CONDOR Multimedia Information System presented jointly with Conservation International

As a contribution to the regional development planning process, CAF and Conservation International (CI) will today present in Caracas the CONDOR Multimedia Information System whose objective in the first stage is to promote development of sustainable infrastructure, specifically in the Andean region.

CAF – convinced that appropriate coordination of economic, social and environmental variables will improve the quality and return on the projects it promotes – includes the concept of sustainable development in all its policies. At environmental level, the institution is developing actions to strengthen the concept of sustainability with seminars, publications and other tools such as the project presented today.

The launch will take place in CAF headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, with CAF President & CEO Enrique García, and Silvio Olivieri, vice president of Conservation International, a government organization based in Washington whose mission is conservation of biodiversity at planetary level.

García said the 21st century represents for the Andean region the challenge of generating sustainable infrastructure for integration, which requires, in addition to political will and uniform economic models, the planning of projects to make this great objective viable. "One of CAF’s priorities is to support each shareholder country’s efforts to modernize its physical infrastructure – mainly roads, energy and communications. In this respect: CONDOR is an excellent tool to facilitate the introduction of sustainability variables into the process of planning, evaluation and execution of projects of this type promoted by governments. In addition, innovative projects are being executed, such as environmental and industrial reconversion and others aimed at the eco-efficient use of natural resources.

Olivieri emphasized the unusual association between a financial institution, like CAF, and an institution which works for environmental conservation (CI), which marks the start of a new path to meeting the formidable challenge of sustainable development. "We are convinced – he said – that working together, guided by honest discussions and objective analysis, we will be able to reconcile the economic, environmental and social goals necessary for sustainable Andean development."

The project This first version of CONDOR includes the best databases available, some of which had to be developed specially for the project. The idea is to update the system annually and add more information, probably bringing more countries into the system. At present only the five Andean countries are included, although it could be extended to the other CAF shareholders: Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago.

This innovative tool, which is easy to use through a multimedia CD-ROM system, consists of a detailed geographical database which examines and evaluates over 30 variables, including biological priorities, existing and projected demographic bases, soils, indigenous communities in the region and rainfall, which are combined with a database on integration highways.

The CD-ROM operates on a Windows system and includes a simple user interface which allows the user to display the region of interest for the project and visualize a number of biodiversity, social and economic variables; compose maps, print them and/or export them in standard Windows formats; enter reference documents and guides for design of infrastructure works in the region; analyze warnings, and prepare reports which identify the key factors in a specific project.