Over its first three years, BLF evolved from an initial phase focused on establishing operational and technical foundations to consolidating tangible results across its priority sub-landscapes: the Maya Forest, Trifinio, and La Moskitia.
The program has strengthened governance and community livelihoods, expanded restoration efforts and the protection of priority areas, generated evidence to support the conservation of emblematic species, and mobilized policies and financing that can help sustain these gains over the long term.
Stronger community governance: 1,801 people were trained in improved governance practices, 566 in land tenure and rights, and 796 in social safeguards. In addition, 19 organizations improved their infrastructure, while Indigenous Peoples and Local Community organizations recorded an average 48% increase in their capacities.
Sustainable livelihoods: 2,344 people were trained in alternative livelihoods, and 1,686 are already applying the methodologies promoted by the program. BLF strengthened 15 value chains linked, among other activities, to honey, cacao, agroforestry, tourism, non-timber forest products, biofactories, and agroecological production.
Planning for resilience: 38 communities now have climate planning instruments in place, and 24 Climate-Smart Community Development Plans have been developed to guide investments and practices related to restoration, agroforestry, water management, and sustainable production.
Restoration at scale: 8,037 hectares are under restoration, soil conservation, or agroforestry systems, surpassing the target set for this stage of the program.
Building capacity to restore landscapes: 671 people were trained in restoration and agroforestry, strengthening the adoption of productive practices that restore soils, diversify farms, and increase climate resilience.
Sustainable management: 2.15 million hectares were reported under sustainable management practices across the four intervention landscapes, reflecting the combined contribution of conservation, territorial governance, and sustainable production systems.
Connecting well-being and conservation: strengthening organizations, diversifying livelihoods, and investing in climate-smart approaches help reduce pressure on natural resources while increasing communities’ capacity to adapt to climate risks.
Landscape-scale protection: 13 conservation areas were strengthened: 7 in Guatemala (Laguna del Tigre National Park, Mirador–Río Azul National Park, Dos Lagunas Protected Biotope, El Zotz Protected Biotope, Sierra del Lacandón National Park, and Management Complexes III and IV), 1 in Honduras (Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve), 4 in Belize (Maya Forest Corridor Trust, Chiquibul National Park, Vaca Forest Reserve, and the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area), and 1 in Trifinio (Trifinio Biosphere Reserve). In addition, 15 management instruments for protected areas or management units were developed or updated.
Patrolling and enforcement: 77,339 km of land and aerial patrols were conducted with support attributable to BLF. In addition, 900 people were trained or assisted in patrolling and enforcement activities, strengthening institutional and community presence in priority sites.
Community agreements: 57 conservation agreements were signed or supported with local communities, reinforcing commitments to sustainable management and forest protection.
Wildfire prevention and response: 716 people were trained in wildfire management, and 222 received firefighting equipment. These capacities were particularly important during a period marked by severe drought and an exceptionally intense regional fire season.
Biodiversity monitoring: the program trained 263 people in biological monitoring and conducted 24 assessments of population status. More than 100 active camera traps and other monitoring systems provided information on 10 focal species, including jaguars, tapirs, white-lipped peccaries, scarlet macaws, and river turtles.
Policies and instruments: the program supported 11 policy-related instruments aimed at improving sustainable management. At the outcome level, nine processes showed progress in the reform, implementation, or strengthening of laws, policies, or institutional mechanisms.
Financing for sustainability: BLF helped mobilize £5.610 million in public and private financing for biodiversity, ecosystem management, and resilient development, surpassing the cumulative target set for this stage of the program.
Financial mechanisms established: key achievements include the establishment in Guatemala of a public fund for forest protection and restoration (FOBOSQUE), with initial capitalization of approximately £3.8 million, as well as the development of carbon finance mechanisms in Belize.
Territorial partnerships: the program coordinated with 63 organized groups and facilitated 27 collaboration and exchange agreements, strengthening joint action among communities, governments, Indigenous organizations, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders.
Knowledge: 19 technical documents were prepared and published, including peer-reviewed scientific publications, technical reports, and practical tools, among them:
Methodological Guide: Development of Climate-Smart Community Development Plans
Land Use and Land Cover Map of the Trifinio Region
From forest mosaics to cassava fields: non-invasive monitoring disentangles mammal–crop interactions
Institutional Strengthening Modules for Indigenous Territorial Councils in La Moskitia
Communication: communication activities cumulatively reached 3,557,119 people. The record of a giant anteater —Winku Tara in the Miskito language— generated particular interest, surpassing 2.4 million views across social media.
These results represent far more than numbers: they reflect communities with greater capacity to shape their own future, forests regaining their vitality, and partnerships that turn conservation into lasting opportunities. Every hectare restored, every species protected, and every organization strengthened demonstrates that it is possible to build landscapes where people and nature thrive together.
The journey continues. Building on the foundations established during these first three years, BLF will continue advancing collective solutions that endure beyond the life of the program and contribute to a more biodiverse, resilient, and prosperous Mesoamerica for present and future generations.
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