Why WCS?

On Our Strategies

To Create and Strengthen Protected Areas and Indigenous Territories

We work with governments to strengthen protected area systems and promote sustainable use of natural resources in indigenous territories, other community-managed lands and private lands. Across the Andes-Amazon, we assisted in securing management plans for over 6 million hectares, while in Bolivia alone we have helped secure title to 1.5 million hectares of indigenous lands.

To Research, Monitor, and Conserve Key Wildlife Species

We conduct wildlife research and monitor wildlife populations to generate data for sound natural resource management decisions. For example, in the Brazilian Amazon our researchers discovered that giant South American river turtles use different kinds of vocal communication to coordinate their social behaviors. This discovery informs management recommendations made by our Amazon Waters Initiative.

To Build Local Capacity for Conservation Planning, Management, and Monitoring

To Promote Sustainable Livelihoods

As development reaches previously remote areas, Latin America is transforming at an unprecedented rate and scale. The sustainability of the resource base that underpins the economy, the natural resources upon which millions of poor people depend for their livelihoods, and the region's unparalleled biodiversity are all threatened. WCS is committed to finding mutually beneficial solutions that integrate conservation and human wellbeing through sound conservation planning that engages multiple stakeholders. In the Colombian Orinoco, we are planning for a more sustainable future by working with governments, communities, and the private sector to balance conservation, livelihoods, and economic growth.

To Conserve Important Wetlands and Manage Fisheries

Millions of residents of the Amazon Basin depend upon fish as their principal source of protein. Fish are "animal sentinels"—they are the chief indicators of ecosystem health for the Basin as a whole. Through the Amazon Waters Initiative, our goal is to maintain the connectivity of this vast, interlinked, and dynamic freshwater system, supporting human wellbeing, wildlife, and the environments on which they depend. In Peru, we supported the Loreto state government to design and implement a comprehensive commercial fisheries monitoring system that encompasses 80% of all the fisheries in the Peruvian Amazon.

To Mitigate the Impacts of Climate Change and Infrastructure Development

Large-scale challenges such as climate change and infrastructure development require engagement with national and international policies and political processes. Across the Andes, Amazon, and Orinoco, WCS is working with governments to develop strong policies and regulations to ensure that environmental impacts of large-scale infrastructure projects and extractive industries are thoroughly analyzed and that best practices to minimize and mitigate these impacts are followed. In Colombia and Peru, we are supporting the establishment of policies and developing tools to ensure no net loss of biodiversity. In Ecuador, we are supporting local residents and government officials to develop climate-smart plans for their communities in the Andean foothills.