Environmental Assessment Team - Nicaragua
We were asked to address environmental concerns with the USAID/Nicaragua environmental strategy from 2004 to 2009. The major environmental concerns with the purported strategy are noted by topic below :
Increased Production of Fruits and Vegetables :The major concerns, if proposed, would be the construction of new roads in forested areas, and the potential heavy use of chemicals (fertilizers and herbicides) that could ultimately enter water bodies.
Specialty Coffee and Coffee Diversification : One concern would be the saturation of the specialty coffee market and a subsequent drop in prices. This could result in the future abandonment of shade coffee in favor of other activities, possibly open grown coffee production or pasture. USAID should formulate a regional strategy complete with future projections. Appropriate management practices are also required.
Livestock and Dairy Products : Much of the land where cattle are grazed is too steep, subject to erosion, or infertile. The major concerns would be clearing forests for new pastures, overgrazing, soil compaction, reduction of infiltration, greater runoff, negative impacts on water quality and regimen (flow during the year), and possible downstream sedimentation. Good rangeland management practices could alleviate some of these concerns but only if appropriate terrain is selected initially.
Forest Products : There are several concerns regarding forest products. First, Nicaraguan wood products should not be sold without maximizing benefit to the country. Overexploitation today could deplete forest resources so that future industrial "clustering" or development of secondary industries within Nicaragua may not be feasible. Second, good forest management could avert massive cutting. Third, the prevention of post-harvest invasion of residual forest by landless peasants or clandestine timber merchants is the key to sustainable forest production. Finally, technical assistance to review the long-awaited forestry law is a good idea.
Cacao : One concern is that the emphasis of cacao production today in Nicaragua - and presumably elsewhere in the region - could result in a glut of cacao within a few years, a condition that, should it happen, could hardly be considered sustainable. USAID should formulate a regional strategy complete with future projections. Appropriate management practices are also required.
Ornamental Plants : The main issues in ornamental plant production are probably not environmental but logistical (how to assure timely delivery to distant overseas markets). If this means road construction and the possible removal of additional forest cover, however, it will have environmental implications. Heavy applications of pesticides, especially in confined spaces, could have health implications.
Tourism : Before too much promotion for ecotourism is undertaken, available overnight facilities, enough outdoor attractions along certain routes (clustering), and determinations of carrying capacities must be addressed. Moreover, protected areas highlighting wildlife attractions must protect these resources immediately, with or without management plans, or there will be little reason for tourists to visit.
Biodiversity Assessment
Policy and Legislation : Basically, Nicaragua's laws are adequate; enforcement, however, is not. Moreover, INAFOR, the agency responsible for enforcement of forestry legislation, does not enforce the best logging or silvicultural practices outlined in approved management plans. A comprehensive environmental law should be fashioned to encourage the conservation of forested areas, including protected areas, through the use of incentives, low interest loans, and private management. It is possible that the long-awaited new forest law will achieve these objectives. The government of Nicaragua should make every effort to enforce all existing environmental laws and regulations and set the example for the nation through its field personnel.
Forest Conservation and Biodiversity : There is no place that combines geology, climate, wildlife, a diverse culture, and a friendly ambience like Nicaragua. However, exerting practically no control, the nation is losing its forests, wildlife, jobs, and future alternatives. Nicaragua has 244 species of fauna and flora on the CITES Appendices I and II. Little is known about the population sizes or current status of these species within the country; this information, however, is critical for management. Conservation (the wise use of resources) is the best means to protect terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora; this means collecting information on and formulating strategies for the protection of at least 244 species.
Protected Areas : Whether at high or low elevation, in wet or dry climate, and with or without permanent inhabitants, Nicaragua's protected areas system is not well protected! Of the nation's 76 protected areas, many with less than 50 percent forest cover, seven are managed under arrangements with NGOs and community groups (co-management). The concept of the Atlantic corridor is well known. Nicaragua has two other corridors that are less well known: a rainforest to dry forest (rainfall) gradient along the southern border, and a lowland rainforest to cloud forest (altitudinal) gradient in the north central area. Lowland pine savanna, cloud forests, and oak-pine forests in the Central region are not well represented in the protected areas system. These gradients and forest types also require conservation through the establishment of protected areas and buffer zones. Carrying capacities are needed to assure that resources will not degrade through excessive use. They are also needed to establish appropriate limits (number of kills or captures) for hunting and fishing of all game species, terrestrial and aquatic, endangered or not, throughout the country, not just in the protected areas. Carrying capacities should also be established for tolerable levels of tourism (for example, use of facilities, trails) within the 76 protected areas.
