Biodiversity Conservation and Local Communities ©Artists for Nature Foundation Biodiversity Conservation and Local Communities

Biodiversity conservation and local communities ©Artists for Nature Foundation Biodiversity conservation and local communities

Human beings depend for their survival on the within the rural population (approximately one third) initiative is known as BirdLife’s Local Conservation The objectives of the workshop were: biodiversity and services provided by healthy in countries of the region and they are the most Group (LCG) approach. LCGs have been described ecosystems. This is even more important for vulnerable and have less access to basic services as predominantly groups of volunteers, that have as •To build capacity among BirdLife Partner the poor living in rural areas. The links between such as education, health care and housing. Social their objective the conservation of one or more IBA, organisations through the sharing of experiences poverty and the environment in rural areas have inequality and poverty remain major challenges and who work with BirdLife Partners to help promote and lessons learned from conservation projects been demonstrated by many including BirdLife across the region: according to reports from CEPAL, conservation and sustainable development at IBAs. working with Local Conservation Groups in each International (BirdLife International 2006). Latin America is the world’s most unequal region. The LCG approach is in line with the recommendations country. The dependence of the rural poor According to the World Bank, 25% of people of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on their environment is likely to be survive on less than $ 2 daily. It is essential therefore in supporting the preservation and maintenance of •To gather and disseminate information to the wider affected by the impacts of climate to develop integrated approaches to address the traditional knowledge relevant to the conservation BirdLife Network and the general public change on these ecosystems problems of poverty, vulnerability to climate change, and sustainable use of biodiversity, and BirdLife about work experiences with Local that is threatening the functions and environmental degradation. sees this form of partnership and empowerment at Conservation Groups in IBAs. and services they provide (TEEB, the local level as essential to achieve Objective 7 2009). Even if targets for reducing In 2009, BirdLife International and its network of the UN Millennium Development Goals (Ensure greenhouse gas emissions are met, of partner organisations and collaborators jointly Environmental Sustainability). Goal 7 is itself a climate change is inevitable and identified over 2,345 globally important high cross-cutting goal, on which the achievement of other therefore adaptation is essential. Tools biodiversity sites in the Americas using birds as MDGs depends. to ensure the resilience of development indicators (Devenish et al 2009). These sites are projects to climate change impacts are called Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and the majority An initial study of LCGs in 12 countries in the being developed (e.g. CRiSTAL). of them are located in rural areas. From a preliminary Americas in 2005 revealed that there were 209 local analysis of the protection status of IBAs throughout groups active in 12 countries (Kerry 2005). Five years According to the United Nations, 40% the hemisphere, 31% of IBAS are fully protected, later, the number of LCGs has expanded to 220 LCGs of the population of Latin America 22% are partially protected and 37% are not protected. spread over 17 countries. and the Caribbean live in rural areas Key to their conservation are the local communities and about 64% of the inhabitants that live in and around these sites as their livelihoods This report provides the results of the first BirdLife in these areas live below the depend on the natural resources these sites provide International Network workshop in the Americas poverty line. Indigenous (BirdLife International 2006). to exchange experiences on LCGs, livelihoods and people constitute the IBA conservation. The workshop took place in Quito largest group The BirdLife network works in partnership with local from 15 – 17 September, 2009. Participants included communities to ensure the sustainable provision representatives from BirdLife Partners in Belize, of environmental goods and services while at the Bolivia, Canada, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El same time conserving the rich biodiversity for Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and which IBAs were identified. This Uruguay.

1 ©Artists for Nature Foundation ©Artists for Nature Foundation 2 Table 2. Thematic areas addressed in the case studies Category & Subcategory Peru Bolivia Ecuador Ecuador Panama Mexico Belize (3) Dom. Rep. Paraguay Uruguay Education and awareness Awareness and communication Formal education Training Capacity building Development of alliances and partnerships Funding for conservation Institutional and civil society development Soil/water management Site management Habitats and natural processes restoration Invasive/problematic species control Soil/water protection Habitat protection Site protection Law and policy Compliance & enforcement Case studies: Policies & regulations Private sectors standards and codes Legislation Livelihood, economy and others 1. Community Management of Non-Timber Forest Payment for conservation or ecosystems services Resources as a Conservation Strategy for La Sepultura Related companies and alternative livelihoods and El Triunfo IBAs, Chiapas, Mexico Species management Guillaume Dahringer, [email protected], Pronatura Mexico. Ex situ conservation Photo: Guillaume Dahringer Introduction/Reintroduction Pronatura Sur (BirdLife in Mexico) has been working closely with Sierra Madre de Chiapas communities Species recovery in changing their management and marketing practices of a local palm Chamaedorea quezalteca used for Palm Sunday celebration. Palm leaves are sold nationally as well as exported to the US for this ©Artists for Nature Foundation celebration. The income generated from its exports supports both reforestation and forest conservation at La Sepultura and El Triunfo IBAs. Pronatura is also supporting community efforts to improve control in the use and access to this resource. As a result, a local cooperative of seven communities has been Results established; of which five are working directly with Pronatura. This effort is having conservation Table 1 shows some selected characteristics of the LCGs of women. All members of the LCGs live in or around the impacts at the ecosystem levels. these case studies. Almost all LCGs have clear conservation IBAs and the majority of LCGs have legal registration or objectives and the majority have more men involved than are in the process of obtaining such recognition.

