Welcome

Conflicts between resource conservation and economic development occur as a consequence of the direct and indirect effects of a burgeoning human population (i.e., 28,000 as of 2007) that continues to migrate to the Galapagos Islands primarily from the mainland of Ecuador, as well as from tourists who visit the archipelago from around the world (i.e., 170,000 in 2007). This growing human population is now threatening the future of this archipelago – its resources, ecological fragility, and human-environment interactions that exist in this charismatic place – and, as such, the United Nations has recently designated the Galapagos Islands “at risk” from the threats associated with population growth and economic development, and the Ecuadorian government has declared an “ecological emergency,” thereby, further emphasizing the interactions between people and environment in a world-renowned protected area.

To address the challenges facing the Galapagos Islands, a collaborative partnership has been created between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador. The partnership is designed to foster research, education, and outreach programs in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, but whose vision extends to the mainland, region, and world. The Center for Galapagos Studies will address the complex interactions among social, terrestrial, and marine environments through an integrated perspective that couples human and natural systems. Geo-spatial technologies are emphasized, as disparate data are used to assess people, environment, and their interactions across the social, natural, and spatial sciences. The Center will link to local, national, and international organizations and institutions. UNC-Chapel Hill has Memorandums of Understanding with the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation, as well as with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. An interdisciplinary emphasis will guide the activities, and the study of social, terrestrial, and marine sub-systems in a World Heritage Site as a model for understanding similarly challenged environments around the World.