On July 4, a ceremony was held on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands of the Republic of Ecuador (“Ecuador”) to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Galapagos National Park, and an environmental education facility for local residents that JICA supported for its renovation was handed over.
The Galapagos Islands are a world-renowned treasure trove of biodiversity. However, local residents are not fully aware of the importance and vulnerability of these precious ecosystems. Therefore, it is extremely important for local residents, including the young people who will carry the future of the Galapagos Islands, to receive environmental education and deepen their understanding of the local natural environment and ecosystems from the perspective of sustainable environmental protection in the Galapagos Islands.
Environmental education facility for local residents on the road to Tortuga Bay, a famous tourist destination on Santa Cruz Island. From left: Mr. Takahata, JICA Ecuador office staff; Ms. Izurieta, representative of Galapagos National Park; Mr. Fritschi, Minister of the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador
JICA and the Government of Ecuador (Galapagos National Park) implemented the technical cooperation project “Galapagos Islands Marine Environmental Conservation Plan Project” from 2004 to 2009, during which a community center was constructed to provide environmental education to local residents. The center has been used frequently by local residents for many years, but due to the aging of the facility and its damage caused by the hot and humid climate of Galapagos and El Niño, JICA has been renovating the facility as a follow-up cooperation project since FY2023, and the center was handed over during the ceremony this time.
The ceremony was attended by the Ecuadorian Minister of the Environment, representatives of the Galapagos National Park, as well as representatives of the Charles Darwin Foundation, international organizations, foreign universities, and many others who have worked with the Galapagos National Park to protect the environment. In his speech at the ceremony, the Minister of the Environment expressed his appreciation for JICA’s cooperation and stated that the many efforts that have been made to date have not only helped protect the unique and precious biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands, but have also contributed greatly to its sustainability.
Japan has identified “environmental conservation and disaster prevention” as one of the priority areas for cooperation with Ecuador, and in addition to this project, JICA is also cooperating in the “Biodiversity Conservation and Regional Development through Sustainable Natural Resource Management: Promotion of the SATOYAMA Initiative (country-specific training)” and “Strengthening Ecosystem Conservation Capacity in Coastal Areas Project (Technical Cooperation Project)”. JICA will continue to promote cooperation in the field of environmental conservation in the country.
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