Technical Coalition for the Osa Biological Corridor (CTCBO)

Technical Coalition for the Osa Biological Corridor (CT-CBO)

Península de Osa
Ubicación del Corredor Biológico

Phone number:: +506/234-3360; +506/234-3225;
+506/846-3002
Fax:: +506/280-2137
Email:: loros_cr@yahoo.com.mx

Executive coordinator:: Marco Hidalgo-Chaverri
Year founded:: 2000
Mission statement:: Promote sustainable development and biodiversity conservation by consolidating the Osa Biological Corridor in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.

Annual budget: $35,890

Major donors:

Campaña Osa, Costa Rica (site);
Conservation International, Regional (site);
Fundación Costa Rica-USA (CRUSA) (site);
The Nature Conservancy (site) ,
Programa de Pequeñas Donaciones (PPD), Costa Rica - Fondo para el Medio Ambiente Mundial (site).

Objectives:

Recover and sustain the biodiversity of the Osa Peninsula’s protected areas.
Improve the socio-economic conditions of the inhabitants of the biological corridor.

Description of the area where organization works:

The Osa Peninsula covers 370,500 acres (150,000 hectares), encompassing protected areas that include two national parks considered biologically among the most important in the world. The richness of the biodiversity and the diameter of the trees of the lowland tropical rainforest make this region a prime example of this type of habitat, and the only one of its kind on the Pacific coast of Central America. It is estimated that 50% of Costa Rica's plant and animal species are found in the Osa, which also possesses a high level of endemism and harbors species found in South America, but not found anywhere else in Central America.

This small corner of Costa Rica safeguards about 2,000 different species of plants, including a considerable number of endemic species. The unique nature of the region is confirmed by the statement, made by Dr. Larry Gilbert of the University of Texas, that the diversity of the existing ecological systems in the Osa cannot be compared to another area in the world of similar size, and by the fact that Conservation International considers the Osa to be one of its hotspots.

Number of members:

CT-CBO is a group comprised of representatives from the following non-governmental organizations: Fundación Corcovado (funcorco@racsa.co.cr), Fundación Neotrópica (dmorales@neotropica.org), Centro de Derecho Ambiental y de los Recursos Naturales (CEDARENA) (smack@cedarena.org), and Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio) (rgarcia@inbio.ac.cr or vobando@inbio.ac.cr). The State is also represented through the participation of the Ministry of Energy and the Environment (MINAE) through the Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA).

Projects:

Osa Biological Corridor
Summary: The Technical Coalition for the Osa Biological Corridor works to develop options for sustainable development and conservation, and to enhance the quality of life of the inhabitants in the biological corridor.

Principal accomplishments:

Consolidated the management of the Technical Coalition of the Osa Biological Corridor. The organizations participating in this coalition made the commitment to work towards sustainable development, natural resource conservation, and enhancing the culture and quality of life of the communities living in the biological corridor.
Consolidated the work among various NGOs and members of the technical coalition in the Osa conservation area and the corridor's local commission.
Carried out a land tenure study in the biological corridor.
Strengthened the programs to control and protect wildlife areas, as well as strengthening Natural Resources Vigilance Committees (COVIRENAS).
Provided the public with a bibliographic database in the Fundación Neotrópica office in Osa Peninsula.
Obtained the participation of others important stakeholders in all developments relating to the definition of the corridor.