Newsletter #4 EU DeSIRA and Green Climate Fund (GCF)
July de 2023
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We are pleased to report on the progress of the initiative "The 5 Great Forests of Mesoamerica," within the framework of projects funded by the EU DeSIRA and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). During this period, the following highlights took place:
- WCS's participation in the Mesoamerican Climate Week held in Panama in June 2023, organized by the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB). Through this participation and keynote lectures, the positioning of the Alliance for The 5 Great Forests of Mesoamerica and the importance of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (PICL) were achieved.
- The approval of the first conceptual notes for the Small Grants Program (SGP) in the forests of La Amistad and El Darien.
- Soil restoration, conservation, and implementation of agroforestry systems in Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
- Capacity strengthening for indigenous groups and local communities in Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua in beekeeping, cocoa production, fire management, and patrols.
- The closure of the Green Climate Fund's readiness project.
I. IMPROVEMENTS IN FOREST-COMPATIBLE LIVELIHOODS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO LIVESTOCK (co-funded by EU DeSIRA and WCS)
In the community of Uaxactún, Guatemala, in collaboration with Organization, Management, and Conservation (OMYC), Heirloom Cacao Preservation (HCP), and Jacob Miller from BFREE Belize, a training session on cocoa grafting was conducted for six individuals, which included a field trip for seed and branch collection and the planting of 1,100 plants.
The beekeepers in the community of Paso Caballos in Laguna del Tigre National Park achieved their first harvest of 1,000 pounds of high-quality honey with the support of WCS and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food (MAGA).
It is worth noting the completion of the Bioversity - CIAT studies on "Analysis and prioritization of sustainable livelihood alternatives." In Petén, the market profile and value chain for honey and bee products were completed to identify opportunities for improvement in both production and marketing.
In Belize, it was identified that home gardens and domestic animal production are among the highly rated alternatives.
In the community of Walakitang in Nicaragua, the installation of the first chicken coop was achieved at the primary school "Roger Salgado Wilson" and will be managed by a committee composed of teachers, students, and their families. It is expected that they will soon be extended to the communities of San Andrés, Tuburus, and Yakalpanani.
II. IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNANCE TO STRENGTHEN FOREST AND COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT (co-funded by EU DeSIRA and WCS)
The approval of the contract by the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) was achieved, allowing the community of San Miguel La Palotada to begin working on restoration, ecological recovery, and sustainable management processes in the Management Unit of the same name, within the framework of the "Together for San Miguel" initiative. Key participants included CONAP, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Municipality of San Andrés, Association of Forest Communities of Petén (ACOFOP), Center for Conservation Studies (CECON), ProPetén, Rainforest Alliance, and the Nature for Life Foundation.
In the Maya Forest Corridor (MFC) landscape in Belize, 65 patrols were conducted using the SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) tool, covering a distance of 2,645 km with the aim of monitoring and documenting illegal activities and law enforcement. During this period, WCS also expanded its management area to another property of 1,011 hectares to help increase connectivity within the MFC landscape.
Regarding forest fires, WCS Belize and MFC Coalition Partners actively fought 6 fires in collaboration with area managers. The skills learned in training were crucial for the 2023 fire season.
In La Moskitia, Honduras, the Interinstitutional Control Post in the community of Krausirpe was officially inaugurated. Several monitoring and patrol tours have been carried out with the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF) and the Honduran Army.
For patrols in Nicaragua, in the first semester of 2023, cleaning and reviving tasks were carried out on the boundary trail of the Miskito Indian Tasabika Kum (MITK) and Mayangna Sauni Bu (MSBu) territories in collaboration with 35 rangers.
III. RESTORATION AND SANITATION (co-funded by EU DeSIRA and WCS)
In the La Colorada management unit in Guatemala, efforts were focused on fire control, which posed a threat to restoration areas. Through collaboration between the community organization Selva Maya del Norte, WCS, ACOFOP, the Municipality of San Andrés, and other partners, a fire that affected only 90 hectares, representing less than 0.5% of the total area, was successfully controlled. Maintenance work was also carried out in the natural regeneration zone. The planted species include cedar, mahogany, pepper, ramón, and chico zapote. Additionally, 3,000 seedlings of chacaj colorado, jobo, and madre cacao were planted.
In San Miguel, the implementation of the community nursery continues with the production of 8,000 seedlings of cedar, mahogany, and ramón, mainly cared for by women, which will be used in restoration processes.
In Laguna del Tigre National Park, a historic delivery of four community certificates from the Forest Incentives Program for Small Landowners (PINPEP) of the National Institute of Forests (INAB) was achieved. In this first phase, the four beneficiaries join efforts for the protection and conservation of natural forests and their biodiversity in 25.49 hectares, with a total investment of Q 581,376 over a 10-year period covered by the incentive. The incentive provided is part of the collaboration between WCS, INAB, CONAP, the Municipality of San Andrés, the Deputy Minister of MAGA in charge of Petén Affairs, and the Balam Association.
In Honduras, in the communities of Brus Laguna, Krausirpe, and Wampusirpe, forest nurseries have been constructed and established in coordination with the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF), with a capacity to produce 25,000 diverse forest seedlings. The training and grafting process of 5,300 cocoa seedlings with buds from certified clones by the Honduran Foundation for Agricultural Research (FHIA) were also completed, along with the plot layout for their final planting.
