Environment and Sustainability

DESIGN AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ECOLOGICAL CORRIDORS NETWORK IN TENERIFE ISLAND – SPAIN CLIENT: Insular Council of Tenerife Dates: March 2017 – December 2017 SUMMARY: The objective of this project was the identification and characterization of the Ecological Corridors Network of Tenerife Island, formed by areas of high ecological connectivity, and focused to preserve the island biodiversity. The analysis was based on the territorial adequacy modeling for a series of flora and fauna target species, using GIS tools, and with an intense bibliographic review and field sampling to verify the actual adequacy of the identified corridors. Some of the actions that we carried out for the achievement of the objectives, were the following: Characterization of natural habitats and protected areas present in the island (fragmentation diagnosis). Development of a Habitat Adaptation Model based on a permeability analysis using a set of selected species with the support of a scientific council. Modeling of “patches” or connectivity nodes based on the previous model. Cost-distance analysis for the determination of ecological corridors. Analysis of the ecological connectivity of the wet ravines. Analysis of the points of tension of ecological corridors with transport routes Analysis of the points of tension of ecological corridors with communication

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SECOND PHASE OF THE MANAGEMENT TOOLS OF THE RED NATURA 2000 IN BALEARIC ISLANDS. Lot 1- Menorca Island & Lot 5- Marine Protected Areas – SPAIN CLIENT: Regional Government of Balearic Islands Dates: August 2014 – January 2015 SUMMARY: Assistance to 145 public and private entities for two years through several workshops and participative processes until their inclusion into the Tourism Product Club. During this process, individual assessment reports were elaborated for each enterprise involved and we carried out a technical audit with the following methodological strategy: Identification visit: verification if the enterprises comply with a series of compulsory and supplementary criteria, and elaboration of improvement recommendations. Thematic visit: advising the entrepreneurs for the creation of tourist services related to the “Volcanic Experience”. Evaluation Visit: certification of the improvements made and the compliance with the criteria and the “volcanic theme” implementation.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE DRAFTING AND FORMULATION OF A PROJECT WITH MULTILATERAL FUNDING (GEF) UNDER THE HEADING “CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY IN COASTAL AREAS THREATENED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURES AND TOURISM SERVICES IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CLIENT: United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Funding: Global Environmental Fund (GEF) Dates: May 2014 – August 2014 SUMMARY: HIDRIA performed a series of analyzes and recommendations to identify key entry points for integrating biodiversity into tourism policies. The results of the assistance will help to integrate biodiversity management into the development of the tourism sector and the development of associated physical infrastructure, to address multiple threats to coastal and marine biodiversity. It also will address the indirect impacts of tourism development as a catalyst for other economic activities that are having the most negative impact on the functionality of biodiversity and ecosystems. The project also included the intervention in two pilot sites previously selected: Samaná y Montecristi.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMUNITYBASED ECOTOURISM PLAN ON THE WETLANDS OF FUVAHMULAH AND HITHADHOO ISLANDS – REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES Client: Ministry of Environment and Energy (Maldives) Funding: World Bank Dates: April 2013 – September 2014 SUMMARY: Design and implementation of two management plans for two protected areas linked to the most important wetlands of the Maldives Islands, located on the islands of Hithadhoo (Addu Atoll ) and Fuvahmulah. The objective of the plans is, in the first place, to enable the protection and conservation of wetlands, as a tool to fight against climate change; and secondly, to favor its ecotourism development, with the purpose of creating new economic opportunities for the local community. Ecotourism plans included the design of new tourism products and new infrastructures in order to promote tourism. The elaboration of ecotourism management and development plans has been carried out with a participative approach with the objective of involving local communities and facilitating their empowerment.