The Upper Caura, Venezuela - Forest Peoples Programme

Protecting and encouraging customary use of biological resources: The Upper Caura, Venezuela_________________________________________________________________________________________management; conservation; diversity, classification and taxonomy; sustainability;institutional legal, economic and political frameworks; forest ecosystems; hidro-ecology;cultural diversity; biological diversity; simple mathematics; basic statistics; computers;ecology and environment; biology; and chemistry. Language training in reading and writingSpanish was also provided.Since their training, the ‘para-biologists’ have assisted at a series of community meetings tocontribute to discussions about natural resource management in the Upper Caura.Kuyujani’s long term goal is that future natural resource management planning in theregion will be based on a complementary use of both traditional and western scientificknowledge of the environment, to ensure compatibility with local livelihoods and culturesand prudent resource use.Parabiologists receive their diplomas from the University Experimental de GuayanaElaboration of a Management PlanThrough a series of community level discussions and workshops and basin-wide meetings,Kuyujani has also been developing its own ‘management plan’ for the Upper Caura. Thishas involved, first of all, taking stock of customary systems of resource use andmanagement, the main findings of which have been presented above. A second step hasbeen the identification of external threats to the region and third the identification ofcommunity pressures on resources. Through these exercises the indigenous communitieshave prioritised their needs and developed proposals for zoning, dealing with existingprotected areas, deciding on the location of settlements, and for regulating and monitoringresource use.The major objectives of the management plan are to:45