Organisation Country Products
Best Practice
Ecological Group Sierra Gorda Mexico Community environmental education, conservation and reforestation, productive development and eco-tourism and ecosystemic products for the voluntary carbon market Consolidating an economy of conservation
progreso
network
connecting producer organizations
Development path and achievements; Grupo Ecol贸gico Sierra Gorda, IAP (GESGIAP) 1987-2010
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RESUMEN
Country: Mexico Organisation: Ecological Group Sierra Gorda Best Practice: Consolidating an economy of conservation Products: Community environmental education, conservation
and reforestation, productive
development and eco-tourism and ecosystemic products for the voluntary carbon market
The reality of Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda, IAP The GESGIAP was founded in 1987 by local citizens from the Sierra Gorda, a mountainous region situated in the state of Querétaro, Mexico. It is one of the most ecologically diverse regions of Mexico and at the same time has high levels of poverty amongst its population. The organisation has demonstrated that a project for the conservation and protection of biodiversity and sustainable development becomes successful when it is based on a social strategy that involves the community, has clear and measurable objectives, and is supported by an alliance between the government and private sectors. When GESGIAP initiated its work, the Sierra Gorda was facing numerous threats common to areas of high biodiversity in Mexico and Latin America, such as extensive cattle ranching, inefficient agricultural practices, forest fires, inadequate forest management, contamination, solid waste and public works that did not take into consideration the environmental regulations, all joined together with the lack of knowledge and extreme poverty of its inhabitants. The Serranos (people from the Sierra Gorda) count around 95.000 people that depend on traditional activities of sustenance, such as farming and forest extraction. This is due to the lack of viable productive options and because of the migration to the US and the major Mexican cities.
How it all started When the movement started, there were only a handful of volunteers in a totally forgotten rural environment. As in other areas of the country, no regulations existed for the management of the area and its resources. GESGIAP obtained the support of the inhabitants of the area and together they created the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve (recognised by UNESCO). In 2001, it became the first Mexican NGO to obtain the approval of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), for the realization of a full-size project entitled “Conservation of the Biodiversity in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve”, in close collaboration with UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and the National Committee for Protected Natural Areas. The above named project included a $6.7 million US dollar leverage fund and as a result of orienting the public and private inversion, they generated the sum of $41,658,505 million US dollar. Herewith establishing a new paradigm with 167 activities oriented at sustainability in situ, for the co-management of a protected natural area of 383,567 hectares, as a citizens’ initiative based on an “economy of conservation”.
On the way! Now, GESGIAP and three sister organisations, together with the the board of directors of the Reserve, dependant on the federal government, form part of the Alliance for the Conservation of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, with defined objectives for the implementation of the project.
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Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda. - México
What was achieved The work that has been done since 1987 has contributed greatly to the progress and concrete actions for the core areas, such as: • Reduction of more than 24.9% in the fragmentation of the vegetation around the core protected areas. • The recovery of 51,041 hectares of forest and protection of the wildlife. All this due to innovative programs such as: paying for environmental services, the selling of ecosystemic services, the renting and buying of land for conservation. • The succesfull implementation of selling carbon sequestration through reforestation in the voluntary market (up until now 73 owners have sold 28,800 tons). • 105 community centres for the gathering and recycling of waste in 115 communities and an increase of 175% in the recycling of materials. • 92.4% of the residents interviewed have stated that the activities have contributed to the rescue of the Sierra Gorda. • An increment in income through environmental friendly activities (more than $510,149 million US dollar). • An increase in the number of communities and individuals that benefit from the sustainable productive activities: in 2007, 150 communities with 5,037 direct beneficiaries and 32,222 indirect beneficiaries. • An increase in the public investments oriented at sustainable development and conservation (more than $9.5 million USD in 2005, and more than a 767% increase since the year 2000). • The setting up of “El Centro Tierra Sierra Gorda”, a learning centre for sustainable practices proven in the field, to reproduce the results from the lessons learned and applied strategies.
The economy of conser vation Since 2003, we have started off with resources from different sources (National Forestal Committe, GEF, Gonzalo Río Arronte Foundation) to pay for the hydrological environmental services and for biodiversity in more than 25,000 hectares of privately owned forests and jungles. This has led to an annual overflow of around $ 500,000 USD and has clearly contributed to the reduction of forestal fragmentation (reduced by 24%). It has greatly increased both the forestal coverage (13,000 hectares recovered from 1996 until today) and the financial income of the owners, laying the foundation for an economy of conservation.
Reforestations and the voluntary carbon market We are opening new doors and possibilities of conservation by commercializing the ecosystemic services of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve. We have been especially successful in the voluntary carbon market, with nine international sales up until now and several in waiting. For further development we have our network of contacts. Now the rural owners that over the last years have reforested part of their properties with native species (in formerly degraded land), will have an extra income generated from the selling of carbon that the young trees are capturing from the atmosphere.
Natural Infrastructure and the treasure it represents In the search for solutions to match conservation and economical development, we have taken it upon ourselves to valorate the economy of the ecosystemic services that the principle ecosystems of the reserve offers. To give an example, the carbon that the principle types of vegetation of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve contain, sums up to 124,065,851 tons. At a price of $15 US dollars per ton, this amounts to the high figure of $ 1,142,205,930 billion US dollars. This means that communities in extreme poverty are owners of an immensely important global capital in stored carbon alone, which is worth more than the land and wood itself. By building bridges between local owners and investors an economy can be created that compensates and valorates by conserving the natural infrastructure and by supplanting the poor traditional activities with a high environmental impact with activities that conserve and protect the environment.
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Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda. - México
Useful Lessons GESGIAP has shown that a transparent and clear management of the activities and resources generates an atmosphere of trust that is vital for the social interactions that, together with a visionary direction, generate a complete project. To conclude, we can say that the lessons learnt, necessary for a consolidation of an Economy of Conservation, are based on:
Education
as a basis for social and environmental changes, generating a human capital with local
experiences and practices.
The co-management of a protected area by civil society and federal government,that permits not only a normative conservation but creates a reality based on origin and local sustenance.
The unity of civil scoiety totally dedicated in resolving the problems that can arise. Development and implementation of effective and innovative strategies for the diversification of the local economy, joining insititutions, foundations and individuals , taking as a starting point the initiatives that include local knowledge of the real necessities.
Obtaining the participation and consensus of the communities in order to solve local problems and to establish clear objectives and communal strategies for long term actions. Seeking the support of the three main sectors: civil society, government and private initiative, in order to achieve cooperation in accordance with the premises established by local consensus.
Form alliances with higher educational institutions that contribute greatly
to the results and scientific
evidence that have helped to create the foundation which has permitted us to economically appreciate the environmental services delivered by the natural infrastructure.
The organisation’s
immaculate path has earned it a series of international awards that have facilitated the
formation of alliances and the obtaining of funds.
The number of people who benefit from an economy of conservation is growing, not only because new doors are being opened, but also because more and more people are realizing that the new options that have been implemented are a reality that has greatly improved their quality of life.
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Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda. - México