Aplicación de criterios para la declaratoria de áreas OMEC e implementación en la reserva forestal Lagunitas del municipio de Topaipí - Cundinamarca

Abstract

Protected areas must strengthen strategies that contribute to the fulfillment of their objectives, not only in their core jurisdiction, but also in their area of influence, allowing greater benefits at an ecological level. In this sense, the visibility of figures such as the Complementary Conservation Strategies allows us to respond to some of the limitations that the declared areas present with respect to their social articulation, administrative, technical and/or ecological aspects, especially in scenarios in which there are no have sufficient management capacity. The OECMs configure a strategy of recognition of various public and private conservation figures that have demonstrable results in the protection of biodiversity, their declaration is an opportunity to integrate more equitable governance schemes to distribute the costs and benefits of conservation in the society. This work seeks to implement the criteria proposed in the Guide for the identification, strengthening and reporting in Colombia of OECMs in the Lagunitas Forest Reserve of the municipality of Topaipí, as a characterization mechanism that allows recognizing intrinsic and extrinsic factors that must be consolidated for the management of the area and its possible OECMs candidacy. Through consultation with environmental professionals, surveys and interviews with actors related to the reserve, information was obtained that contributes to the diagnosis and accounts for the relevant aspects that must be prioritized to formulate improvement alternatives. With the contribution of professional perception on the management of protected areas and conservation areas in general, opportunities and challenges associated with elements of environmental management that guide actions in the management of Complementary Conservation Strategies are recognized, taking into account the commitments signed by the country in the post 2020 agenda of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In the case of the Lagunitas Forest Reserve, social, technical and economic aspects are described that must be strengthened to consolidate the appropriation and recognition of their contributions to the conservation of biodiversity, since the work articulated with grassroots organizations must be the roadmap to establish short, medium and long-term actions that promote its environmental sustainability.