Iténez-Mamoré binational Corridor

Iténez Protected Area

Within the Iténez-Mamoré bi-national Corridor Bolivian Amazon sub-region, WWF is specifically supporting Iténez Protected Area.

Iténez Protected Area
The Iténez River borders the Iténez Protected Area (PA) on its east side, and is located in the northeastern portion of the Department of Beni (Bolivia), in the municipalities of Magdalena and Baures in the Iténez Province, on the international border between Bolivia and Brazil. This PA has a surface of 1,389,025 ha.

This PA has the following ecosystems:

• humid forests (50%)
• savannahs (28.6%)
• river forests (9.7%)
• rivers and lakes (6.4%)
• island forests (3.1%)
• others (1.9%)

Up to date, studies carried out register 490 species of flora and 714 of fauna (74 mammals, 360 birds, 45 reptiles, 42 amphibians and 192 fish).

Iténez PA is inhabited by various indigenous and peasant communities, mainly immigrants from the Department of Beni itself. There are traditional organizational structures like the Itonama and Peasant Subcentrals. 14 communities inhabit Iténez PA.

It is likely that the Iténez River Watershed is the most important bastion for the river dolphin (Inia boliviensis), as it is for other aquatic mammal species like the giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis).
 

WWF Bolivia’s projects at Iténez Protected Area

With Moore Foundation (WWF US) and SIDA (WWF Sweden) funding, WWF is supporting the following projects at Iténez Protected Area:

1. Development and implementation of a conservation and management strategy for fishing and hydro-biological resources (with partner NGO Faunagua)

• Management and sustainable use of fish (monitoring of commercial fishing, fishing agreements for Blanco and San Martín rivers, sportive fishing regulation proposal)
• Responsible tourism in Bella Vista community (design, planning and construction of a community shelter in Bella Vista – in coordination with the Prefecture of Beni; strengthening of the shelter’s administration and the local capacity for offering tourism services – community enterprise, web page for Bella Vista community
• Caiman (Caiman crocodilus yacare) Management Plan (monitoring and self-monitoring of caiman population, elaboration of Caiman Management Plan for the south portion of Iténez PA)
• Sustainable caiman management (training regarding caiman leather tanning and handicrafts production, assessment and distribution of raw material for tanning)

2. Georeferentiation and recognition inventory of traditional Brazil nut collection areas in two communities of Iténez PA (with partner NGO Institute for the Man, Agriculture and Ecology - Iphae)

• Determination of total surface of traditional collection areas and estimation of grown Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) trees population of two communities of Iténez PA: Versalles and Mateguá

3. Species monitoring

• Population evaluation of the Marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) and other threatened mammals from the savannahs complex (with partner NGO Noel Kempff Museum’s Friends Foundation - Fuamu)
• Standarization and improvement of threatened species monitoring protocols in the Manuripi and Iténez rivers watersheds (Faunagua): Pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), River turtle (Podocnemis spp.) and Giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
• Estimation of the abundance of the River dolphin (Inia boliviensis) and evaluation of its potential as conservation ambassador for the Iténez River (Faunagua). Production of conservation tools for Inia boliviensis. This is a part of the River Dolphin Monitoring Initiative for South America promoted by WWF Colombia, its partner NGO Omacha Foundation, WCS and WDCS.
  

The Inia boliviensis
River dolphins were discovered by the French researcher Alcide D'Orbigny in 1832, during his last trip to South America when he traveled along the Iténez River (Beni). At that time, D’Orbigny named this Dolphin Inia boliviensis, species that later on was given the name Inia geoffrensis.

The Pink dolphin (known in Bolivia as Bufeo) is the largest freshwater Dolphin in the world. It can reach up to 2.8 m long and weigh 180 kg. In Latin America, this species is widely distributed in the Amazon and Orinoco watersheds (Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru). In Bolivia, it is found in Amazon Watershed rivers in the departments of Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando.

The rocky irregularities – known as ‘cachuelas’ – along the Madeira River – only a few kilometers from where the Mamoré River meets the Beni River – have isolated the Bufeo in Bolivia, making its evolution as a species different from Inia geoffrensis possible: the Inia boliviensis. Scientists have found that this Bolivian species has more teeth, a larger body and a smaller scull, compared to Inia geoffrensis.

Thus, currently there are two identified Pink dolphin species: Inia boliviensis and Inia geoffrensis. This latter has two sub-species: Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis in the Amazon and Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana in the Orinoquia.

The Inia boliviensis is an endemic species of the Upper Madeira River Watershed, mainly found in Bolivia (Madeira is the river that conducts the Bolivian waters to the Amazon). This species is very showy and has potential for becoming an emblematic species for the region, as a tourism and conservation ambassador.

4. Strengthening of the Protected Areas Decentralized Unit (UDAP) of the Prefecture of Beni

• Support to the creation of the UDAP
• Hiring of technical and administrative staff for the UDAP (4 people: Head of UDAP, Accountant-Manager, Biologist, Secretary)
• Development of basic operational activities of the UDAP, including the implementation of the financial, planning and monitoring strategies for the Departmental System of PAs
• Follow up on the management of Iténez PA
• Systematization of information regarding PAs in Beni
• Support to the creation of the UDAP

5. Strengthening of Iténez PA management (UDAP, Prefecture of Beni)

• Support to the elaboration and implementation of the Strategic Protection Plan
• Hiring of technical, administrative and protection staff for Iténez PA (19 people: Director, Head of Protection, Communicator, Accountant, 14 Park Guards, Head of Bella Vista headquarters)
• Financial support for equipment and operational, control and protection expenses
• Construction, repairs, maintenance and equipment of the control posts
• Training for the protection corps of Iténez PA (legislation and regular procedures, radio communications management with mobile equipment, environmental trainers

6. Communications strategy (UDAP, Prefecture of Beni)

• Support to the elaboration and implementation of the Communications Strategy: i) Itinerant Interpretation Centre; ii) Periodical news bulletin “The Voice of Iténez”; iii) Radio jingles; iv) “Back to the river” fair
• Implementation of the project “Environmental Sentinel”, incorporating the issue of Environmental Conservation into the Bolivian Navy training programme (brochures for 200 instructors and training of 2000 soldiers to be in 12 Military Units, 6 of those within Iténez PA)
  

7. Management Council of Iténez PA (UDAP, Prefecture of Beni)

• Creation and consolidation of the Management Council of Iténez PA, providing it with management tools, training and logistical support

8. Strengthening of sustainable community development of Iténez PA communities (Institute for the Man, Agriculture and Ecology – Iphae)

• Contribute to food safety, diversification of food production and strengthening technical, economic, social and legal capacities in men and women of the 14 communities located within Iténez PA
  
  Productive area
  • 250 families of 13 communities implement and manage agro-forest production systems
  • 12,500 plants of fruit and timber species are produced in community forest nurseries
  • 10,000 plants of timber and fruit species are produced in family forest nurseries
  • Support and technical assistance for 6 community vegetable gardens
  • 100 vegetable producing families receive technical assistance, tools and goods
  • 10 families consolidate sustainable production models for domestic animal breeding
  
  Environmental area
  • Vegetable garden for organic production and community nursery for production of perennial plants at Bella Vista school
  • Training for teachers and students of 5 communities regarding organic vegetable production techniques
  
  Legal, social and organizational area
  • Update training regarding legislation related to access to land, renewable natural resources management, participation and social control
  • Training for productive-organizational promoters regarding planning, follow up and control of project activities

9. Mining (Institute of Development Research – IRD)

• Assessment to determine environmental and biological factors that control production, behavior and bio-accumulation of metil-mercury, as well as human exposure within the aquatic ecosystems of the Iténez River Watershed, emphasizing on the impact of human activities (gold exploitation and deforestation) in the region

10. Development and implementation of Municipal Land Use Plans (PMOTs) for Magdalena and Baures Municipalities (Cobodes)

• Elaboration of PMOTs for Baures and Magdalena Municipalities
• Start of some activities towards the implementation of the PMOTs in both municipalities