Table 1. General characteristics of the LCGs discussed at the workshop.

Board or Council √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ X √ Photo: Alejandro Ramón Vázquez Table 2 shows the areas that BirdLife Partners and other does not represent the full expertise developed by these NGOs worked on with LCGs in the case studies. It NGOs.

Table 2. Thematic areas addressed in the case studies Category & Subcategory Peru Bolivia Ecuador Ecuador Panama Mexico Belize (3) Dom. Rep. Paraguay Uruguay Education and awareness Awareness and communication 2. Partnership with Communities and Involvement Fostering active Formal education participation in conservation. Belize Audubon Society. Belize. Training Anna D. Hoare, [email protected], Belize Audubon Society. Capacity building Development of alliances and partnerships Funding for conservation Belize Audubon (BirdLife in Belize) has been working together with Institutional and civil society development communities to advance the conservation of IBAs including some that are Soil/water management PAs and is using this as a model to build the spirit of conservation in these Site management communities that depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. Belize Habitats and natural processes restoration Audubon started their work with Local Conservation Groups in IBAs which Invasive/problematic species control are protected, developing and implementing operational/management plans – wildlife management, administration, environmental education, Soil/water protection enforcement and public awareness, recreation management; hiring staff Habitat protection from communities to work in those sites, developing infrastructure – trail Site protection systems, accommodation, access road to attract tourists, etc; starting an Law and policy environmental education Compliance & enforcement program and creating Policies & regulations alternative livelihood Private sectors standards and codes opportunities. Legislation Livelihood, economy and others The experiences demonstrate that communities can be empowered to participate Payment for conservation or ecosystems services in conservation efforts and benefit from their environment, developing sustainable Related companies and alternative livelihoods livelihoods and supporting their families, while conserving biodiversity. The Local Species management Conservation Group approach also encourages a constructive dialogue with the Ex situ conservation communities, building bridges and catalyzing positive action. Introduction/Reintroduction Photos: Dirk Francisco Species recovery

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Table 1. General characteristics of the LCGs discussed at the workshop.

Peru Bolivia Ecuador Ecuador Panama Mexico Belize (3) Dom. Rep. Paraguay Uruguay Clear conservation Objectives X √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ No. of members 344 70 20 72 69 26 42 32 12 200 Men / women / children 177/167 14/48/8 n.s. ? 54/14/1 12/10/4 10/20/12 28/4/0 8/4 200/0/0 % of adults members living in/around IBA 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 95% 100% 100% 100% 100% Legal registration √ X X √ X √ √ in process in process √ Board or Council √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ X √ 5. Conservation through research, monitoring, awareness 3. Restoration of the buffer zone of Park Macaya, Haiti and sustainable alternatives in the Jaragua National Park by Audubon Society. Haiti. the Jaragua Community Volunteers, Dominican Republic. Jean Vilmond Hilaire, [email protected], Haiti Audubon Society. Yvonne Arias, [email protected], Grupo Jaragua.

Basic and environmental education, improvement of livelihoods, agroforestry, food marketing, ecotourism, provision of drinking water, conservation of rare and endangered species and the Grupo Jaragua (BirdLife in Dominican Republic) started working with a group of local individuals strengthening of community based organisations have been the activities of the Haiti Audubon Society. concerned about their environment who then established the Jaragua Community Volunteers Local This project has been working with 14 community Conservation Group in June 1995. This LCG is involved in various conservation projects at Jaragua based organisations of which two are solely National Park. Activities include research and monitoring, education and environmental awareness composed of women. and action (through summer camps and beach cleanups), advocacy and exploring alternative sustainable income generating activities adapted to climate change such as ecotourism, the establishment of nurseries and agro-forestry systems with local native and endemic species.

Photos: Haiti Audubon Society

Photos: Grupo Jaragua

6. Co-management of La Ceiba IBA Private Reserve. A Participatory Conservation Initiative in Zapotillo,-Loja, Ecuador. Naturaleza y Cultura Interncional. Bruno Paladines, [email protected], Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional.

