The Ministry of Environment announced that the country now has its first map of ecological conservation areas. The map is the result of the initiative “Mapping Nature for People and the Planet” implemented with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The mapping has produced three tools that will serve to strengthen territorial and sectoral planning:
The map of Essential Life Support Areas (ELSA) developed in 2021
The access and administration of the UN Biodiversity Lab platform
The capacity to develop other ELSA maps focused on different national or subnational priorities
During the presentation, Federico Franco, Deputy Minister for Protected Areas and Biodiversity, said the ELSA maps are very useful for conservation planning and sustainable use of biodiversity.
María Eugenia Morales, UNDP environment and sustainability program officer, explained: “The map of Essential Life Support Areas (ELSA) that we have presented has been developed by combining geospatial data that express national priorities related to biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development. It is a tool that, we hope, will contribute to guide in the territory the implementation of policies necessary to articulate the conservation of natural capital, improve the conditions of the people who use these resources to live and promote sustainable development on the ground.”
The activity was led by Marina Hernández, Project Coordinator, and presentations were given by Mariana Pérez, director of Environmental Information, and Solahanlle Bonilla, director of Planning of the Ministry of the Environment.
The data generated is intended to support projects to increase the forest cover, protect biodiversity, restore ecosystems, foster sustainable agriculture, soil conservation, mitigate the impacts of climate change, territorial planning, and help the country advance in the fulfillment of international commitments to sustainable development.
The project is supported by the National Geographic Society, the University of Northern British Columbia, the Global Environment Facility, The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and The Sustainable Markets Foundation.
Read more in Spanish:
31 March 2022