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 20 | | Consumption & 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 70 | | Consumption & 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 0 | | Consumption & 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 50 | | Consumption & 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 65 | | Consumption & 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 50 | | Consumption & 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.
View Map
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.
View Map
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.
View Map
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:
View Map
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:
View Map
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 50 | | Consumption & 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:
View Map
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 0 | | Consumption & 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 0 | | Consumption & 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 0 | | Consumption & 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 50 | | Consumption & 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 60 | | Consumption & 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 0 | | Consumption & 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 0 | | Consumption & 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 0 | | Consumption & 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.
|