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Implementation of National Forests: Solving Land Tenure Problems, Avoiding Forest Degradation

Geographical location:

Latin America/Caribbean > South America > Brazil

Latin America/Caribbean > South America > Brazil > Pará > Rio Tapajós

Summary

The project seeks to support measures to reduce deforestation in Brazil, in particular through the reduction of illegal logging and timber collection.

Deforestation is a major cause for concern in Brazil, leading to greenhouse gas emissions, the destruction of biodiversity and threats to species, as well as serious economic impacts on the government and population of the country.

WWF will aim to provide support to the Brazilian government and other NGOs to effectively manage forests and undertake research on the commercial timber process in the country.

Background

Brazilian society is not equipped with enough information to demand drastic measures from the Brazilian government to ensure the conservation of precious forest resources. The only reliable data available simply indicates the disastrous year on year rates of deforestation.

Similarly, the government itself does not have access to reliable data about the extent of the problem caused by illegal activities in the forest sector. Moreover, it does not have an accurate measure of how much is lost in terms of taxes and jobs due to illegal activity in the forestry sector.

In order to change this situation, Brazilian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have developed a series of studies in which they have already shown that the greatest consumption of raw timber occurs in the states in the South and Southwest regions of Brazil. Furthermore, the sector which consumes most wood products is the construction sector, often financed by the government.

It is now important to focus on quantifying the illegal activities in the timber chain to show how much Brazil is losing in taxes, jobs and biodiversity by not adopting an efficient forest management system.

A further problem is the lack of definition of local land tenure and the consequent deforestation which takes place as a result of the illegal occupation of public land. WWF believes that one of the quickest alternatives for achieving the definition of land tenure in some of the areas of conflict is the creation of conservation areas for direct use as national forests.

This makes the establishment of land tenure possible, while at the same time providing an economic development alternative for the region including forest management. Through the development of national forest, land tenure can be established and regulated, and local development and sustainable production of wood are achievable. In consultation with the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Natural Renewable Resources (IBAMA), the national forest of Altamira with an area of 689,000ha in Para state has been selected for this work.

Objectives

1) Support IBAMA in the development of the management plan for the Altamira national forest.

2) Develop a study on Brazil's commercial timber chain from extraction to initial processing.

Solution

WWF believes that by showing the extent of the problem and the measures that can be adopted to minimize them, partners are able to work together to build coherent public policies with options for the Brazilian forest sector. From this, it could be possible to work towards acceptance of the European Union (EU) Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) instruments within the Brazilian government.

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Latin America/Caribbean > South America > Brazil Latin America/Caribbean > South America > Brazil > Pará > Rio Tapajós The project seeks to support measures to reduce deforestation in Brazil, in particular through the reduction of illegal logging and timber collection.

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ARPA - shows how successful the programme has been 

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ARPA - shows how successful the programme has been 

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https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/summer-2014/articles/the-amazon-region-protected-areas-program-is-the-single-largest-tropical-forest-conservation-program-in-history

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Samasati Nature Retreat - ecotourism - 'ecopolicies'

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Samasati Nature Retreat - ecotourism - 'ecopolicies'

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EcoTourism Home > Eco Tours > Costa rica > Samasati-nature-retreat

Samasati is truly a one-of-a-kind hotel in Costa Rica. Nestled in 250 acres of virgin forest overlooking the ocean, the retreat is based on high standards of sustainable living, and is the perfect (and romantic!) getaway for nature lovers, adventure fans, yoga practitioners and groups.

Samasati Nature Retreat is built on the South Caribbean Region of Costa Rica, in the Talamanca Region in the Province of Limon. The area where Samasati is built is 270 acres of virgin forest declared biological private reserve.

Inspired by the exotic tropical forest overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Samasati is a retreat that offers a total escape. The secluded site, high in the hills, offers the chance to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy the beauty of luxuriant natural surroundings.

Costa Rican laws for the protection and regulation of the wildlife refuges, national parks, forest and biological reserves, and even private natural reserves, all of which contain 25% of the total area of Costa Rica have been very strict since the National Park system was established in 1960's. Hence, the construction in or around and the use of these areas is similarly strict and in some areas totally banned for construction. The project to build a hotel immersed in a private biological reserve took a lot of planning and constant interactions with the governmental ministry that sternly protects fauna and flora in Costa Rica, which is the MINAE (Ministry of Environment and Energy).