Research and Education : Practical research is the key to good management; Nicaragua must use the enthusiasm of its students to answer environmental questions, and to develop a cadre of qualified future managers. Nicaragua needs to: create an environmental data base for all USAID documents, past and present, with a local NGO; assure that all major types of protected areas are represented in the system (protected area matrix); assure that all CITES species are being protected (endangered and threatened species matrix); develop a prioritized list of practical research topics dealing with protected areas and wildlife for Nicaraguan students and undertake the research accordingly; devise a small grants program for Nicaraguan students to investigate research topics; cooperate with multi- and bi-lateral entities, local and foreign universities, and the Peace Corps to develop a research program; and establish a national environmental library and begin collecting information from all donors (local and foreign universities, and forestry and environmental agencies).
Forestry and Management : Despite elaborate strategies, good land management is lacking. Forest management plans are developed but not implemented. Traditional logging opens a path and subsequent migratory agriculture depletes Nicaragua's forest resources. The cost to the nation is considerable: the loss of forest resources, soil fertility, farm productivity, water supplies, and wildlife. The forest resource is undervalued; moreover, secondary forest industries have not been fully developed to maximize value-added products and employment. Sound strategies are required in environmental documents (including forest management plans) to assure that biodiversity is not negatively impacted. Site specific surveys of wildlife species (fauna and flora) are needed before finalizing management plans. Forest certification for harvest in buffer zones could help guarantee sustainable operations and should be considered. Plantations need to be established for industry and to reduce pressures on natural forests. Funding (low interest loans) should be made available for investment in the purchase of forest land for sustainable production, and for plantation establishment, silvicultural operations, and the development of secondary forest industries. INAFOR needs to strengthen its enforcement of forestry regulations.
Tourism : Tourism is a potential gold mine for Nicaragua. Tourism has increased in the past decade and could grow considerably more. Several protected areas receive visitors and others currently isolated will one day be major attractions. Lack of access, infrastructure, and good marketing are drawbacks. Before major efforts are made to attract more tourists, however, INTUR and MARENA need to determine the status of existing resources and develop carrying capacities for allowable wildlife limits (kills or captures) and human use. Both groups also need to develop marketing strategies targeting particular audiences. A tourist bank could provide low interest loans for investments in tourism including infrastructure, facilities, and marketing. Efforts should be made to coordinate activities between foreign and Nicaraguan tourist companies. The National Museum should be consulted for the promotion of archeological sites. Visitor records must be kept. Finally, negative travel warnings could do serious harm to tourism and call for immediate corrective action.
Awareness and Communication : The secret to public support is to have the public on your side. Nicaragua, however, is a poor country. Experience has shown that enthusiastic presentations, both on television and directly in the field, can stimulate support. Promotional materials (brochures, movies, slides, calendars, and power point presentations) should be developed along novelty items (trinkets) for sale to tourists. "Believe it or not" television slots on protected areas and wildlife along with documentaries would attract some viewers. School programs that highlight themes such as protected areas and endangered or threatened species as part of Nicaragua's natural treasure could be presented by ambulatory groups that visit different parts of the country. A popular, easy-to-read newspaper (published 2 or 3 times per year) showing Nicaraguan students and professors doing investigations and field work, similar to articles in the U.S. publication the Natural Enquirer, could stimulate learning more about natural resources on the part of pre-university students.
Investments in Biodiversity : The wise use of available resources over the long-term is critical to sustained management; however, past political instability and current land tenure problems make Nicaragua a high risk environment. High risk translates into short-term investments. There is little incentive to protect biodiversity; moreover, financing for many projects initiated by donors or cooperators is programmed to terminate with the project. On the positive side, one of the strongest arguments to finance protected areas (and biodiversity) is that tourism generates more GDP than several other segments of the economy. Local NGOs should look into conserving limited resources where possible, by sharing facilities in a Managua NGO center (where some income could be generated) and by cooperating in promoting their cause (common web site). Another approach would be to stimulate an environmentally friendly ethic among Nicaraguan investors in the development of major projects - "take pride in Nicaragua, the most beautiful Central American country!" Efforts should also be made to build the fund-raising capacity of local NGOs at the international level in order to sustain long-term projects. Finally, private enterprise should not be overlooked. The direct purchase of property (or possibly long-term leases of state property) by private investors for purposes of protected area management might be the most direct, safest, and surest way to protect biodiversity in the long run. All planning, development, and management of these areas, however, would be subject to regulation.
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