the conservation and development community in Colombia, and a detailed funding proposal for potential consideration by donor agencies such as UNDP.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 0Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 EE & Capacity Building 100
Oceans and Coasts 0
Protected Areas 0Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 100 Sustainable Resource Use 0
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 0

Project Background:

WWF has worked closely over the years with a number of local, national and regional organizations in technical training, organizational development and education in Colombia. During the course of this proposed needs assessment, WWF will collaborate with a wide range of professional and para­professional institutions and programmes, that include formal graduate school programmes, and educational activities conducted by NGOs. As a prominent international NGO, WWF is well­positioned to serve as a bridge between non­government and government bodies, and thus encourage training partners to identify opportunities for coordination and cooperation. WWF's current partners in training, education and organizational development include a variety of organizations, which in the case of the Red de Reservas and the ECOFONDO, represent a broad range of individuals, organizations and communities. For example, the Red will be carrying out an assessment of training needs for its member private reserves. WWF is collaborating with this assessment and will incorporate it into the results of this proposal.

Project Objectives:

General:

1. To promote more effective conservation and sustainable development in Latin America by strengthening and building the human resource base that may more efficiently and effectively carry out conservation initiatives and influence policies and decisions and programmes regarding the use and management of natural resources.

Specific:

1. To analyse the needs and most effective approaches for strengthening capacities in Colombia aimed at conservation and sustainable development.

2. To identify and evaluate existing and new programmes and approaches for capacity building.

3. To produce a technical report (in Spanish with an English summary) which also analyses the potential Latin American regional role that Colombia may play in meeting training and education needs given the strength of a number of Colombian organizations.

4. To develop a three­year proposal to support a comprehensive programme for capacity building in Colombia, which includes identifying partner organizations, defining the appropriate mix of methodologies and approaches, and providing a management plan, detailed budget and timeframe for activities to be carried out over a three year period.

CO0865.1: Country Training Needs Assessment (formerly 9L0779.01) (Jul. 96 - Dec. 97)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

1. To develop a functioning committee and diagnostic design, and timeframe for activities.

2. To collect data for analysis.

3. To conduct analysis of data.

4. To produce synthetic document and feedback from broad base of organizations, institutions and individuals participating in process.

4. To produce final document assessing needs for training and education in Colombia.

5. To develop funding proposal identifying partnerships and institutional collaboration.

Activity Methods:

Training.

(Concept) CO0866 Colombia: Programme Management (formerly 9L0730.02)

Project Summary:

WWF established a Programme Office for Colombia in September 1993. The office acquired legal status and administrative capabilities in October 1995. The office now counts on two technical professionals (Representative, Forester), a finance and administrative manager, and an executive secretary. By the end of the calendar year 1996, it is anticipated that full delegation authority will be granted. Effective operation of the field office will be assured when the projects count on consistent technical assistance and monitoring, all aspects of project administration is carried out in the field, and that the Colombia has further strengthened its working relationship within the Colombian conservation community.
Priority Biomes % Strategies %
Forests 0Consumption & Pollution 0
Freshwater Ecosystems 0
EE & Capacity Building 0Oceans and Coasts 0 Protected Areas 0
Non-Priority Biomes 0 Species 0
Non-Biome Specific 100 Sustainable Resource Use 0
Treaties & Legislation 0
Non-Priority Strategies 100

Project Background:

View Map

WWF established a Programme Office for Colombia in September 1993. The office has operated through a cooperative agreement with a local counterpart entity, Fundacion FES who has been providing logistical and administrative support to WWF given that WWF was not recognized legally in Colombia. In December 1994, WWF began the formal process aimed at acquiring legal recognition to permit administrative and financial independence to manage WWF's programmes in Colombia. This has been a slow process but in October 1995, many of the key administrative hurdles were overcome and WWF now has legal representation in Colombia, with a Finance and Administrative Coordinator and bank accounts recently set up and functioning. This now assures effective execution of the WWF­UK/ODA JFS project. Two key strengths of the programme in Colombia stand out. First, we have gained recognition as not only a donor but a partner in conservation. Second, the programme in Colombia is fully integrated through interconnections among projects, complementary initiatives that fill in gaps or weakness, such as organizational strengthening, and addressing policy issues that have emerged from field programmes and aim to reinforce the field conservation efforts. Over the past four years, WWF has based its conservation interventions on a more complete and focused strategic plan for the conservation programme in Colombia which concentrates on principally two biogeographic regions. These regional priorities were chosen based on a three­tiered analysis of biological priorities (species richness, endemism, condition, ecological function, uniqueness), imminence or degree of threat, and opportunity. Given the new information available through the Conservation Science analysis, we will be assessing directions for geographic focus of the programme particularly in the marine/coastal and freshwater biomes, and in under or unrepresented ecoregions such as the Llanos and Orinoco Basin. The Paramo ecoregion stands out as a priority in Colombia being a unique and important non-priority biome for the Programme in Colombia given its ranking in the ecoregion analysis and from a national perspective in Colombia.

Project Objectives:

Programmatic Objectives:

1. To support citizen participation in processes aimed at the formulation of policies and legislation that are environmentally sound, promote conservation actions and encourage effective management of natural resources. The particular areas that have been identified to date include:

a) influence and/or advocate policies and legislation related to infrastructure and transportation (roads), citizen participation in the environment, forestry and water policies, land tenure and private reserves and territorial demarcation in the Pacific of Colombia;

b) continue and increase linkages between field and policy actions;

c) develop tools and skills which facilitate and create opportunities to enable greater citizen participation in the formulation of policies;

d) promote collaboration among NGOs;

e) increase dialogue with governmental entities.

2. To strengthen the skills, knowledge base, and awareness to develop and consolidate an environmental ethic in Colombia which includes the following areas:

a) strengthen environmental education processes;

b) promote an environmental ethic;

c) facilitate the development and work of the Network of Private Reserves;

d) support higher education aimed at conservation, natural resources management and sustainable agriculture;

e) facilitate the establishment of an environmental negotiations centre in Colombia;

f) consolidate the organizational skills of NGOs.

3. To promote the consolidation of a national system of protected areas which integrates and recognizes citizen­based and private conservation efforts. This would include the following:

a) identify strategic and priority regions in need of attention and not currently being addressed by other organizations;

b) improve the biome balance between forests, marine and freshwater;

c) incorporate new priority ecoregions not covered within the LA/C programme as part of the geographic focus of conservation initiatives.

4. To further the development, documentation and dissemination of experiences and practices in the sustainable use of natural resources.

Operational Objectives:

5. To establish an effective and systematic process of monitoring and evaluation that is linked to a strategy for learning and dissemination.

6. To diversify funding sources.

7. To increase the integration of the programme within the WWF Network and maximize use of resources available.

8. To consolidate the administrative structure in the field office and develop permanent presence in Bogota.

CO0866.1: Programme Management (formerly 9L0730.02) (Jun. 93 - Dec. 00)

Activity Background:

See Project Background.

Activity Objectives:

See Project Objectives.

Activity Methods:

Programme / Project Development.