Cookie Policy

This site uses cookies. When browsing the site, you are consenting its use. Learn more

I understood

ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN SAHARA-SAHEL

03 Apr 2018 - Frederico Santarém (CIBIO-InBIO/UP) April 06, 2018 | 15h30 | CIBIO-InBIO’s Auditorium, Campus de Vairão
ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN SAHARA-SAHEL

STUDENT SEMINAR IN BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION

 

 

Biodiversity is threatened by human activities worldwide. In remote desert areas, the poor socioeconomic conditions and political constrains have neglected biodiversity conservation. Community-based conservation projects are needed to preserve threatened biodiversity in deserts. The Sahara-Sahel environment represents an excellent model to investigate where non-consumptive activities, such as ecotourism, can be developed to optimise return-on-investments. Here, I will present my PhD plan, by identifying which flagship species can be used for conservation and ecotourism marketing campaigns and by exploring how ecotourism activities can be sustainably developed at local scale, accounting for uncertainty scenarios and predicting which biological and social features determine optimised responses. Innovative methods for the identification of flagship species and site-selection planning at local-scales will be explored. This work evaluates the suitability and constrains of deserts to develop ecotourism projects for biological conservation, thus providing a framework for future improvement of the livelihoods of local communities.

 

Frederico is a PhD student in BIODESERTS group with research interests in ecotourism, biological conservation, and environmental management. He has been developing new tools for ecotourism development at different scales. He published papers dealing with methodological aspects of ecotourism assessments in top journals of tourism management. He worked as tourist guide in Peneda-Geres National Park, having developed skills in the field of sustainable tourism in natural areas. He is a reviewer for tourism and biological scientific journals, and a member of the IUCN-TAPAS group (Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group). He had been attracting funds to develop his studies in desert environments.

 

[Host: José Carlos Brito, Biodiversity of Deserts and Arid Regions]

 

Image credits: Frederico Santarém

Share this: