Since the very beginning, the Arenal Conservation Project has
been a joint effort of the Costa Rican government and Canada's
official aid agency, the
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the World
Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-C)
The partnership and goals were wide ranging. It involved the
development of specific tools that would help the Costa Rican
government plan and link communities to the preservation of the
environment.
The
most important tools developed were a general Land Use Plan and
the Lake Arenal Basin Management Plan. Both of these studies identified
sensitive areas and how these areas could be protected.
As important were new options for the people who were living
in existing buffer zones - linking economic activities that would
work with - not against the environment.
The demonstration of sustainable projects included the raising
of the threatened paca, goat husbandry, soil conservation methods
and the development of organic agriculture along with ecotourism
projects.
Two new agencies were also created the Foundation for the Development
of the Arenal Conservation Area (FUNDACA) to continue to support
ongoing projects and the Centre of Experimentation and Capacity
for Rural Development to provide technical assistance to communities.