Samasati is a place where ecological awareness has been translated into beauty and sustainability. Samasati lives in balance with nature, sensitive to its cycles and its timing. It is a place where the respect of indigenous cultures and the cooperation with the local community spring from sincere interest and appreciation of human diversity, efforts and evolution.

After long planning, re-designing, and a lot of hard work from the owners Massimo Monti, Billy Gonzalez, Chiara and Silvia Zani, and everybody else involved in the construction of this 100% sustainable tourism complying hotel it was finally open for business in October 1997. Under the owners supervision and collaboration, 52 local employees worked together for 6 months to build this beautiful exemplary hotel.No heavy machinery was used to build a perfect environmentally safe hotel inside a private biological reserve.

The final product resulted in a hotel that occupies, 11% of the total area, less than the allowed 40% for construction that the government grants, built with environmentally safe materials, and using the local architectural style of the Afro-Caribbean.

Samasati Nature Retreat has 20 rooms ranging from cozy standard to spacey cottages; this Nature Retreat offers comfort, luxury, and closeness to the Caribbean rainforest to meet different budgets. It has a unique vegetarian restaurant that merges beautifully with the rainforest and the food is just exquisite combining the flavors of international vegetarian plates with special touches of the local Caribbean cuisine.

This very unique Costa Rica Nature Retreat offers massages and different SPA treatments as well as daily yoga and stretching classes, adapt to all levels. There are also numerous exciting excursions available to all ages and to different tastes.

You can choose from snorkeling on the Caribbean coral reefs of Cahuita National Park, flying in between the tree tops on zipping lines in an unforgettable Canopy tour, hiking to a waterfall, sea and river kayaking in one of the best South Caribbean beaches (Grape point), visit a local shaman among many other activities.

Samasati Nature Retreat also has a gift shop where you can find nice and unique local crafts.

Eco Policies
Sustainable Architecture
The whole structure of the hotel is built with treated wood bought in the Northern Zone of Costa Rica from reforestation plants. The style of each bungalow is built so that there is a maximization of the ventilation, isolation from the heat, protection from the humid climate, and enhancement of the natural elements of the rainforest such as view, sounds, and breeze.

The layout of the bungalows, the reception, the restaurant as well as the yoga/conference room was established accordingly with the oldest trees from the rainforest, as the MINAE's building regulation instructs. Each and every of these trees were left untouched so that the buildings were designed to fit within the spaces between each tree.

The extensive use of open structures and open windows with screens are used to maximize the ventilation. The shape of the roofs and the materials provide isolation in each bungalow, all of which minimize considerably the need for electrical appliances to cool them inside. The rest of the electrical appliances inside of the bungalows are also minimized so that there is enough comfort inside of them provided by the appliances, without these producing an undesirable level of noise that could disturb the natural surroundings.

All of the buildings at Samasati Nature retreat s hotel are built on stilts. This feature is multifunctional serving as an enhancer of the ventilation and the view of the rainforest; it also helps to keep away the humidity from the structures and to avoid interrupting in any way the natural drainage patterns of the pluvial water of the land.

The colors used for the buildings have also been carefully picked as to avoid disrupting the natural scenery in any way.
Conservation of the Natural Surroundings of the Hotel
The entire hotel is embraced by the rainforest. Grooming of plants and trees is only made when these start to intrude into the walkways or buildings. The rest of the rainforest has been totally left untouched. Absolutely no exotic species of fauna or flora have been introduced into the rainforest to avoid alterations to the ecosystem. The gardens of the hotel consist of the natural gardens that have been rampantly created by the rainforest.

The extraction of any species of plants, animals, or any other natural element from the rainforest is banned.

