Of paramount importance for the preservation of biodiversity and ecological connectivity, Conservation Units (CUs) are the focus of Local Protected Areas Project, which contributes to improving the conditions of local governments in the effective and equitable management of these spaces, which at the municipal level are generally located in densely populated and vulnerable territories.

However, local governments face several challenges in using protected areas to conserve biodiversity, mainly due to limited financial and management resources.

Conservation Unit Acceleration Program

With the intention of improving efficiency and properly applying management tools that enable long-term financial sustainability, ICLEI South America is launching the Conservation Unit Acceleration Program, which will encourage an entrepreneurial and innovative approach to the management of these areas.

The Conservation Unit Acceleration Program will foster the strengthening and development of capacities and governance in the management of municipal conservation units. Its structure was inspired by the acceleration model. of startupsThe experience should promote an intense, fast, and immersive process. Among its main objectives is to boost innovative thinking applied to public management, bringing financial sustainability to the Conservation Units. 

Developed since July 2020, with the support of Sense-Lab, The Acceleration Methodology benefited from contributions from various experts from organizations such as GIZ and the Boticário Group Foundation.,  DAP/MMA, IUCN, ICMBio, Semeia, WWF and Ipê.

The Pilot Program is already being carried out in partnership with... Secretariat of Green and Environment from the City Hall of São Paulo, in Capivari-Monos APA, located in the far south of the city of São Paulo. The seven-week pilot program began entirely virtually on September 17th. 

When fully implemented, the Conservation Unit Acceleration Program will last from six months to one year, including a personalized journey for in-depth exploration of themes chosen by the managers. The Program targets multidisciplinary teams composed of members from different departments and secretariats of Municipal Governments. It also encompasses... in multiple types of protected areas, both those with full protection and those with sustainable use.

About the project 

The project “Local Protected Areas and other area-based conservation measures in "At the local government level," is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale. Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in partnership with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, and IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature and its counterparts are the Ministries of Environment of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

The Project aims to contribute to improving the conditions of local governments to conserve biodiversity through the effective and equitable management of protected areas and other conservation measures.