Sustainable development of natural resources in the bufferzone of Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica
The Tortuguero region in Costa Rica belongs to one of the poorer parts of the country. It is characterized by little stability of the people mainly caused by lack of land tenure and the presence of big banana companies, which has bought a lot of land for plantations. The tendency is a change from independent farmers to salary dependent workers (IUCN 1992). Despite of this situation many locals has expressed their interest in participating in projects for sustainable development. The objective of the programe is to promote activities that 1) maintains and increase forest cover and 2) improve the rational use of the natural resources. Through these activities contribute to improve life quality of the people (Nepenthes & Neotrópica 1993). A basic principle is that the objectives has to be reached based on the interests, and experiences existing in the region. These are then to be developed improved by the technical assistance given by the project. Wood extraction in the Tortuguero region is done by people outside the region leaving little earning by the local forest owners. Local work up of raw materials contributes to secure a more social and ecological sustainable use of the natural resources. Furthermore it leaves the value added by the local level. A main effort of the project is be the means of forest management plans and plans for local industries together with the local people to create integrated production systems that is socially and economically viable and thereby give the forest a value that makes it worth conserve and manage. Another strategy to diminish the pressure on the forest is to encourage home gardens and silvopastoral systems. Forest and wildlife is disappearing rapidly outside the protected areas. Therefore to emphasize the forest as a potential source for new ways to get an income, to improve the general interest in preserving the natural environment and to diminish illegal hunting. The project focus on use of local biodiversity. We have established management of Tepezcuintle (Aguti paca) in captivity. And are establishing a nursery with caimans (Caiman crocodilus ssp. fuscus). It is the hope that with better defined land tenure that the animals can be managed in the forest. To take advantage of the still greater interest, in the world for ecotourism. The local groups interested in developing some kind of tourism related enterprises are given training and technical assistance on three main subjects: promotion of the present facilities in the area, service required by national and foreign tourists, and the ecological impact of tourism and how to minimize it. Project activities are seeked planned with social, economic and ecological sustainability as requirements. As the social and economic sustainability mostly are reported by the involved people, the ecological sustainability has to be evaluated by the project. Therefore a small-scale monitoring of the ecological impact of the activities is set up.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Published: |
San José (Costa Rica)
1994
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| Subjects: | RECURSOS NATURALES, ZONAS DE AMORTIGUAMIENTO, SOSTENIBILIDAD, CONSERVACION DE LOS RECURSOS, PARQUES NACIONALES, PARQUE NACIONAL TORTUGUERO, COSTA RICA, |
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