The water that supplies Samasati Nature Retreat comes from the property's sweet water springs. A dam was built on one of the five streams in the property. A generator was the only power's source until electricity was installed in 1997 (in the nearby village of Puerto Viejo electricity was installed only 8 years earlier). Hiking trails were opened in the forest, and later an entrance office was built (the retreat buildings are located one mile uphill from the entrance) as well as a second yoga studio and a large Jacuzzi overlooking the ocean.
Environmental Management
The owners of Samasati Nature Retreat hotel have worked with ecotourism most of their lives. Their experience along with their strong values about the preservation of nature have made them important advocates of the protection of the environment and has given them knowledge on how to maintain a safe and healthy natural environment while establishing an eco-tourist destination in the Costa Rican Caribbean. Samasati Nature Retreat has a strong policy regarding pollution of any kind in or outside the biological refuge. Inside the hotel biodegradable soap, detergents, shampoo, and conditioner are the only type allowed within any area of the hotel. No chemical fertilizers or weed killers are allowed within any range of the hotel. Garbage is separated into organic matter, recyclable, reusable, and non recyclable or reusable. Each is properly collect and disposed.

A special custom made sewage treatment system was designed by a sanitation engineer for the hotel. And a strict control of the treatment of the residual water is kept by the hotel and monitored by a sanitation engineer periodically.

A 50,000 liters tank has been built to collect rainy waters from the roofs, to be re-used for bathrooms and showers.
Promoting Sustainable Community Development
The owners of Samasati Nature Retreats have always been interested in the well being and development of the community surrounding the hotel, and so the involvement with the community has been strong. Samasati Nature Retreat personell comes 100% from the local village of Hone Creek

Samasati Nature Retreat has made a lot of efforts to provide proper training to the local personnel, organizing waiting, cooking, and other hotel management courses. The entire personnel have been trained to be proficient at all the positions in order for them to be able to rotate when needed; increasing in this way the curriculum, and therefore the development, of a lot of people of the Hone Creek community.

Samasati Nature Retreat owners have also been involved, along with other tourism representatives of the area and hotel managers, in the establishment of a Tourism Association for the entire area.

Currently Samasati Nature Retreat is part of the Rain Forest Alliance and of the Red de Reservas Naturales, International and National networks between Sustainable and Ecological businesses and projects. Over the years they have been working with the school of the community organizing activities with the children to learn about preserving and developing their environment. It constantly supports the local clinic and personell.

Samasati Nature retreat owners have also been pioneers in the national and international promotion of the Costa Rican Caribbean as an eco-tourist and well being destination.
Promotion of Sustainable Tourism to Samasati Nature Retreat Guests
Samasati Nature Retreat is an eco-friendly hotel that not only presently protects the environment around it, but it also promotes an alternative way of life and a way of construction that is comfortable, energy efficient, safe, and aesthetically in harmony with the environment. At Samasati Nature Retreat we do our best to permeate our guests with the environmental conscience needed in this era where so much destruction is made to our magnificent and unique planet. During their stay our guests are in close contact with local people and they can appreciate their hard work and their effort in making Samasati an example in the eco-tourist industry.
By showing our guest all the wonders of nature and providing them with the close encounter with the rainforest and with the local population, we expect to be training them to be future active advocates of the protection of nature and support of a sustainable model of living.

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Samasati Nature Retreat, Eco Hotel in Costa Rica

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EcoTourism Home > Eco Tours > Costa rica > Samasati-nature-retreat Samasati is truly a one-of-a-kind hotel in Costa Rica. Nestled in 250 acres of virgin forest overlooking the ocean, the retreat is based on high standards of sustainable living, and is the perfect (and romantic!) getaway for nature lovers, adventure fans, yoga practitioners and groups.

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Introduction

In the competition for resources, humans are the number one competitor. We have developed a culture including communication and technology which gives us an advantage over all other life forms. However, this advantage has led to imbalances in the environment and an unsustainable way of life.

In order to address this imbalance, humans have to find ways to live which are sustainable; that is, in ways that we do not use up all the resources which we and all other life forms need now and in the future. One of the ways we can do this is through making our activities more ecologically sustainable.

Tourism in Ecuador

Ecuador is like many countries around the world; its economy relies on industries such as mining, logging, fishing and mass tourism, and like many other countries, these industries are having a significant negative impact on the environment and also on the indigenous people of Ecuador who rely on the natural environment much more than people who live modern lifestyles.

