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The Tiinkias eco-tourism project began in 2006 when seven Achuar communities decided to establish the Wankanim reserve, intended to protect the local biodiversity, provoke cultural preservation, and develop sustainable economic activities.
The reserve is unique in that it protects a black water lake, home to giant otters, alligators and many other species. As of August 2011, the Tiinkias community has already received six tourism groups, a total of 90 visitors.
To fulfill the project’s vision for collective benefit, Fundación Pachamama recently partnered with these communities to offer a participatory budgeting workshop, a decisive step towards a just, thriving, and sustainable world.
Twenty-five men and fifteen women from five of the seven communities attended the workshop earlier this month.
A Model for Democratic Resource Management
Participatory budgets are a decision-making instrument that assist in the democratic management of financial resources assigned from a communal source of income. They are a tool that looks to generate negotiation and consensus among members and authorities of a community, organization, or other group.
The participatory budget methodology implemented by Fundación Pachamama helped revise the ecotourism project’s income and expenses. It also looked at how the profits were distributed between January and July 2011.
Deciding Where the Money Goes
In a public meeting, the treasurer presented financial information from the previous quarter and the 40 participants had the opportunity to ask how the money was spent.
Additionally, discussion during the workshop branched out to topics like the territory itself, natural resources, and the importance of decisions made in combination with good forest governance.
Discussion also focused on overcoming the problems associated with the lack of adequate information and communication. The workshop’s participants finally decided to prioritize investment in the campsite and development of its installations to improve the service provided to tourists.
Balancing Conservation and Tourism
Furthermore, they decided that in the next assembly they will discuss the rules and proceedings needed to implement a management plan for the Wankanim Reserve.
The community members have realized the importance of zoning to manage their natural resources, after seeing the relationship between conservation and the interests and concerns of tourists.
Anticipating Future Needs for Long-Term Sustainability
During the workshop, the participants anticipated the need to create a fund for emergency medical needs, mobilizations, and leaders’ activities outside the community, as well as a savings account that would allow them to have a permanent money flow for reinvestment in their tourism project.
It was also decided that other income sources would need to be generated, and so the community members expressed interest in grant writing and presenting proposals to possible donors, with the technical assistance of Fundación Pachamama and TrekEcuador (two main supporters of the project).
A Community Commitment
The members of the seven Achuar communities are clear about the importance of tourism for them. They see the project as “theirs” and they are willing to invest in and regulate the activities related to tourism.
They are committed to strengthening decision-making processes for managing economic resources, as well as to their vision for natural resource management in the Wankanim reserve.
Both the men and women have a vast knowledge about the tourism project. They understand the roles and responsibilities of the camp’s employees and the project’s profits, and more than anything, they have a deep appreciation for Tiinkias’ beauty, which serves as the principle attraction for them and tourists.