4. Strengthening Local Conservation Groups at Cienega The co-management of La Ceiba IBA Private Reserve is a joint initiative involving the local community, local government and local NGOs, working to conserve the biodiversity and natural resources of the Las Macanas, Sociedad Audubon Panama. Panamá. dry forests of southern Ecuador. Nature and Culture International has been working on the monitoring Loyda Sánchez, [email protected], Sociedad Audubon Panama. and land use planning and management of the Reserve with the local communities who live around this IBA since 2004. Local capacities have been strengthened to ensure people’s participation in The strengthening of local capacities has been the focus of Panama Audubon Society (BirdLife in Panama). decision-making processes and opportunities to improve livelihoods have been introduced through Using participatory techniques such as SWOT analysis, Panama Audubon was able to assess community mechanisms such as the establishment of micro-credit revolving funds in each village and technical and local authorities’ needs to improve local capacity for wetland management and conservation. support for rural enterprise such as cheese making.

Photos: Sociedad Audubon Panama Photos: Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional

5 6 9. Community conservation experiences Ayabaca,Piura, Peru. Luis Albán, [email protected], Nature and Culture International.

The cloud forests and paramos of the Ayabaca Province are the main water supply for the department of Piura. These fragile ecosystems are considered conservation priorities at local and national levels.

Conditions of extreme poverty in these areas condition local conservation strategies. Nature and Culture International has been working with the farming communities that own the land to include conservation initiatives in the planning and management of their lands.

7. Local participation in the conservation of three IBAs in Western Pichincha, Ecuador. Aves y Conservación. Eugenia Endara, [email protected], Aves & Conservacion.

Aves & Conservacion (BirdLife in Ecuador) supported the establishment of LCGs at the Mindo-Estribaciones Occidentales del Pichincha, Bancos Milpe and Rio Caoni IBAs. Together with these 3 LCGs and with the support of local governments and the Ministry of the Environment, they jointly prepared and published a conservation plan for these IBAs. This participatory process raised the profile of both LCGs and A&C locally and nationally and also Photos: Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional contributed to the establishment of a training process to improve the capacity of the LCGs for environmental management and participatory monitoring.

8. Conservation and Management of the Southwest Area of Llanganates National Park, through the strengthening of environmental management capacity of local 10. Indigenous Land Management: A study in the stakeholders. Aves y Conservación. Ecuador. communal lands Tacana III, Bajo Rio Beni IBA, Adrián Soria, [email protected], Aves & Conservacion. Asociación Armonía. Bolivia. Aves & Conservacion (BirdLife in Ecuador) has been working to promote biodiversity conservation Hugo Araníbar, [email protected], Asociacion Armonia. in Llanganates National Park IBA and its area of influence by strengthening the capacities of Local Photo: Glasgow 2006 Conservation Groups, establishing a socio-environmental baseline and by strengthening local Armonia (BirdLife in Bolivia) has been working with local communities at the Bajo Rio Beni IBA to ensure government capacities for the sustainable management of natural resources. the conservation of the Critically Endangered Wattled Curassow Crax globulosa. By working within the Indigenous Land Management System developed by local stakeholders the sustainability of this action Achievements include the consolidation of LCGs, training of 37 birdwatching guides, establishment of increases and creates more opportunities for conservation action. Armonia is taking human population the Birdwatching Community Association, implementation of an environmental education programme growth trends into account to plan for optimum for schools in the area and advocacy for the site’s conservation. conservation actions in the medium to long-term.

Photos: Aves & Conservacion Photo: Milenius Spacnowick

7 8 11. Generating self-sufficiency at a local conservation group related to the Rio Negro IBA, Guyra Paraguay. Paraguay. Rodrigo Zarate, [email protected], Guyra Paraguay.

The “Paraguayan Pantanal Eco Club” is the first local conservation group in the district of Bahia Negra, near Rio Negro IBA also a Ramsar Site of the Paraguayan Pantanal. It was created in 2003 with the support of Guyra Paraguay (BirdLife in Paraguay) with the aim of promoting the conservation of the Pantanal through education and public awareness among the local population. This LCG, which is ©Artists for Nature Foundation composed of teenagers, supports the indigenous Bahía Negra or Chamacoco Ishir group that depends entirely on the Rio Negro IBA for its livelihood (fisheries and other products). This group represents approximately 60% of the district’s population. Lessons learned, recommendations

