English - Global Environment Facility

technical assistance includes dissemination of innovative technologies for ecotourism promotion
in target markets, .enhancing energy-efficiency in tourism services, visitor safety, and private
sector and community participation in biodiversity monitoring; (ii) capacity building of existing
local networks of service providers and development of ecotourism business opportunities. In the
case of the PAs where indigenous communities are present (e.g., La Amistad, Chagres, Darien),
capacity building will be preceded by a socio-cultural process of familiarization or
„rapprochement‟ with the communities to assess their interest in providing ecotourism services
that are compatible with the principles of development with identity, their needs, expectations
and concerns; (iii) elaboration of a minimum of 5 individual PAs business plans linking each PA
to potential services providers, and the articulation of those plans within a broader strategic
sustainable financing plan for all selected 9 PAs; (iv) development and implementation of
environmental education campaigns aimed at key local and national stakeholders (public and
private) and focusing on the economic value of PAs and the benefits of their sound management
and use; (v) support to ATP and ANAM to undertake market studies, promotion strategies, and
marketing campaigns to position the 9 pilot PAs and their service networks in the national and
international ecotourism markets, including tools, participation in trade shows, printed and
audiovisual material etc; (vi) issuing at least 4 concessions, 4 operating permits and 4 comanagement
agreements under a streamlined and cost-efficient system, and; (vii) consolidation
of at least 2 productive value chains connecting tourists, national tour operators and local service
providers for two PAs with the greatest competitive advantage to ensure that communities and
small businesses have better access to markets.
EXPECTED GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO BE DELIVERED
18. The project contributes to advance the Programme of Work on Protected Areas of the CBD (in
particular the goals of program elements 1, 2 and 4), the Plan of Implementation of the World
Summit on Sustainable Development (in particular section IV), the World Ecotourism Summit
2002 and its Quebec Declaration, and the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism as adopted by the
UN World Tourism Organization, in order to increase the benefits from tourism resources for
local communities while mainstreaming the cultural and environmental integrity of those
communities and enhancing the protection of ecologically sensitive areas and natural heritage.
19. This project contributes to the generation of global environmental benefits through:
a. Improved overall management effectiveness and financial sustainability of a network of
protected areas totalling an extension of 1,264,534 ha of terrestrial PAs (42.2% of the
national system‟s total) and 213,253 ha of protected marine PAs (49.3% of the national
system‟s total), including three areas of international recognition (Darien National Park and
International Park “La Amistad”, which are declared Biosphere Reserves and UNESCO
World Heritage Sites, while the Coiba Marine National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site). All nine PAs selected as priorities are also classified as Important Bird Areas (IBA) of
Panama for their global relevance in providing habitat for the conservation of bird
populations, including globally threatened and restricted range species.
b. Contribution to the protection of habitats for globally threatened species, including several
endangered or vulnerable (as defined by the IUCN Red List) frogs (e.g., Atelopus certus, A.
glyphus, A. zeteki), marines turtles (e.g., Eretmochelys imbricata, Demochelys coriacea),
birds (e.g., Ara ambigua) and mammals (e.g., Tapirus bairdii). Moreover, the network of
nine pilot PAs presents a high level of biodiversity and endemism, such as is the case with
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