"GALAPAGOS AT RISK" ONLINE
Now available online, in both English and Spanish, is one of the most important papers ever released by the Charles Darwin Foundation: "Galapagos at Risk".
This document summarises studies of Galapagos from the last 15 years on biodiversity, conflict, tourism, economics and migration. It hopes to create a new paradigm of understanding about what is happening in Galapagos and underscore the declaration of President Correa and UNESCO's decision to add Galapagos to its List of World Heritage Sites in Danger.
"Galapagos at Risk" provides facts like these:
- The principal cause of these changes has been development driven by tourism which has grown economically at 14% per year. This growth is demonstrated by the numbers of visitors to Galapagos from 40,000 in 1990 to over 140,000 in 2006.
- The growth of tourism and the population stimulate the arrival of more flights and more cargo boats, decreasing the isolation of the archipelago and thereby increasing the arrival of invasive species - the greatest threat to the native biodiversity.
- The financial flows from tourism contribute to increasing immigration to the islands and result in higher demands for public services and jobs, creating a vicious cycle of growth and immigration.
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