In 2005, the LCG won an award to establish a community radio station FM 98.9 Bahia Negra Poty. Since then, running the radio station has become its main activity generating income to all and conclusions its young members. It is currently providing training on radio management and plans to extend its environmental education programmes to other neighbouring communities including indigenous ones. Duration of commitment Attitude Ishir individuals have become members of the LCG and are preparing and broadcasting environmental Work with LCGs requires a long-term commitment Poverty and the possibility of “another” type of programmes in their native language. on the part of the partners (3–10 years). Furthermore, development show that it is necessary to look for actions should be sustainable and initiated from a economic alternatives and other sources of income, local level. so that LCGs can continue to conserve, protect and safeguard sites. Understanding the local context – before starting conservation activities The relationship between confidence and transparency among conservation actors guarantees Local actors are the “owners” of their resources, rights and obligations over natural resources and and therefore, their conservation and sustainable use biodiversity in the long term. depends, in many cases, on the degree of responsibility and empowerment acquired or developed. Ways of working

Photos: Guyra Paraguay Identifying the interests of LCGs and other local Working with local actors requires respect, institutions with regard to the use and conservation of confidence and humility. natural resources allows the establishment of strategic alliances. LCGs are useful mechanisms to link the community to conservation initiatives for sites, species and Before beginning actions at sites, an analysis of local habitats. 12. Creating a protected area in Bella Union, Artigas actors should clearly identify leaders within each Department, Aves Uruguay, Uruguay. community in the proposed area of intervention, as The role of BirdLife partners should be that of Pablo Rocca, [email protected], Aves Uruguay. well as their interests in the use and management guidance and the evaluation of internal processes of biodiversity and other natural resources; their within communities when participating in Aves Uruguay (BirdLife in Uruguay) has been working with and providing support to the Bella Union attitudes in relation to their conservation; and how conservation and sustainable use projects and (GruPAmA) Local Conservation Group. GruPAmA secured funding support from UNDP GEF Small they use their territory. programs. Grants Programme to raise environmental awareness and carry out conservation actions to ensure the sustainable management of Campos de Bella Union IBA and its inclusion in the national A correct evaluation of the pressures placed on The implementation of joint actions system of protected areas. resources, and their magnitude, is essential to draw between institutions and local up short, medium and long-term conservation actors strengthens conservation strategies. and management of resources.

Community participation in LCGs promotes local pride in their resources.

Local wellbeing, conservation and the safeguard of conservation areas depend greatly on LCGs.

Photos: Aves Uruguay

BirdLife International (2006) Livelihoods and the environment Dumas, J. & Kakabadse, Y. (2009) Climate Change and poverty at Important Bird Areas: listening to local voices. in Latin America and the Caribbean. A consultation Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International. process. Quito, Ecuador.

BirdLife International (2008) Building Partnership: Working Endara, E., Santander, T. Eds. (2009) Planes de Conservación together for conservation and development. Cambridge, de las IBAs de Mindo y Estribaciones Occidentales del UK: BirdLife International. Volcán Pichincha, Los Bancos-Milpe y Río Caoní. Aves & Conservación - Birdlife en Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador. CRiSTAL - Community-based Risk Screening Tool: Adaptation & Livelihoods (http://www.cristaltool.org) Naciones Unidas (2008) Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio. Informe 2008. Nueva York. Estados Unidos de América. Devenish, D., Díaz Fernández, D.F., Clay, R.P., Davidson, I. & Yépez Zabala, I. Eds. (2009). Important Bird Areas Americas- TEEB-The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for National Priority sites for biodiversity conservation. Quito, Ecuador: and International Policy Makers-Summary: Responding to the BirdLife International (Birdlife Conservation Series No. 16). Value of Nature. 2009. Wesseling, Germany.

Contributions Recommended citation: BirdLife International (2010) Biodiversity Conservation and local communities. Quito, Ecuador: BirdLife International. Edited by: Amiro Perez-Leroux and Itala Yepez. Case study authors: Guillaume Dahringer (Pronatura – Mexico), Anna Hoare (Belize Audubon Society – Belize), Jean Vilmond Hilaire (Haiti Audubon Society – Haiti), Loyda Sanchez (Panama Audubon Society – Panama), Yvonne Arias (Grupo Jaragua – Dominican Republic), Bruno Paladines (Nature and Culture International - Ecuador), Eugenia Endara (Aves & Conservacion – Ecuador), Adrian Soria (Aves & Conservacion – Ecuador), Luis Alban (Nature and Culture Internacional – Peru), Hugo Aranibar (Armonia – Bolivia), Rodrigo Zarate (Guyra Paraguay – Paraguay), Pablo Roca (Aves Uruguay – Uruguay). Reviewed by: David Thomas. Design and layout by: Alejandro Miranda / [email protected]. Printed by: IMPRENTA MARISCAL. In Memoriam: Bolivar Tello (1967 – 2010). Published with the Support from

2010 – the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity As well as celebrating the diversity of life on Earth, a major theme for the Year of Biodiversity is “Biodiversity for Development and Poverty Alleviation”. This report highlights the BirdLife Partnership’s work in the Americas for poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation.