Protected Areas of Venezuela: how much of Venezuela is Protected Areas ?. Are the official statistics about Venezuela´s protected areas reliable ?

1. Edgard
Yerena,
Universidad
Simón
Bolívar
Jorge
Naveda,
Inparques.
Venezuelan
WCPA
members

2. The
real
extension
of
Venezuelan
protected
areas:
recommenda7ons
to
assess
Aichi
Target
11
VI
World
Parks
Congress
-­‐
Sydney
–
Australia
-­‐
November
2014.
Stream
1
-­‐
Reaching
Conserva7on
Goals.
Session:
Protected
Planet:
status
and
trends
of
protected
area
coverage
across
countries
*
Edgard
Yerena
(Universidad
Simón
Bolívar,
Caracas,
Venezuela)**
Jorge
Naveda
(Ins7tuto
Nacional
de
Parques,
Caracas,
Venezuela)
**eyerena@usb.ve
● According
to
the
Aichi
Target
Nº
11
seventeen
percent
of
terrestrial
and
inland
water,
and
ten
percent
of
coastal
and
marine
areas
of
the
world
should
be
under
effective
and
well-­‐
managed
protected
areas
(PA).
Although
that
is
not
a
country-­‐by-­‐country
target,
it
is
obvious
that
such
limit
may
provide
a
criterion
to
assess
the
compliance
of
any
country
with
such
a
global
goal.
On
the
other
hand,
politically
it
is
a
good
thing
for
a
country
to
show
itself
as
if
it
has
reached
or
is
about
to
reach
such
goal.
The
attention
of
the
global
community
obviously
focuses
on
those
countries
that
are
either
low
below
or
high
above
the
17-­‐10%
threshold.
For
more
than
twenty
years
Venezuela
has
stated
that
somewhere
between
40
and
50
%
of
its
terrestrial
ecosystems
are
under
PA.
This
is
also
reflected
in
the
World
Data
Base
on
Protected
Areas.
(WDPA)
At
the
beginning
that
was
a
reason
for
aw
and
congratulations.
But
as
time
passes
that
belief
has
solidified
and
attention
is
no
more
focused
on
Venezuela:
it
is
considered
it
has
already
reached
a
very
challenging
limit,
and
it
is
logical
that
no
special
attention
should
be
put
on
it
at
least
regarding
PA
coverage.
But
the
reality
is
very
different.
A
thorough
exam
on
the
self-­‐called
“Venezuelan
PA
system”
or
ABRAE
(Spanish
acronym
for
“areas
under
special
administration”)
reveals
that
only
5
among
15
categories
of
ABRAE
are
real
PA
sensu
IUCN.
According
to
this
we
calculate
that
no
more
than
17-­‐19%
of
Venezuela´s
terrestrial
ecosystems
are
under
real
PA.
This
case
highlights
the
importance
of
the
IUCN
PA
categories
system.
It
is
a
powerful
tool
to
assess
to
what
extent
any
country
is
really
taking
actions
to
conserve
Nature,
and
therefore
matching
the
Aichi
target
or
any
other
international
criteria.
It
also
highlights
the
importance
of
updating
WDPA,
since
many
wrong
conclusions
can
be
reached
using
wrong
data
contained
in
it.
It
is
not
simply
a
matter
of
accepting
“official”
data
supplied
by
Government
agencies.
Such
data
should
be
double-­‐checked
with
the
help
and
participation
of
national
WCPA
members
and
other
independent
sources.
No
official
data
should
be
taken
for
granted.
This
may
lead
to
over
estimations
and
sub
estimations,
making
the
focus
of
international
agencies,
or
NGOs
be
placed
in
the
wrong
direction.
● *
Protected
Planet:
status
and
trends
of
protected
area
coverage
across
countries
● Launch
and
explanation
of
the
second
Protected
Planet
Report.
Where
are
we
as
a
planet
as
we
move
to
meet
all
elements
of
Aichi
Target
11
by
2020?
What
is
the
progress
of
the
elements
of
Target
11
on
land
and
sea?
● Key
Speakers
● Assessing
progress
towards
Aichi
Target
11:
where
are
we
now?
-­‐-­‐
Brian
MacSharry
(UNEP-­‐WCMC)
● Mapping
Aichi
Target
11:
Progress
towards
meeting
global
MPA
targets
-­‐-­‐
Hannah
Thomas
(UNEP-­‐WCMC)
Protected
Areas
and
Biodiversity:
Managing
our
Impacts
and
Risks
-­‐-­‐
Mark
Johnston
● The
real
extension
of
Venezuelan
protected
areas:
lessons
to
assess
Aichi
Target
11
-­‐-­‐
Edgard
Yerena
● The
Digital
Observatory
for
Protected
Areas:
Providing
the
right
information
to
the
right
people
with
the
right
tools
-­‐-­‐
Gregoire
Dubois
(JRC,
European
Union)
● Dynamics
of
the
Conservation
Estate
-­‐-­‐
Nyeema
Harris
● Session
/
Event
Manager:
Brian
MacSharry
Hannah
Thomas
Mark
Johnston
Edgard
Yerena
Gregoire
Dubois
Nyeema
Harris
● Sessions
/
Events:
Stream
1
-­‐
Reaching
Conservation
Goals
● Language:
English.
Location:
Hall
3A1.
Friday,
November
14th,
1:30
pm
-­‐
3:00
pm.
●
● Source:
http://wpc2014.eventranet.com.au/program/

