v- I I I AtacamesSpecialAreaManagementPlan Atacames-Sfa:Muisne t StephenOlsen. DonaldD.Robadue,Jr.. LuisArriaga I I I I I I I I I I I I GoastalResourcesCenter ------- Universityof Rhodelsland I -ffsl.Dt olncrcr{E. Narragansett,Rhodelsland IntemationalCoastalResourcesManagementProiect I Bureaufor ResearchandDevelopment €H UnitedStatesAgencyfor IntemationalDevelopment I I I I I I ,.li{l I I nio foar na;c goalsof the Intsnatimal CoastalResourceeltdmagementPrrogram(CRMP)areto: l) apply,as rypa.- ,1trid&,fiisftg experienoein 66stelr€sourctr-rnanlg€mcnttolow:imecotmtrie$;2)assfut&se lon-incmpn*tim I in te Oasiggmd imrpb,mentatimof integraedcoastalresdtrpessunagen€nt pmgten; 3) advmce6e staneof ttc ut of coastalrcsorrcs manag@€nt;ed 4) btrild tbeUniversity of RhodeIsld's capabilityto assistn*ftyu with cciptql r6qrxrpe3mrnegem€nt.. t witbthecocperatingcounfriesto: T,btQ|!q,*gl" , . fumuhp andimplerentiDtegntodcoastalf€so15cesmrnrgenrmtsllaEgi€s t . derrehppoceAnesfu fre asscssnentof Seimprctsof cmstaldevebementpryosab . developinstitutionalandecnnicalsolutionsforresorrce.usecdicB . $uppstrcscarchb befi€rrnderstan<ltte issrmthu affectee conditimanduseof coasalmsysems o imprcyethecapabilitiesof in-corntryprofessionalstaff16rplg1filf a4dmqnngeoastd &vehpment I TbcIntemationalCoastatResourcesManagementProgramis fuded by SeOfficeof Envirwent d l.IaruralRe. eorfioes,Bryau for ReseuctrandDevelopent U.S.Agwy fc hematioqalDevelopcnt tirrwgba coopersiw I rgrc€nert wi6 tbcUniversityof RhodeIsland. i. Ilt.qfnims, .fndings,cmclusions,mdrccommendatiinsexpftsd inthbftportrc those'of.Seauthrsad doffi I neigpry.ityteneatheofricialviewof tbeU.S.fuencyrc hWng@t Devd.gpt For infsmation on theproject,contact: I S@€n Ols€n,Director Inermtionat CoastalRcsorncesMmagemcntProgra Coa$talResorrcesCenter I Tbe University of Rhodel$land Nmagrusea, RI 02882 lbkphons:(&D7n&nA I roxi(not)zas46zo rIiBN1-88545441-5 T I I I I Foreword TheAtacamesSpecialArea ManagementPlan is oneoffive suchplanspreparedfor theEcuador I CoastalResourcesManagementPrograrnbetween1990and |gg2. h tt * i**rpte of the work of the USAIDruRIInternationalCoastalResourcesManagementProjectin developi)gspecialareaplans in Ecuador,Thailandand Sril^antu. TheAtncarnesplan containsa consensusviewof theproblems I and opporrunitiesfacing the residentsof thisrurat ind underdevelopedregionof Esmerafdasprov- ince, puts and forward an integratedvisionof thepolicies andactionsthat shouldbecarried out over thenextftve yearsto movetowardsustainablewe of thearea'scoastalresources,andimproved I qualityof ltfefor coastalresidents. The field staffin theAtacantesspecialarea mlnagementzone,led by coordinatorRomuloJurado, and the t technicaltearn,directedby Dr. LuisArriaga" workedhard'to build public awarenessand involvement in all stagesofplanformulation. Theadvisorycommiaeepiayedan qcfiverole in identiftcationof issues, probtems, framing of formulationofpolicy,ani testingoffeasibilityof solutions' I During theplanningprocess,thegovemmentof Eciidor wasactively"seekingto deter- minewhetherparticipatorymethodswerefeasible,andwhetherpracticalmcasurestoprovide stewardship for coastalresourceusecould beidentifiedand tested.Implementationof a large proportion of theactionsrecommended I in theplan are now incorporatedin aproject n befinancid by theInteramericanDevelopmentBanlgbeginningin 1994. Oinerdonorsiorirrg in Esmeraldas province havealsousedtheplan andthelocalfietd officeto helpguideandcoordinate I their own efforts. While plan the wasundergoingpublic review,a considerableamountof attentionwasgivento the needto establishstrongcoordinatingmechanismsto implemcnttheplan. Theserelationshipsamong I l<ey actorsare describedin detailin Chapter4, whichwassubstaniiallyrevisedasa resuttof public commentsandrecent developmentsin thenationalprogram. Althoughtheexecutivedireciorateo7 theEcuador coastalprogrwn hasoverallresponsibiliry7orcarrytngoui theplan, thepermanentlocal I special%rea managementcommilteeestablishedbyExecutivebrrrr" SSggis expectedtoplay an imponantrole in shapingandwerseeing tocalimplementationefforts,as well assirving o, i Torrm opendebate I for and resolutionof coastalarea useconflictsin Atacames-Stia-Muisne.Thenational Sovernmentcannotcarry outproiectsin thespecialareazonewithoutprior reviewandacceptance by thelocal committee. I Thesuccessful adoptionandfinancingof theAtacatnesspecialareamanagementplan andof other four siteslocatedin Manabi,Guayas,andEt oro proviices,offer thehopi thatsimilarconsensus documents canbepreparedfor othercriticatarias of theEcuadoriancoast.However,themost t importantchallenge for thenextfive yearswitt beputting the vision,ideas,andpoliciesof thespecial areaplans into action in order to createlocal/nationalpartnershipsto achievesustainableiseso7 coastalresources- I Coastalmanagersin all