History of Protected Areas in Argentina: A Seesaw of Shifting Priorities and Policies in a Developing Country

Abstract

Protected Areas (PAs) are key to avoiding habitat destruction and biodiversity loss. Most research conducted in PAs has focused on the geological, biological or ecological aspects of sites, while few studies have examined the policymaking process. However, PA designation might reflect the political history of a country regarding environmental protection and whether PA designation is based on a strong conservation commitment or is instead propaganda yielding ‘paper parks’. Argentina, the first Latin American nation to set land aside to protect it, provides a case study of the process of constructing a PA system, and certain elements apply to other developing countries. Its first national park was created in 1922, and the first law concerning PAs was promulgated in 1934. Since then, a succession of democratic governments interrupted by military regimes has modified parks and promulgated laws changing conservation priorities. The conservation goal of PAs was not always manifest in government policies. Despite the number of PAs (48 by 2019) and area covered (14,718,420 hectares total by 2019), most of these lands face the same challenges as PAs in many other developing nations, including limited budgets, lack of field staff, absence of strategic planning, insufficient political support and corruption. Since the return to democracy in 1983, new laws have been enacted based on experience gathered in other nations. However, existence of a law does not guarantee its enforcement. Environmental NGOs, the scientific community and a growing concerned citizenry nowadays constitute the most important forces supporting the conservation function of PAs and environmental conservation in general in Argentina.

Assessing Protected Area Zoning Effectiveness With Remote Sensing Data: The Case of Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina

“…Although we found no relationship between these two variables, it is important to notice that there were a total of 239 fires recorded in this period, most of which (150) affected less than 0.5 ha (Margutti & Arosteguy, 2019), and no location data were available, so we could not include such data in our analysis. Furthermore, illegal campfires are common across the region, and the low number of personnel and lack of appropriate vehicles make it difficult for authorities to prevent them (Rivarola et al, 2021a). On the other hand, the combination of the current trend of warmer and drier summers following unusually dry springs (phenomena associated with La Niña events), uncommon electrical storms during the summer, and the massive accumulation of fuel material in the forests constitutes a permanent threat for these forests, across all levels of protection.…”

“…Their role in ecosystem services and preserving biodiversity goes beyond the limits of a PA, and they constitute a substantial fraction of a country's national capital, supporting national sustainable development and human wellbeing (Bovarnick et al, 2010). The Argentinean PA system has a long history, and despite political and economic instability in the country, the general trend of PA establishment and management by the APN is promising (Rivarola et al, 2021a). Weaknesses and threats were well identified in the latest management plan for NHNP, and general and specific goals were established for both the short and the long term.…”

“…Consequently, several are located at higher elevations (where conflicts with human uses are minimal) or in areas accessible only by boat. This category does not allow any use, other than patrolling and scientific research (Rivarola et al, 2021a). In this study, we investigated NR, NP, and SNR, insofar as we lacked access to spatial data that included WNR.…”

“…This is the situation in Nahuel Huapi National Park (NHNP), located in the northern portion of the temperate forests in Patagonia, Argentina. This protected area, originally created in 1922 as National Park (formerly Southern National Park, then Nahuel Huapi National Park; NP category II IUCN), was later subdivided into National Reserve (NR; category VI IUCN) and Strict Nature Reserve (SNR; category I IUCN) (Rivarola et al, 2021a). The National Reserve was established in 1970 as a buffer zone between the National Park (west) and the unprotected area (east); furthermore, most of the private properties that existed at the time were included in this new (lower) category, allowing for regulated extractive use.…”

“…The National Reserve was established in 1970 as a buffer zone between the National Park (west) and the unprotected area (east); furthermore, most of the private properties that existed at the time were included in this new (lower) category, allowing for regulated extractive use. Finally, in 1990 pristine and remote areas within the National Park were declared Strict Nature Reserve with no human intervention allowed (Martin & Chehébar, 2001;Rivarola et al, 2021a). NHNP has one city and two small towns on its borders, accounting for a total population of approximately 170,000 people.…”