Centro ABC Tota

Work Areas

Main CEPA work area

At the same time with the components of our virtual center, which communicate and contribute to education, awareness and participation (through information and interaction dedicated to: library, social networks, FAQ, photos, videos and interviews, blog, summary documents, presentation of local issues, volunteering, details of fauna and flora, and tourism); ABC Tota is also an extension of the CEPA work in Lake Tota that since 2010 has been developed by the Montecito Foundation, which includes active and constant presence in various fronts of governance, including:

-Water Volunteer School – EVAgua | see: eva.fundacionmontecito.org

-Improve Our Footprint, a reflective strategy (includes a basin municipality) see: bit.ly/mnhuella

-Blog CEPA Cause Tota – Memory | see: bit.ly/ctb-fm

-Reflexiones Fundación Montecito | see: fundacionmontecito.org/reflexiones

-Related events and conferences | see: fundacionmontecito.org/eventos

-Related presentations : see: fundacionmontecito.blogspot.com/search/label/Presentations

-Activism, reflected in campaigns and various other forms | see: bit.ly/camp-ct, http://eventosprolagodetota.blogspot.com/,

Synopsis: lagodetota.fundacionmontecito.org/campanas

-Lake of Tota and Tourism (English) | see: visitsugamuxi.com/lake-tota

-Participation in field projects : see: fundacionmontecito.org/proyectos-en-terreno

-Disclosure material : see: http://lagodetota.fundacionmontecito.org/material-divulgativo

-Web media in charge : see: http://lagodetota.fundacionmontecito.org/medios-web

-Underwater (video footage) | see: http://lagodetota.fundacionmontecito.org/bajo-el-agua

Top three successes

1.) The Grey Globe (WWN) obtained for Lake Tota in 2012 (web: bit.ly/ggt-fm), with the leadership of the Montecito Foundation and active participation of civil society. Because it marked a change and a general awakening of awareness towards the problems of the lake, the need to solve them and invest time and resources in it, and strengthened the beginning of governance and influence of civil society in participation and decisions. And the ABC Tota Center is a later consequence of that Grey Globe, because since 2012 its need was already clear.

2.) With ABC Tota being the first Wetland Center in Lake Tota, dedicated to a specific wetland, the result of civil society work with an NGO (we do not know of a similar initiative in the country). Because it provides an example of CEPA in wetland management at local, regional and national levels, facilitates the articulation of actors, governance and participation, and improves education and research possibilities to raise awareness and knowledge of the wetland. This is necessary to promote good practice, raise awareness of wise use, and achieve protection at national and even international levels (Ramsar).

3.) Integrate and strengthen the Tota Cause, a collective civil society objective that has been led by the Montecito Foundation and aims to recover and preserve this lake and basin in perpetuity. Because it is a cause that has been sustained over time (since 2011), and it has demonstrated the capacity to influence change, for example with its key participation in the creation of the Lake Tota Stewardship Office, as well as in the Lake Tota Basin Council, which are scenarios of control, surveillance, consultancy and representation of actors, in the daily events of the basin and its governance (see essay that relates this process: http://bit.ly/c-agua).

Top three challenges

Naturally, we believe that others can learn from our work and objectives at ABC Tota, because this Centre represents a notable reference associated with Lake Tota, and this lake is a wetland of international importance (although not yet a Ramsar site). And mutual learning can be created by maintaining visits, interaction and communication, from the Centre to the community (virtual, and on site), and vice versa.

1.) To have soon our physical headquarters at the Centro ABC Tota, next to Lake Tota, and to centralize there the constant interaction and the strengthening of knowledge and actions that benefit Lake Tota, in integral themes (social, cultural, economic, political, academic, legal).

2.) To create a physical place and tools for the development of science and participatory research.

3.) To have our mobile unit for rural education, which allows us to go and reach easily all the schools in the basin, providing “emotional” environmental education to the child population.