Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in the Andes Region

Project would support the implementation of the National Biodiversity Plan and assist in application of its key strategies (conservation, sustainable and equitable use and improved knowledge of biological resources) in the critical Andes region. Specific objectives are to: (i) support and consolidate globally important protected areas of the region that are part of the national system (National Protected Areas, NPAs) in the Andes region; (ii) strengthen the governmental and non-governmental organizations involved in biodiversity management and improve the regulatory framework for protection of biodiversity and endangered ecosystems; (iii) restore and recover endangered endemic species, and degraded ecosystems of global importance; (iv) promote the sustainable use of native forests and of biological resources in buffer zones and protected areas through the identification of activities that enable use and conservation; and (v) improve the knowledge and awareness of the scientific and local communities on the ecological and economic value of ecosystems present in the region. Project activities would be implemented by a coalition of NGOs, government agencies, and private actors.