WWF INVOLVEMENT IN HISPANIC SOUTH AMERICA



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WF's conservation programme in Hispanic South America goes beyond protected area management to ensure that national development policies are environmentally friendly. WWF also promotes environmental education, besides supporting non-governmental organizat ions in the region.

The HSA Programme's priorities parallel WWF's global concerns through the turn of the century: creation and maintenance of protected areas; promotion of sustainable development; conservation of endangered species; building local capacity; promotion of int ernational treaties and legislation on key environmental issues; and promotion of environmental education. These measures are focused on three priority biomes — forests, freshwater ecosystems, and coastal and marine areas.

A cornerstone of WWF's HSA Programme is the establishment of a broad-based conservation system that combines protected areas and natural resource management within a representative set of ecosystems in the region. This includes the Chocó region (Utría Sou nd, Colombia); the Amazon (Rio Abiseo National Park, Manu, Peru; Beni Biological Reserve, Bolivia); high Andes (Los Farallones de Cali National Park, Colombia; Ampay Forest Sanctuary, Peru; Podocarpus National Park, Ecuador); marine and coastal areas ( Pa racas Marine Reserve, Peru); Pacific dry forests (Noroeste Biosphere Reserve, Peru); and subtropical and temperate forests (Valdivian forests, Chile; Misiones region Atlantic forest, Argentina/Brazil/ Paraguay).

A stable income, clean environment, education, and health care for the rural people make up the centrepiece of WWF's sound-management policies. This means walking the tightrope between the human need for progress and the equally important need to conserve biological diversity. Key initiatives include the sustainable use of timber and non-timber forest resources (Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, and Peru), and the development of sustainable agricultural methods.

One of WWF's key roles is to promote a strong and self-reliant conservation movement within the region, working with grassroots organizations and public authorities. Although environmental groups have mushroomed, funding has not kept pace. Neither has pla nning. WWF is providing institutional support to many organizations to improve management skills and fundraising capabilities.

Field projects, the education sector, media, and workshops provide environmental education. Projects include the development of a conservation education curriculum in Argentina; support for environmental education training programmes in Colombia and Peru; and support for popular journals, which focus on the environment, in Peru and Colombia .

In addition, WWF continues to monitor regional trade agreements that could harm the environment. Local leaders are encouraged, through training programmes, to incorporate environmental concerns in their plans.




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