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PROJECTS
IN THE AMERICAS
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| Male Pacific Royal Flycatcher, Ecuador |
The last
two decades have seen an evolution
in conservation models internationally. Conservation
is not just science but also people and that includes
their economic, social and cultural concerns.
There is a growing consensus that protected areas
and conservation goals should be a part of the
solution to local people’s problems (the poor
in particular), and not create new ones. To be
sustainable, development needs the conservation
of natural resources, and conservation, to succeed
in low-income countries, requires development.
One of the best tools for combining conservation
and development is the framework of an integrated
conservation and development (ICD) approach. The
traditional focus of ICD work has been, but is
not limited to, developing countries. The map
below illustrates one of the primary reasons why.
It shows the distribution of threatened bird species
globally and clearly illustrates that the majority
of these areas are in the developing world (red
indicates highest numbers of threatened species).
Not only are the highest biodiversity sites (or
biodiversity hotspots) found within developing
countries but also they coincide with areas containing
the highest levels of poverty. Thus, the concept
of ICD work reflects the recognition that meeting
conservation objectives also necessitates addressing
the needs of local communities and governments.
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