Tourism and Agriculture in the Buffer Zone, Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica
Case Study C0189
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| Date | October 2004 |
| Agency | GEF COMPACT Initiative |
| Donor/support agency | Cockrane Village Improvement Committee Laudat community Forestry and Parks Service DOMLEC power company Ministry of Tourism, Dominica Dominica Division for Agriculture Various local NGOs, cooperatives and community based organisations |
| Project type | Implemented by agency |
| Context(s) | Protected area |
| Geographic coverage | Dominica |
| Locality | Morne Trois Pitons National Park, south-central Dominica |
| Biodiversity focus | Ecosystem/landscape |
| Development focus | Communities living in the park buffer zone |
| Conservation goals | Preserve the biodiversity of Morne Trois Pitons National Park |
| Poverty reduction goals | Provide local residents with alternative sustainable livelihoods opportunities |
Summary
The area of Morne Trois Pitons National Park was first proposed as a forest reserve in 1952, designated a national park in 1975, and, finally, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997. The protected area is located 13 km east of the capital Roseau in the highlands of south-central Dominica. Covering a total area of 6,857 ha, the park includes the headwaters of most major streams and rivers in the southern half of the island, protects large tracts of almost intact tropical forest, and is important for imperial and red-necked Amazon parrots. Only a few small-holder farmers live near the park, which is characterised by limited road access. However, the area is used to produce hydroelectric power, an activity that is causing a range of environmental problems, like soil erosion and stream sedimentation. Other threats are posed to the park by the increasing number of tourists and of wild animals, a consequence of the complete ban on hunting in the park. Finally, a recent fall in the price of bananas and other crops on the international market has forced the populations living in the area surrounding the WH sites to look for alternative livelihoods.
In response to this situation, COMPACT* strategy in Dominica is to provide local residents with sustainable alternative livelihoods opportunities. Between 2001 and 2004 COMPACT approved various projects that fall into three main categories: (i) ecotourism; (ii) ecoagriculture; (iii) small-scale income generation activities based on resources from the park buffer zone. Most of these projects also included some conservation education components.
* In 1999, the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (SGP) joined efforts with the United Nations Foundation (UNF) to launch a partnership initiative entitled ‘Community Management of Protected Areas for Conservation’ (COMPACT). The goal of COMPACT is to demonstrate how community-based initiatives can significantly increase the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation in the co-management of globally significant protected areas by working to improve the livelihoods of local populations. COMPACT began in March 2000 and has been implemented at natural World Heritage sites in Belize (C0187), Dominica (C0189), Kenya (C0190), Mexico (C0188), Philippines (C0192) and Tanzania (C0191). (For more information on COMPACT see initiative n°36.)
Conservation impact
Some of the impacts of the project to date are:
- A heightened level of environmental awareness was achieved, both among local residents and among tourists
- A range of projects have supported a women's flower growers group that aims to preserve vulnerable and endangered plant species. The group also worked on the redevelopment of the ‘Morne Anglais trail’
Poverty reduction impact
Some of the impacts of the project to date are:
- Local residents have been trained as tour guides, thus generating new incomes
- Various projects have supported the production of agricultural products for the organic market, a valuable alternative source of income
- Overall, the projects implemented by COMPACT have resulted in increased interaction between the communities, and the development of stronger linkages and bonds in the buffer zone of the protected area
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Enabling local participation in policy-/decision- making processes
Provision of alternative livelihoods
Sustainable Use
Reference 1
http://www.undp.org/sgp/download/publications/Partnerships%20for%20conservation%20-%20web.pdf
More information
Alber Bellot
Tel: (767) 4480708
E-mail: albertb@unops.org
Related records above this one:
- Global Environment Facility (GEF) (Organisation O0026)
- COMPACT (Community Management of Protected Areas for Conservation) (Initiative I0036)