In the community of Pimienta, consultations were conducted with the Board of Directors of the Yabal Ignika Agroforestry Cooperative to secure a new forest allocation for sustainable forest management. The analysis demonstrated the need to update and modify management plans and prioritize the control of illegal logging. It was determined that there is still good potential for forest management of species other than mahogany, with an emphasis on improving available markets.
In Nicaragua, during the first semester of 2023, 20 meetings were held between members of Indigenous Territorial Governments (GTIs), community members from Río Coco and Bocay/Moskitia, and WCS representatives to assess the performance and progress of the 2022-2023 Conservation Agreements and plan conservation and restoration activities in areas degraded mainly by illegal livestock activities. Coordination was carried out with the Territorial Governments and the Regional Government known as the "Special Regime of the Indigenous Territories of the Upper Wangki and Bocay Basin" (Executive Decree No. 19-2008) approved on April 14, 2008, by the government of Nicaragua.
With the support of Bioversity - CIAT, alternative productive activities with greater potential for success and economic benefit, as well as active restoration options (agroforestry systems with cocoa) and passive restoration (natural vegetation regeneration), were evaluated. A total of 210 producers are participating in this consultation process.
Through a diagnostic conducted in 30 communities along the Río Coco, producers implementing good practices were identified, and a total of 7,000 cocoa plants will be provided to them to increase their productive potential. These plants were produced by local indigenous groups in the communities of Wayawas/Río Coco and Samaska/Río Bocay, who produced and delivered 13,000 cocoa plants in 2022.
IV. HARMONIZATION OF POLICIES AND INCENTIVES TO REDUCE PRESSURES ON FORESTS AND SUPPORT IDENTIFIED ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS
With the signing of the contract with the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), progress has been reported in strengthening regional governance through consultation processes and dialogues with the countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA). The following highlights are included in their quarterly report:
- Dialogue with the Ministries of Agriculture that form the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC), to include joint actions on the work agenda.
- Support for the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), Integrated Program for Critical Forest Biomes (PI/GEF), and accompanying the process for which the European Union will allocate new funds.
- Regional collaboration was promoted within the framework of the Second CCAD Regional Environmental Congress, "Interregional Unity to Improve Human Security and Environmental Resilience.
SMALL GRANTS COMPONENT OF THE EU DESIRA PROJECT · LA AMISTAD / EL DARIÉN
Continuing with the Small Grants Program process, in the last quarter, the first 6 projects submitted by local communities and indigenous peoples from Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize were approved. The table below presents a concise list of the approved projects within the framework of the Small Grants Program (SGP), including the project title, location, and executing entity.
Table 1. Succinct list of approved projects within the Small Grants Program (SGP) framework.
CLOSURE OF THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND (GCF) PREPARATORY PROJECT
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) supported readiness project concluded in June 2023. Under the framework of this initiative, the following achievements were reached:
- Strategies for coordination and effective participation, with an emphasis on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (PICL). A rigorous consultation process was undertaken with leaders of PICL in the region, led by Carlos Camacho Nassar. It included individual interviews and meetings with members of the Indigenous Council of Central America (CICA), as well as representatives from the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMBP) and the Indigenous Peoples Development Fund of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC).
- Plan for the participation and integration of Indigenous Peoples of the Mesoamerican Grand Forests. This plan includes a summary of territorial and community governance structures, cultural and political characterizations, analysis of vulnerabilities and threats, recommendations for participation, and an overview of laws, decrees, methods, and consultation mechanisms, including experiences from prior consultations before this project.
- Mesoamerican Climate Week. In June 2023, with the support of GCF, the WCS team participated in organizing the Mesoamerican Climate Week, led by the AMBP. The event involved more than 200 participants, representing PICL groups from across the region, as well as civil society, government, and private sector donors and stakeholders. The event also served to validate the contents and conclusions of a priority agenda of Mesoamerican PICL, which will guide regional leaders in strategically directing efforts, attention, and funding from donors. It also developed a regional coordination plan to ensure a continued process of multisectoral dialogue, with equitable and effective participation of PICL, as well as women and other vulnerable groups.
- Monitoring and management of protected areas. Under the leadership of the University for International Cooperation (UCI), mapping and capacity assessments of actors involved in protected areas management were completed, along with a plan for monitoring and law enforcement.
- Human Footprint. To support the preparation process, a series of studies were conducted on the state of the 5 Grand Forests and the progress of the Human Footprint. This included the development of an interactive map led by the University of Valle de Guatemala (UVG), which allows visualization of a comprehensive database on the state of forests, a historical analysis of deforestation in the region, mapping of Indigenous populations, and the potential for restoration investment, among other aspects.
- Concept Note. In collaboration with Conservation International (CI), the AMBP, CCAD, and consultations with governments, a conceptual note was developed in April 2022 for a GCF investment program titled "A Regional Fund for the Mesoamerican and Dominican Republic Grand Forests." Its objective is to enhance resilience and adaptation capacity of forest ecosystems and IP-LCs to the impacts of climate change, as well as to reduce threats contributing to deforestation and GHG emissions.
- Communication strategy. A communication strategy was designed, including objectives, guidelines for communication, the creation of a bilingual website (English and Spanish), logo and identity, and documentation of 4 forests and over 50 interviews with key stakeholders.
These significant achievements have contributed to the advancement of the Alliance for the 5 Great Forests and the development of a regional coordination mechanism and capacity-building, aiming to promote more participatory and effective management.
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