A Journey to Achieving Sustainability: Lessons from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Sustainability and sustainable development concepts have been applied in the Galapagos Islands for decades, particularly after specific changes to the Constitution of Ecuador took place in 1998, allowing for the approval of the Special Law for Galapagos due to its recognized fragile and unique socio-ecosystem. However, the application and implementation of such concepts has not been easy. In the last decade, interesting sustainability science-based studies have been carried out providing tools for decision-making, formulation of public policy and regional planning in the Galapagos. This talk will elaborate on these efforts, including a recent one initiated as part of my Tinker Visiting Professorship at Stanford University, focusing on the restoration project of the inhabited island of Floreana.

Arturo Izurieta Valery, currently a Tinker Visiting Professor at CLAS, has a post-doctorate degree at Charles Darwin University, Australia with studies of participatory processes to evaluate the collaborative management of protected areas in the Northern Territory, Australia, and a Doctorate (PhD) in Management of Rural and Natural Systems at the University of Queensland, Australia. He has a Master's degree in Management and Conservation of Biodiversity at CATIE, Costa Rica in 1997, and a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador in 1991. He also has an appointment as Research Associate at the Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL), Charles Darwin University, Australia, since 2011. Arturo Izurieta Valery has extensive experience in research and management of protected areas and local communities in islands, emphasizing the relationship between environmental health and human wellbeing. He has worked for more than 30 years on strategic projects and facilitating relations between government authorities, local actors, academia and science from Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, Malaysia and Central America.
Professor Arturo Izurieta Valery will be teaching HUMBIO 112G Parks and People on Islands: Lessons for Sustainability in the Winter 2023 Quarter.