Universidad Nacional Agraria and its responsibility in the conservation and management of natural resources: zapatera island case

Abstract

Thinking systems are a holistic method, included in the set of methods known as soft systems. The concepts of conservation and natural resource management and community life, become a dilemma of difficult conciliation in reality. Currently, it is necessary to deal with complex and dynamic situations in the daily agricultural and natural resource management and environment. The direct beneficiaries are residents and owners of protected areas; indirect external actors represented by organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, including institutions of higher education and research. Using soft systems and thinking systems, experiential learning and Kolb cycle as well as mind maps, rich picture and various participatory tools, we began a process in Zapatera Island, to generate an exchange of views and opinions and a platform for communication and interaction that brings the common positions of the different actors and enable progress towards updating and joint identification of a comprehensive management and consensual plan for the protected area, Zapatera Island Archipelago National Park. The results are flattering in the sense that they were able to establish such a platform and the degree of communication and exchange, is key in achieving advantageous positions for different actors especially the inhabitants of the archipelago. Coordinate UNA and SLU, supported by MARENA, and other NGOs and GOs.