Participatory Design of a Communication, Education, and Public Participation in Environmental (Cepa) Plan for Yacuri National Park

Strategies for Environmental Education and Community Participation in the Conservation of Andean Ecosystems

Bibliographic Data

ID19489240
AuthorsJosé Andrés Bravo Jiménez (Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja), Rosa Armijos-González (0000-0002-6330-7312, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, corresponding author), Fausto López‐rodríguez (Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja), Fausto López-Rodríguez
Year2026
Volume10
Issue5
Pages263
Publication date2026-05-11
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueUrban Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2413-8851 • E-ISSN: 2413-8851
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/urbansci10050263
OpenAlexW7160828650
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited18

Yacuri National Park (YNP) is a Ramsar site located within Ecuador’s Podocarpus-El Cóndor Biosphere Reserve. The Park faces critical threats from illegal mining, livestock grazing, wildfires and the harvesting of wax palms. This study employed participatory action research to co-design a Communication, Education and Public Engagement (CEPA) plan with park managers and local communities as equal partners. Moving beyond traditional, top-down information campaigns, the CEPA framework establishes a co-governance model that integrates indigenous knowledge with local socio-economic realities. The plan implements four targeted interventions: (1) strengthening community fire brigades (BRICOM); (2) promoting culturally appropriate alternatives to Holy Week wax palm harvesting; (3) establishing participatory waste management; and (4) engaging tourists as conservation allies through experiential learning. Strategic alliances with municipalities, universities, and civil society organizations provide institutional backing and secure resources, while a participatory monitoring system using SMART indicators tracks behavioral and ecological outcomes. Ultimately, the findings demonstrate that conserving culturally complex, biodiverse landscapes requires social legitimacy, environmental justice and equitable power-sharing. Recognizing local communities as co-managers is essential to ensuring the long-term protection of Andean ecosystems

Action plan · Citizen journalism · Citizen science · Civil society · Environmental education · National park · Participatory action research · Participatory planning · Public participation · Sustainability · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Agriculture · Mining and Resource Management

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Open DOIOpen Access