3. Edgard
Yerena,
Universidad
Simón
Bolívar
Jorge
Naveda,
Inparques.
Miembros
venezolanos
de
la
CMAP

6. What
is
our
message?
● The
real
achievement
of
Aichi
Target
11
may
be
masked
by
the
wrong
information
supplied
by
official
sources,
country
by
country.
● Some
sources
of
error:
● A
wrong
assessment
of
the
IUCN/CBD
concept
of
Protected
Area
● Physical
(spatial)
overlaps
among
PAs
● Incoherence
between
official
boundaries
description
and
reported
PA
area
(km2)

7. Nuestro
mensaje…
● El
verdadero
cumplimiento
de
la
Meta
11
de
Aichi
puede
estar
oscurecido
por
la
información
errada
suministrada
por
fuentes
oficiales,
país
por
país.
● Algunas
fuentes
de
error:
● Equivocada
aplicación
del
concepto
de
Área
Protegida
según
UICN/CBD
● Solapamiento
espacial
entre
AP
● Incoherencia
entre
los
linderos
oficiales
y
la
superficie
(km2)
reportada
para
cada
AP

8. What
do
we
propose
?
● The
official
information
should
be
double
checked
by
local
experts:
i.e.
NGOs
,
WCPA
members,
Universities,
etc,
through
some
efficient
mechanism.

9. ¿Qué
proponemos
?
● La
data
oficial
debería
ser
corroborada
por
expertos
locales
independientes:
ej.
ONG,
miembros
de
la
CMAP,
Universidades,
etc,
mediante
algún
mecanismo
eficiente.

10. Venezuela:
case
study
● According
to
official
sources:
● Every
“protected”
area
under
Venezuelan
law
is
reported
as
a
“Protected
Area”
(mimicking
IUCN/CBD
definition)
● called
“areas
under
special
management
regime”
(acronym
“ABRAE”)
● Therefore,
“protected”
cover
is
reported
to
be
between
40%
and
74%
of
country
area
● Country’s
marine
int’l
boundaries
are
not
100%
set:
”protected”
cover
is
always
reported
on
emerged
(land)
area
● 400
“protected”
units
● 21
categories
of
“protected”
areas
-­‐
ABRAE.

11. El
caso
de
Venezuela:
● De
acuerdo
a
fuentes
oficiales:
● Toda
área
“protegida”
de
acuerdo
a
la
legislación
nacional
es
reportada
como
Área
Protegida
(asimilándose
a
la
definición
UICN/CBD)
● denominadas
“áreas
bajo
régimen
de
administración
especial”
(acrónimo:
ABRAE)
● Por
tanto
la
cobertura
“protegida”
oficialmente
reportada
se
ubica
entre
40
y
74%
del
país
● Los
límites
internacionales
marinos
del
país
no
están
establecidos
en
un
100%:
la
cobertura
“protegida”
siempre
se
reporta
en
relación
a
la
superficie
terrestre
(emergida)
● 400
unidades
“protegidas”
● 21
categorías
de
áreas
“protegidas”
-­‐
ABRAE.

12. Venezuela:
case
study
● We
systematically
analyzed
the
ABRAE
concept
and
all
of
its
categories.
● Findings:
● Only
7
out
of
21
categories
(ABRAE)
are
true
“Protected
Areas”
sensu
IUCN/CBD:
● National
Park
(II)
● Wildlife
Sanctuary
(II)
● Natural
Monument
(III)
● Wildlife
Refuge
(IV)
● Wildlife
Reserve
(VI)
● Forest
Reserve
(VI)
● Biosphere
Reserve
(variable)

