Page 29 - PROTECCIÓN Y REHABILITACIÓN AMBIENTAL EN LA CUENCA DEL RÍO BERMEJO

Protección y Rehabilitación Ambiental 29

patrimony of the Basin, changing the composition and prevention and control of environmental
of the flora and fauna, and the structure and func- degradation that affects the availability of ha-
tion of wild ecosystems; reducing their productive bitats and biodiversity, the availability of natu-
capacities, both in terms of the terrestrial and water ral resources and water quality, as well as from
environments; and frequently affecting landscape the occurrence of floods and other natural di-
value. According to the analysis, the transbound- sasters; and
ary manifestation of such issues resulted from the • Strengthening and consolidating the system of
interruption of biological corridors and migratory protected areas, the management of buffer zo-
routes, segmentation of the habitat and increased nes, and the execution of mitigation plans for
vulnerability of wild populations, the reduction of the minimization of risks from floods and other
the distribution area, and the loss or increase of disasters, prevention and control of contamina-
species at conservation risk (especially, endemic tion and conduct of environmental sanitation of
species). The loss of habitats and connectivity of water bodies.
wild populations altered the historical distribution The strategy was developed through a group of
patterns, encouraging changes in faunal distribution actions in specific areas. In this context, priority ac-
and migration. The biological corridors identified as tions included:
those at greatest conservation risk were as follows: • Prevention and/or reduction of soil erosion in
a) the corridor formed by the ecosystems of the critical areas that contributed to the reduction
montane woodlands and forests in the Suban- of sediment production and control of its trans-
dean ecoregion (yungas); port. Accordingly, concrete actions were deve-
b) the corridors comprised of the terrestrial and loped for the integrated management of micro-
water systems of the fluvial system and other wet- basins and subbasins in critical areas;
land areas of the Bermejo River Basin, and, in par- • Consolidation of the protected areas of Sama
ticular, of the ecoregion of the Semiarid Chaco. and Tariquía, in Bolivia, and Baritú, Calilegua and
Based on such issues, the general strategy was El Rey, in Argentina, for the purpose of consoli-
defined in the SAP Bermejo aimed at strengthening dating the regional system, including provision
the prevention and control mechanisms affecting for biological networks and corridors for the
the main phenomena responsible for environmen- protection of water resources and the promo-
tal degradation in the Basin. In particular, the con- tion of ecotourism;
cepts of the strategy, based on the TDA, were the • Definition, consolidation and development of
following: buffer zones around the protected core areas;
• Establishment of control measures and prepa- • Flood protection projects in Bolivia and areas
ration of proposals to reduce the impacts of se- of the eastern Chaco in Argentina through im-
diment transport; plementation of structural (flood control works)
• Strengthening of conservation mechanisms and non-structural actions (environmental zo-