<p> A “guiding thread” case study: CSFI BELIZE</p><p>Ecosystem Management, Switzerland, October 2016</p><p>THE CONTEXT</p><p>The Belize project led by what is today CSFI - Corozal Sustainable Future Initiative - is a conservation initiative that started in 1989 with 88 km2 in Shipstern, and evolved to a network of 235 km2 of PAs in north-east Belize. It encompasses high conservation value lowland forests, mangroves and even a stretch of coral reef - Bacalar Chico. </p><p>Only accessible by sea until the late 1970’s, the area was still teaming with wildlife when Shipstern was created. Thanks to continuous protection, all species present then are still abundant. All five cat species of Belize live in Shipstern.</p><p>All over Yucatan, deforestation is major trend. Led by agriculture conversion and the development of infrastructures (including tourism), it threatens the unique ecosystems of this region. Despite the situation being much better in Belize, deforestation is also picking up fast. It has reached alarming rates in the past few years, mostly in the lowland and/or coastal areas, precisely where CSFI is established.</p><p>The core areas of CSFI activities involve Conservation, Tourism and Education, and the development of a new agroforestry economy. But the rapid changes that seem to happen all around the conservation areas are seen as threats to their sustainability. In addition, the complexity of the system –with long causal chains linking processes from the lowlands to the marine ecosystems, further compounds the management of the system. In view of all this, CSFI has designed a strategy to establish a network of corridors and protected areas linking the different components of CSFI conservation network. </p><p>YOUR TASK</p><p>You are teams of academics and experts reputed for your expertise in Companion Modelling processes. You have been invited by CSFI to explore the opportunity of launching a participatory modelling process alongside the formal discussions currently being held at a higher level regarding the outcome of the establishment of corridors between the three protected areas. </p><p>The very broad question: “What is the Future of Conservation for North-East Belize” is open ended, and there many issues that would warrant closer attention. You are expected to narrow it down by focusing on more specific territorial governance issues that still result from the intersection of many socio-environmental processes, but allow you to become familiar with building a COMMOD process from scratch, and to produce a first version of a Role Playing Game.</p>