South America: Bolivia Brazil Colombia Ecuador - Conserving Biodiversity in Ecuador's Protected Areas Ecuador - Galapagos Island Equipment Support Peru Return to 'Where We Work' Page Bolivia - Completed CITES training for Bolivian agencies: DOI-ITAP coordinated with USAID/Bolivia to provide CITES training to thirty representatives from relevant Bolivian agencies, including the scientific authority, immigration, national police and Interpol. The 1972 CITES convention addresses threats to plant and animal species where international trade in products from such species is a major factor in their decline. By regulating or prohibiting the trade in these products, CITES provides a powerful tool for species protection. Since the successful training, a committee made up of the armed forces, police and customs was started to properly handle biodiversity issues, with a special emphasis on wildlife. Funding: USAID/Global Bureau For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Brazil - Completed Partner Parks: A Partner Parks relationship was established in October 1997 as a result of the U.S.-Brazil Presidential summit between Everglades National Park and Brazil's Pantanal National Park. Through this relationship, which was facilitated by DOI-ITAP, officials from both parks visited each other and discussed issues related to park management, law enforcement, public affairs and outreach. The visitors to the Everglades returned to Brazil with a prototype visitor information brochure produced in partnership with Everglades public affairs staff. Funding: USAID/Global Bureau & USAID/Brazil For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Colombia - Active Improving the Management of Colombia’s National Parks: Colombia’s extraordinary national parks system encompasses some of the world’s most biologically diverse tropical forests. The U.S. Congress has noted that these protected areas are among Colombia’s greatest natural resources and that they represent a huge potential source of income via eco-tourism. As such, the U.S. Congress slated $3,500,000 for USAID/Colombia to devote to training, equipment, and other assistance to enhance the Colombian national parks. In October 1998, the U.S. Department of the Interior signed a Framework for Cooperation with the Colombian Ministry of the Environment, which was approved by the U.S. State Department. It remains operational and outlines a variety of cooperative activities, but is subject to the availability of funds and the personnel of each party. At the request of USAID/Colombia, DOI-ITAP and the Colombian National Parks Unit (CNPU) are collaborating to improve the overall management of the Colombian National Park system. DOI-ITAP and CNPU are working to meet identified needs at the headquarters, regional, and park levels. Identified needs include: equipment purchase and delivery; infrastructure design, planning and construction; increased staffing in protected areas; and staff training. Funding: USAID/Colombia For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Ecuador - Active Conserving Biodiversity in Ecuador’s Protected Areas: DOI-ITAP is providing technical assistance to help the USAID/Ecuador Mission accomplish Strategic Objective 1: Biodiversity conserved in selected protected areas and their buffer zones. DOI is providing technical assistance to The Nature Conservancy and its partners – Fundación Antisana and Fundación Ecologica Rumicocha – on key components of The Nature Conservancy’s Project Bioreserva del Condor in five of Ecuador’s high Andean protected areas: Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve, Antisana Ecological Reserve, Cotopaxi National Park, Sumaco Galeras National Park and the Cotocachi Cayapas buffer zone. DOI is also providing technical assistance to CARE and its partners – Ecociencia and Jatun Sacha – on the SUBIR project and the Southern Border Development Program, and to Charles Darwin Foundation and Galapagos National Park in support of conservation in the Galapagos Islands. Assistance activities include: natural resource monitoring, invasive species management, oil spill planning and response, protected area management, marine law enforcement, visitor center development, environmental education and interpretation. Funding: USAID/Ecuador For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Ecuador - Completed Galápagos Island Equipment Support: Conservation of Galápagos National Park remains a major challenge. Conflicts in recent years between fishermen and local conservation authorities have led to fierce rhetoric and violent action, and pressures from powerful stakeholder groups can dominate decision-making at the expense of conservation and responsible resource management. DOI-ITAP signed an Interagency Agreement with USAID/Ecuador to provide technical support for enforcement activities to Galápagos National Park. After completing a law enforcement needs assessment, DOI-ITAP procured a Seawolf amphibious plane (single engine, boat hulled) to support Galápagos law enforcement. Park staff was trained on its operation and maintenance. The Guadalupe River, an existing aluminum vessel used for many law enforcement and other purposes by the park staff, was also repaired and retrofitted through a contract facilitated by DOI-ITAP. Funding: USAID/Ecuador For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Peru - Active Economics of Protected Area Management: With its coastal deserts, high Andes, and Amazonian forests, Peru is one of the world’s most environmentally diverse nations. Because the habitats are so diverse, the number of floral and faunal species found in Peru is very high. For example, there are 25,000 species of flora in Peru --10% of the global total. Peru has an impressive array of fish life (2,000 species), is second in the world for bird life (1,760 species), third for amphibians (315 species) and fourth for mammals (460 species). Peru contains 56 protected areas that total 12.7 percent of the land base for the country, over 40 million acres. Peru’s Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales (INRENA) is directed to manage Peru’s system of protected areas under the Protected Natural Areas Law (No. 26834) of 1997. Because of limited funding and other problems, INRENA lacks many of the institutional capabilities to accomplish its mandate. DOI-ITAP is providing technical assistance to support INRENA in its protected area management efforts, particularly with regard to making the case for an increased budget for INRENA, and generating increased revenue for the protected area system. Funding: USAID/Peru For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Return to Top