| Starting
Date: |
April
1995 |
| Anticipated
End Date: |
February
1998 |
| Coordinator: |
Rocío
Córdoba
|
1. Geographic Area
The project is located in Costa Rica, where wetlands make up approximately
4% of national territory. The twenty wetlands identified possess
samples of the most common ecological units: herbaceous swamp, mangrove,
flood forest, palm forest and lakes/ponds. Total mangrove area in
the country is estimated at some 30,000 ha, along with 1,460 km
of coastline (1,248 km on the Pacific side and 212 km on the Caribbean
coast.)
Joint efforts by the Ministry of Environment
and Energy (Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía, MINAE),
IUCN and nongovernmental organizations in Costa Rica have led
to the identification of wetlands with international importance
and their inclusion in the Ramsar database. These include:
- Palo Verde National Park
- Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge
- Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge
2. Thematic Area
Development Objective:
 Establish
a national wetland conservation and management strategy, as the
foundation for clearly defining their role and management within
the context of Costa Rica's development
Specific Objectives:
- Mobilize the public opinion and concern
necessary for keeping wetlands from being degraded and for achieving
wise management of their resources
- Establish the appropriate instruments (scientific,
socioeconomic, legal and administrative) for sound planning
on wetlands use and management
- Strengthen and solidify the organizations
responsible for wetlands management and control in Costa Rica
- Promote participation by government and
private sectors and civil society in the preparation of local
or sub-regional strategies for wetlands-based sustainable development
Problem:
The central problem has been identified as "the loss and
degradation of these ecosystems due to the absence of effective
conservation and management of their resources."
The main causes of the problem are:
- Lack of awareness regarding the benefits provided by wetlands
- Absence of integrated and sustainable management of wetlands
resources
- Absence of integrated planning
Characteristics:
 To
achieve strategy objectives, past and present activities include
the following:
- An appraisal and an inventory have been made of the country's
principal wetland areas
- Incorporation of personnel from the Conservation Areas in
the Strategy process, through visits to the field and their
participation in various consultative workshops
- Compilation of legal information on wetlands, as well as the
preparation of various documents
- Training
Target group:
Due to the character of the national strategy, the project is directed
at a broad range of groups:
- Government institutions involved in conservation
and management of wetlands and their neighboring zones
- Human populations that live in wetlands
or make use of the goods and services they generate
- Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
involved in the conservation and development of Costa Rican
wetlands and neighboring zones
- Legislators in charge of implementing
laws on the management of these ecosystems and associated
resources
- The people of Costa Rica
- Countries in the region
Products:
Some of the finished products/outcomes thus far are:
- Workshop reports
- Manual on legal aspects of wetlands management in Costa
Rica
- Map of Costa Rican wetlands and a database for these ecosystems
- Database of specialists and institutions related to wetlands
and coastal zones in Costa Rica
- Database on the appraisal and inventory process carried
out for the major wetlands
- Formation of an inter-institutional group of specialists
that periodically collaborates on a volunteer basis with respect
to the search for and strengthening of wetlands conservation
and management
- The proposal, "Training of managers and decision makers
in conservation and management of wetlands"
- Initial incorporation of Conservation Area personnel in
the Strategy process
Activities are also planned with respect to
legal aspects, training and sub-regional strategies in order to
facilitate sustainable wetlands management in the country.
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