Since our cruise on the Archipel over ten years ago, the Enchanted Isles have been experiencing some significant changes, for many reasons, most significantly economic at the global level:
1. A shift from a predominantly cruise based model in 2008 (80%, with 20% community based island hopping) to a land based model in 2018 (ten years later, 70% is community based;
2. A dramatic increase in the number of tourists, up in just one year from roughly 215K to 276K, more than the total number of local residents (roughly 35K);
3. Impact, given the above, on the natural ecosystem by the growing human ecosystem footprint, with multiple implications; a
One of my favorite stories about conservation and sustainability is Prof. Palumbi`s book, The Death and Life of Monterey Bay, about the marine ecosystem and what was accomplished through the implementation of a sanctuary. To that end, during my visit to northern California the end of February, I would like to propose a meeting, possibly at the Aquarium, inviting people who know and love the Islands and would take an interest in their conservation. Last year, with support from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Smart Village and Humanitarian Affairs Committee, we launched an Intranet on San Cristobal, to be extended to Santa Cruz, connecting the 5 and 12 schools, respectively, on each island, providing virtual support for the Scalesia Foundation`s 380 teachers in their Education for Sustainability Initiative at 18 different schools, 12 on Santa Cruz, and six on San Cristobal.
Leading local stakeholders we have been working with include:
The Governing Council of Galapagos
The three Municipalities
The Galapagos National Park
The Ministry of Tourism
The Regional Office of the Ministry of Education
WWF
Our model is relatively simple: ecotourism as stewardship, with the metrics of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, inviting visitors as investors and collaborators with locals to transform the tourism value chain based on the co creation of shared value. But we also seek to build bridges (Chaca, in Kichwa, mean bridges) inviting institutions like the Aquarium, Stanford and MIT, Microsoft (with their Azure Platform to measure results), among others, interested in applying their resources to keep the Galapagos pristine.
In closing, I am including links to a video we created with young leaders on San Cristobal in 2013, and a podcast on Master`s of Scale about the Gates Foundation`s investment to reduce child mortality.
The Galapagos is a world natural heritage site for humanity. It is, as a good friend and retired NSF grant reader said, manageable given the size and numbers. But ¨outside the box¨ solutions are required.
