One of the world's most treasured ecosystems, Ecuador's Galápagos Islands, will benefit from a $10.4 million IDB loan to help protect threatened habitats and raise local living standards.
The new program will start up the management plan for the Galápagos Marine Reserve that was created to protect the 15-island archipelago. The program will be carried out by the Galápagos National Park Directorate, which administers 97 percent of the land area on the islands as well as the marine reserve. The program will also reduce threats from invasive species, strengthen environmental management and help municipalities to improve their sanitation facilities.
The new initiative grew out of an IDB-financed feasibility study and will complement other programs being financed by international organizations, private foundations and donor countries.
Participatory management. Past efforts to protect the Galápagos ecosystems have often met with determined resistance from fishermen who see regulations limiting fishing as a threat to their livelihood. The new program will reach out to local people, providing them with training and education and an opportunity to participate in management decisions. "The program's success will depend on building a shared vision of a community that is responsible for managing its resources," said IDB program team leader Eduardo Figueroa.
The IDB program will include a system of participatory management intended to reduce conflicts over resources and ensure sustainable protection of marine and coastal ecosystems. Local fishermen will be registered and monitored, and they will be offered training to help make the transition to activities that have less environmental impact.
The plan will also finance a maritime security and control system for detecting boats in the reserve area. The system will include installing radar and satellite positioning equipment and purchasing boats for patrols to enforce regulations and respond to emergencies at sea.
Management activities for the marine reserve also include environmental education and training for members of fishing cooperatives, shipbuilders' associations, tourism operations, and other grassroots organizations. Research and monitoring will establish a baseline for marine biodiversity and measure stresses on the ecosystems. The data will indicate noncompliance with the new law to limit migration.
A second major part of the IDB program will be the control of further entry and spread of exotic species, pests and diseases. Quarantine offices will be built and equipped.
The program will also provide training and consulting to strengthen the institutions responsible for management and protection of the islands. The islands' municipalities will receive assistance to improve their ability to deliver services and manage finances. As a result, the municipalities will have greater potential access to sources of financing such as the IDB and foreign governments.
A final program component will be the preparation of studies for improving potable water, sewage and wastewater disposal systems in the islands' population centers.
The total cost of the Galápagos program is estimated at $13 million. The local contribution of $2.6 million will come from the income generated from entrance fees paid by visitors to the Galápagos National Park.