tropicatdevilopingcoastalnationswilt beableto learn from Ecuadoras itsnewexperimentin plan implementationunfolds. I DonaU Robadae,Jr. Luis Arriaga I October,1993 I I I I I I I I I I t I I I I I t I I I I I I I Introduction I Theexperienceof formulatingthe specialarearanagement planshasbeena learning pr@essfor all involved. Theworkbeganin 1990withthepreparationof profilesfor each specialarea managementzone (zona especialde manejo,or ZEM) followedby technical I reportson agricuftureand watersheds,coastalgeonnrphology,mangroves,fisheries, maricufture,watersupply,wastewaterand solid wastedisposal,and tourism. years, groups, I coastatft'anasemen':r?:":nffii:'{ffii:":::#'!:i:,1;:7;:;;&"::,:,;::,::y,;fDuringthe followingtwo thecommiftees,user and authoritiesinvolvedin the ;:: I Theadvisorycommitteesreviewedandrevisedthe plansandapprovedtheminjoinf sessrbn with theexecutivecommifteesof eachZEM. Twenty-twopublicmeetingswereheldduring the process,involving68 coastalusergroups;60communities;19governmentagencies; I twonongovernmentalorganizations;radio,televisionand press;two universities;and superuisorsfromprimaryand secondaryschools. Theplansreceivedfinalapprovalfromthe NationalCoastalResourcesManagement I Commissionin May 1992. Thehighlyparticipatorymannerin whichthe planshavebeenprepareddenpnstratesthat it I is indeedpossibleto achieveconsensuson theproper useof coastalresources. The planningprocesshasseruedas a meansof localself-development,andas an aid in finding sustainableusesof coastalresourcesto supportqualityof lifein coastalcommunities. I Thepresentationof thispublicationis an auspiciousmomentin thehistoryof theCoastal ResourcesManagementProgram(CRMP). Thefoundationof thisnew effort has beenthe activeparticipationof communitiesand usergroupsand interagencycoordination. This must I continueto be the emphasisof the CRMPin the futureto assurethe sustainabilityof this piloteffortundeftakenby thegovernmentin itssearchfor sustainab/eusesof Ecuador's I naturalresources. Miguel Fierro I Executive Director I I I t I t Techni.calgroup thatpreparedbasicinformationanddocuments I for theplan: I Agriculture and Watersheds: HolandoVicufia CoastalGeomorPhologY: H6ctorAy6n MangroveEcosYstems: AlejandroBodero I Mariculture: SegundoCoello Fisheries: BruceEpler MiguelFierro WaterSupplY,Wastewater I andSolidWasteDisPosal: Jos6Vdsconez DavidParra Tourism: ' SocialandEconomiclnformation: RdmuloJurado I institutional/ssues; WashingtonMacias Superuision: StephenOlsen I DonaldRobadue LuisArriaga Editingof FinalPlan: LuisArriaga I WashingtonMachs EnglishVersion Translation: M. lrisAllen DonaldRobadue I JenniferPereira Editing: ElizabethGibbs TonyCorey I Production: AnnetteBurgess I I I T I I I I I f Tableof Contents I I 1. EVOLUTION OF THE ZEM PROCESS I 1.1 Background r 1.2 Atacames-Sria-MuisneZEM r 1.3 PresentSituationof theUseandManagementof CoastalResources 1.4 Developmentof theZEM Processin Atacames-Sria-Muisne I r 2. COMPONENTSOF THE PLAN I 2.1 Objectivesof theManagementPlan I 2.2 Preconditionsfor Implementation t 2.3 StrategicConsiderations 2.4 Major ManagementIssues I 3. KEY ISSUESOF MANAGEMENT, POLICIES,AND PROJECTS I 3.1 Managementof theCoastline - 3.2 Managementof theNaturalResourceBasefor TouristDevelopment r 3.3 EnvironmentalSanitationandCoastalWaterQuality I 3.4 Managementof FisheryResources 3.5 Managementof Mariculture I 3.6 Managementof SmallWatersheds I 4. INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT I 4.1 PresentSituation 4.2 PrincipalFunctionsof theCRMP I 4.3 YearlyZEM Work Plan I 4.4 CommunityWorkPlans 4.5 Implementationof theManagementPlan T ANNEXES I List of Tasksfor theManagementplan I- 2 DescriptionandUseof theWatershedsin theZEM r 3 Participantsin theFormulationandApplicationof theplan I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I t I 1 EVOLUTION OF TIIE ZE,:]M t Chapter PROCESSIN ATACAMES- su,q,'-vturshlE I 1.1 Background TheCoastalResourceManagementProject b) Manabf,theBahia de Caraquez-San I (CRMP)wasestablishedby a TechnicalCoop- Vicentezone; erationAgreement,adoptedMarch3, 1986, I betweentheUnitedStatesAgencyfor Interna- c) Guayas,the Playas-Posorja-PuertoEl tionalDevelopment(USAID),theUniversityof Morro andtheSanPedro-Valdivia- RhodeIsland(URI), andtheGovernmentof Manglaralto zones; I Ecuador(GOE). Its primaryobjectivewasto providetechnicalassistanceto createand d) El Oro,the Machala-PuertoBolivar-Isla strengthena nationalcoastalresourcesmanage- Jambelfzone;and I mentprogram.TheCoastalResourcesCenterof URI (CRCruRDis responsiblefor implementa- e) Galdpagos,to bedeterminedby theNational tion. Commissionof CoastalResourceManage- I ment Thefirst phaseof theprojectled to a proposalin 1988to createa pennanentnationalcoastal DecreeNo.375stipulatedthateachZEM has:(a) I managementcommission,to establisha ranger an