Abstract
The Orinoco river basin is the third largest river in the world by volume. Its catchment encompasses 27 major sub-basins including the Bita with a catchment area of about 825,000 ha, which originates in the Colombian high plains in the Llanos ecoregion. It has been recognized as a priority area for conservation through different gap analyses and overall determined to have good health according to the Orinoco report card 2016. The natural climate and hydrologic processes, and their synergies with flooded forests, savannas, wetlands, species diversity and local economic activities, are part of a dynamic and sensitive system. With the purpose of conserving the ecological, social and cultural benefits that it brings, the Colombian Government, with the support of regional and local civil society organizations, promoted the designation of a conservation area. Technical exercises were carried out including biological and socioeconomic surveys, local stakeholder consultations and future scenario modeling. In June 2018, the Bita River basin was designated as the largest Ramsar site in Colombia, providing a worldwide example of explicit protection of riverine systems. In order to maintain this free-flowing river, land use and fisheries management, in conjunction with other conservation actions, are being implemented and provide a model of protection for freshwater ecosystems that could be replicated elsewhere.
Highlights
The Bita River is one of the 27 hydrographic basins that compose the Orinoco River in Northern South America
All of them work together to ensure actions that promote sustainable management of the river basin. Under this framework and with the aim of ensuring the maintenance of ecological characteristics of the Bita River basin, a management plan for the Ramsar site is being formulated under the leadership of the Colombian Ministry of Environment, the regional environmental authority—Corporinoquia, and with the coordination of the Omacha Foundation and all actors involved in the process
Conservation agreements: effective conservation for the Bita basin does not end with the designation as a Ramsar site
Summary
The Bita River is one of the 27 hydrographic basins that compose the Orinoco River in Northern South America. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1775 ha of aquatic ecosystems were identified in the Orinoco in the National Wetlands Plan, in which the hydrological wealth of the Orinoco is recognized. Of itsofnatural cover with the seasonal várzea forests in Amazon the Amazon [4] This retains its natural and is characterized by extensive gallery forest ecosystems along the main channel and cover and is characterized by extensive gallery forest ecosystems along the main channel tributaries, alternated with mosaics of non-flooded savannas and permanent and tempoand tributaries, alternated with mosaics of non-flooded savannas and permanent and rary flooded savannas [2] and classified in good health condition according to the Oritemporary flooded savannas [2] is and is classified in good health condition according to the noco basin health report card [6]. This is the first time conservation that an entire actions river basin has been designated as a Ramsar site within implement proper through different management instruments. It is an opportunity to assure the persistence of its conservation values and eco of 16 system services and maintenance of its status as a free-flowing river
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