Current situation

Most people on Bonaire, private and governmental organizations recognize caves as important features in the landscape and are aware of one or several of their values. Besides its ecological importance as one of the main habitats of keystone species for Bonaire’s terrestrial ecosystem, caves have been crucial for human survival practically on every continent since the apparition of hominids on the planet. They have been used for housing, refuge, storage, many types of religious rituals, art expressions, water and food sources, exploration, advances on the field of natural science and much more.

It is no wonder that caves have vast historical and cultural values. Caves on Bonaire are no exception to these values; however, they lack effective protection and management while damage to some of these is already evident.

Read here the latest technical information in the recently published report by Wageningen University (available in Dutch only): "Status of nature in the Dutch Caribbean, 2017" Chapter 2.4 Caves.

Geographic Scope

The proposed nature reserve is constituted of nine geographic units distributed through the Island Territory of Bonaire (see map) for a total area of approximately 9,900 Ha. These units are located on the “Quaternary Limestone” geological formation, chiefly on the so-called “Middle Terrace”. The selection of these areas was based on an evaluation of their ecological importance, cultural heritage values, scenic beauty and feasibility of use for sustainable tourism.

Legislation

Currently, caves and their values are threatened by uncontrolled activities, both of legal and illegal character. There is virtually a complete lack of management and supervision of the activities ongoing in Bonaire’s caves today. Illegal dumping of solid and liquid waste, uncontrolled visits and “off the record” exploration and documentation efforts by different personal initiatives are a few examples that illustrate this situation.

The inclusion of cave zones in the Bonaire Zoning Plan (ROB) in 2010, the last Nature Ordinance and the covenant signed about a decade ago between the local government and some cave tour operators, are good examples of positive actions with different degrees of success. However, caves remain unmanaged and unprotected and many steps still need to be taken. For instance, a financially sustainable and efficient management system has not been proposed yet. The Bonaire Caves & Karst Nature Reserve Project aims to solve this unfavorable situation.

Bonaire Caves and Karst Nature Reserve

Current situation

Geographic Scope

Legislation