Ecuador is famous for its pristine natural landscapes and diverse ecosystems and tourism has been popular for a long time in Ecuador however in recent times the government has made a special effort to change from mass tourism to ecotourism (3). One form of ecotourism which has been successful is indigenous ecotourism, and an excellent example of this is the Rio Blanco development.

Rio Blanco (White River) runs through El Cajas National Park and is a vital source of water for the people of Cuenca and the rest of Azuay in Ecuador. When a major Chinese mining project was approved by the government it seemed that another pristine natural landscape would disappear along with the local indigenous community. However, the indigenous people protested and won a court case to stop the mine (2).

In contrast, the Quichua community in the same area is a long-term sustainable project which is focused on not only saving the natural environment but also providing an economically and environmentally sustainable lifestyle to local indigenous people.

The indigenous people of Río Blanco used to rely on subsistence agriculture and hunting but over the last 30 years this has changed to crops such as coffee, cacao, rice and maize. This has changed the ecosystem of the area as a lot of the tropical rainforest has been cut down to grow these crops. The population has also been growing in the area increasing the problem. This is why the Quichua community " developed an ecotourism project as an alternative economic activity which may protect the forest rather than clear it " (1).

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Tourists visiting Río Blanco range from small groups of independent tourists to students and teachers in groups of ten or twenty who are part of a tour run by a nearby biological field station.

Conclusion

If human culture is the problem but it can also be the solution. Culture needs to change to more conservationist and to encourage and support indigenous culture which is ecological sustainable. The Rio Blanco project shows that indigenous ecotourism can also be profitable which is an important thing for a culture to be adopted by more people and supported by governments.

Bibliography

1. Indigenous Ecotourism and Sustainable Development:
The Case of Río Blanco, Ecuador

2. When the impossible happens: historic sentence upholds prior consultation in Ecuador's Rio Blanco case

3. Tourism and Sustainability in Ecuador

4. The International Ecotourism Society

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In the competition for resources, humans are the number one competitor. We have developed a culture including communication and technology which gives us an advantage over all other life forms. However, this advantage has led to imbalances in the environment and an unsustainable way of life.

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Improved Agricultural practices in the Amazon

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Improved Agricultural practices in the Amazon

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http://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/can-improving-farming-productivity-save-the-rainforest

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http://permaculturenews.org/2013/10/15/regaining-sustainable-agriculture-practices-amazon-peru/

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Region_Protected_Areas_Program

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https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/vision_amazon/models/amazon_protected_areas/

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Deadwood biomass, an underestimated carbon stock in degraded tropical forests

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Deadwood biomass, an underestimated carbon stock in degraded tropical forests

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Deadwood biomass, an underestimated carbon stock in degraded tropical forests

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On The Hydrological Cycle of the Amazon Basin, A Historical Review and Current State by Jose Antonio Marengo

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On The Hydrological Cycle of the Amazon Basin, A Historical Review and Current State by Jose Antonio Marengo

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in 2005, a single storm destroyed half a billion trees in the Amazon and trees are essential for carbon and water flows and stores.

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https://www.onthegotours.com/blog/2012/11/top-10-facts-about-the-amazon-rainforest/

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Amazonia revealed, forest degradation and loss of ecosystem goods and services in the Amazon Basin pdf.

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Amazonia revealed, forest degradation and loss of ecosystem goods and services in the Amazon Basin pdf.

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Amnazonia revealed, forest degradation and loss of ecosystem goods and services in the Amazon Basin pdf.

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http://www.rainforestconservation.org/rainforest-primer/rainforest-primer-table-of-contents/h-rainforest-role-in-the-carbon-cycle/

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Case study from the specification: A case study of one ecosystem: processes, benefits for people, impact of human activity and management. The Amazon Rainforest - an example of a large scale...

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Amazonian soil contains from four to nine kilograms of carbon in the upper 50cm of the soil layer

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https://www.reference.com/science/orographic-rainfall-9fa07b65389cb606

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When forests are burned, almost 30%-60% of the carbon is lost to the atmosphere

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http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1004.htm

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http://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/deforestation-facts-and-statistics

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http://kids.mongabay.com/elementary/404.html

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http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/