13. El
caso
de
Venezuela:
● Sistemáticamente
analizamos
el
concepto
de
ABRAE
y
todas
sus
categorías.
● Hallazgos:
● Sólo
7
de
las
21
categorías
(ABRAE)
son
verdaderas
“Áreas
Protegidas”
según
UICN/CBD:
● Parque
Nacional
(II)
● Santuario
de
Fauna
(II)
● Monumento
Natural
(III)
● Refugio
de
Fauna
Silvestre
(IV)
● Reserva
de
Fauna
Silvestre
(VI)
● Reserva
Forestal
(VI)
● Reserva
de
Biósfera
(variable)

14. Venezuela:
case
study
● Findings…
● Correspondingly
only
111
designated
units
are
true
PAs
● There
is
substantial
cover
overlapping
among
some
of
the
PA
units
● The
national
PA
cover
%
is
calculated
over
emerged
land
(continental
+
islands)
not
considering
the
marine
area.
● Some
“decrees”
are
arbitrarily
interpreted
in
relation
to
their
boundaries
leading
to
wrong
area
calculations.

15. El
caso
de
Venezuela:
● Hallazgos…
● Correspondientemente,
sólo
111
unidades
decretadas
son
verdaderas
AP
● Existe
un
considerable
solape
entre
algunas
de
estas
unidades
de
AP
● La
cobertura
(%)
de
AP
se
calcula
sobre
su
área
terrestre
sin
considerar
las
áreas
marinas.
● Algunos
decretos
son
interpretados
arbitrariamente
en
relación
a
sus
linderos
conllevando
a
cálculos
de
superficie
erróneos.

16. Venezuela:
case
study
● Correcting
above
findings
(mistakes),
the
final
result
is:
● The
real
PA
extent,
no
overlapping,
is
309,930
km2
● Within
them
4,220
km2
is
strictly
marine
area
● Emerged
land:
305,710
km2
● Therefore
the
%
PA
cover
of
Venezuela
in
relation
to
emerged
land
is
33.36
%
● A
whole
country
(marine+emerged)
figure
can’t
be
provided
until
all
marine
int’l
boundaries
are
set.

17. El
caso
de
Venezuela:
● Corrigiendo
los
errores
encontrados,
el
resultado
final
es:
● La
extensión
real
de
las
AP,
sin
solape,
es
309.930
km2
● De
ella
4.220
km2
son
estrictamente
marinos
● Superficie
terrestre
(emergida):
305.710
km2
● Por
tanto
el
%
de
cobertura
de
AP
en
relación
a
la
superficie
emergida
del
país
es
33,36%
● Una
cifra
para
todo
el
país
(marino+terrestre)
no
se
puede
suministrar
hasta
que
todos
los
límites
marinos
internacionales
sean
establecidos.

18. 18

19. Venezuela:
case
study
● …not
considering
“management
effectiveness”…that’s
another
matter
…
● Most
of
Category
VI
is
“Paper
PAs”
and/or
subject
to
conventional
natural
resources
exploitation
(some
of
them
completely
wiped
out)
● Not
considering
them:
PA
is
18.85%
of
Venezuela’s
emerged
land

20. El
caso
de
Venezuela:
● …
eso
sin
considerar
la
“efectividad
de
manejo”…ese
es
otro
tema
….
● Casi
todas
las
categorías
VI
son
“AP
de
papel”
y/0
están
actualmente
sometidas
a
extractivismo
convencional
(algunas
totalmente
arrasadas):
Reservas
Forestales.
● Al
no
tomarlas
en
cuenta:
El
18,85%
de
Venezuela
(emergida)
es
AP.

21. Conclusion
● If
a
real
estimation
of
how
far/close
the
World
is
with
respect
to
Aichi
Target
11
is
needed,
then
it
should
be
wise
to
conduct
an
independent
double
checking
of
the
official
statistics
and
numbers
supplied
by
Governments,
country
by
country,
and
with
a
strict
compliance
with
the
conceptual
definition
of
Protected
Area
according
to
IUCN/CBD.

22. Conclusión
● Si
se
quiere
tener
una
estimación
realista
de
cuán
cerca
o
lejos
está
el
mundo
de
alcanzar
la
Meta
11
de
Aichi,
entonces
es
necesario
efectuar
una
corroboración
independiente
de
la
data
oficial
suministrada
por
los
gobiernos,
país
por
país,
y
con
un
apego
estricto
a
la
definición
de
Área
Protegida
de
UICN/CBD.

23. Epílogo…
km2
AP
s/ReFor
terrestre-­‐
marino
178.591,80
%
total
Vzla
mar+terr
es
AP
s/ReFor
12,61
km2
terrestre
AP
s/ReFor
172.792,19
%
terrestre
AP
s/ReFor
18,85
km2
marinos
AP
5.799,61
%
marino
AP
1,16
km2
pais
terrestre
916445
km2
país
marino
500000