The Cerrado-Pantanal Biodiversity Corridor in Brazil Pantanal Program Mônica Harris, Erika Guimarães, George Camargo, Cláudia Arcângelo, Elaine Pinto Cerrado Program Ricardo Machado, Mario Barroso, Cristiano Nogueira CI in Brazil • Active since 1988. • Two Hotspots: Atlantic Forest and Cerrado • Three Wilderness Areas: Amazon, Pantanal and Caatinga • Marine Program Cerrado overview • 2,000,000 km2 Savannah • approximately 4,400 of its 10,000 plant species occur nowhere else in the world • 75% loss of the original vegetation cover • Waters from the Cerrado drain into the lower Pantanal Pantanal overview • A 140,000 km2 central floodplain surrounded by a highland belt of Cerrado • Home for at least: – 3,500 species of plants –300fishes –652 birds –102 mammals – 177 reptiles – 40 amphibians • Largest wetland in the world, with extremely high densities of several large vertebrate species The Cerrado – Pantanal Biodiversity Corridor – The Beginning: • Priority Setting Workshop for the Cerrado and the Pantanal (1998) • Partnership:CI, Ministry for the Environment, Funatura, Biodiversitas and UnB. • Priority areas were identified for biodiversity conservation by 250 specialists TheThe ResultsResults:: Priority Areas for the Conservation of the Cerrado and Pantanal Corredores de Biodiversidade Cerrado / Pantanal CorridorsCorridors Chapada dos Guimarães betweenbetween # # thethe CerradoCerrado # Unidade de conservação Pantanal Matogrossense andand thethe Áreas prioritárias Taquaril Emas Rios # Corredores propostos PantanalPantanal Pantanal Rio Negro e Nhecolândia Bodoquena CI activities started in 2000 – First actions: • Definition of target: restore connectivity and maintain flood pulse • Opportunities: support the creation of 3 PA : – Taquari Headwater State park – Rio Negro State park Protected areas – Bodoquena National Pantanal park Definition of targets and opportunities and threat analysis Context Analysis Participatory Planning Implementation and Enforcement Monitoring & Evaluation CI Partners Corridor Planning Process Context Analysis: • Biological survey (which species and processes?) – Identification of key areas, protected areas management and implementation, maintenance of ecological processes (flood pulse) • Socio-economic survey (where?) – Human pressure characterization, design of future scenarios • Institutional planning (who?) – Identification of major stakeholders, definition of a strategy for local people/institution involvement • Biological survey (which species and processes?) – Carnivores survey Goiás Mato Grosso (pantanal) Camera traps Mato Grosso do Sul Carnivores survey results 30 Ocelot Pampas-cat 9 Skunk Tayra Otter Giant-otter Grison Jaguar Margay 27 8 8 8 25 Jaguarundi Puma 7 20 6 66 5 15 15 15 15 4 11 10 3 10 9 9 8 8 2 5 4 3 1 1 1 0 0 001 001 0 0 00000 Emas N. ENP-Surr. Taquarí Pantanal Emas N. ENP-Surr. Taquarí Pantanal Par k Riv er Par k Riv er • Similarity in species composition • Difference in abundance along the Corridor due to distinct ecoregions • Assist identification of priority areas to protect endangered species Human pressure characterization Institutional Planning Top-down phase Use data generated as a basis for participatory planning Partners: Municipalities NGOs: OIKOS and Oreades Context analysis - Generate data Partners: NGOs, Universities, Emvironmental Agencies Bottom-up phase Corridor’s municipalities Participatory planning and Implementation - Corridor’s municipalities •Why? •Efficient at site level responses to opportunities and threats •Guarantee sustainability of the process • Using the biodiversity corridor approach to support local municipalities planning –SignMoU – Id local leaderships – Building local capacity (training and equipment) – Construction of a GIS database – Use database for participatory planning – Support Agenda 21 Municipality Capacity Building offered to 180 actors • Training in the use of Global Information Systems (GIS) • Proposal writing • Environmental legislation and Forestry code • Environmental Education Methodologies • Communication tools (Corridor weekly radio program and Newspaper) Example of a thematic map produced in conjunction with the municipalities Another Example – Deforestation analysis Alcinópolis Area 440.556 ha 44.9% native vegetation remaining Deforestation of 136.557 ha between 1989 a 2002 11.380 ha per year or 31 ha a day CONVERSION MUNICIPALITY STATE OF NATURAL HABITATS % Chapadão do Céu GO 79 Mineiros GO 56 Portelândia GO 74 Santa Rita do Araguaia GO 62 Serranópolis GO 96 Alcinópolis MS 55 Aquidauana MS 59 Corguinho MS 72 Corumbá (10%) MS 60 Costa Rica MS 72 Coxim MS 60 Pedro Gomes MS 58 Rio Verde MS 61 Rio Negro MS 63 Sonora MS 56 Alto Araguaia MT 51 Alto Garças MT 57 Alto Taquari MT 79 Follow up actions: • Hold Participatory planning for each municipalitity • Support two actions: – the creation of protected areas – Recovery of gallery forests in the main rivers along the Corridor – partnership with local NGOs, Public Ministry and Municipalities. New Protected Areas Created: Alcinópolis: 6,162ha Costa Rica: 460ha Proposed for FY06: 5 new protected areas • 3 PA in Rio Verde •1 in Rio Negro •1 in Corguinho •1 in Pedro Gomes Recovery of Gallery Forest : •Recovery of 7,226ha surrounding Emas National Park Recovery of gallery forest – Rio Negro Municipality Difficulties: •Lack of commitment in some municipalities •Changes in Governmental staff in municipalities Lesson we learned: •Communicate clearly project goals! •Define clearly roles and responsabilities •Support the creation of networks! •Participatory planning is a great tool to engage all sectors and build consensus •Get down to work! Partnerships: Municipalities: Chapadão do Céu Mineiros Portelândia Santa Rita do Araguaia Serranópolis Alcinópolis Aquidauana Corguinho Corumbá Costa Rica Coxim Pedro Gomes Rio Verde Rio Negro Special Thanks to USAID! Sonora Alto Araguaia Thank you! Alto Garças Alto Taquari [email protected].