Abstract

Old Providence is an atoll that belongs to the Archipelago of San Andres and Providencia, Colombia. A total of 21 km* are emerged, and reef extends along 255 km2, The fishery is important for local communities The Law 99 of 1993 recognized a national biosphere reserve and a group of natives had been working in association with Coralina, the local environmental authority, in order to manage that area. A combination of strategies are being used to implement this process:\Establishing a marine reserve: In 1996, the first underwater national park on the Islands was created. The park encompasses emerged land, mangroves and reef complex. This area will be considered as a part of the core zone. Fishing activities will be prohibited. Complementary activities involving tourism and environmental education must respond to a management plan.\Formulating an environmental plan: An environmental plan was formulated under Coralina guidelines, which includes community input. Multiple high-resolution maps were produced based on natural resources and social-economical aspects using situational planning methodology. As a result, buffer and cooperative zones are being defined.\Producing regulations: Some regulations are being created with community help. These documents will be adopted as a local law.\Educational programs: Additional educational activities were developed to increase local participation. The community will be the guardians of the reserve.\These experiences represent four years of work. The strong expressions of concern by the people have led to interesting, positive results, however more work is required. The cumulated knowledge and awareness of the people aided the authorities in obtaining the main objectives of the reserve.

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