NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROTECTION PROJECT
(MAYA MOUNTAINS)


(Project BZ0852)

I


n southern Belize, WWF is working with the government and USAID on a four-year project to boost profits from agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, simultaneously ensuring the safety of the natural resources. The project involves developing new strategies for environmental protection and resource management, the introduction of alternative agricultural methods, public awareness campaigns, and the establishment of a system of protected areas based on the judicious use of land.

The target area is the Maya Mountain complex and surrounding agricultural buffer zones in the Stann Creek, Cayo, and Toledo Districts of southern Belize. These cover almost a third of the country. Although its rich forest cover is largely intact, the region is under pressure from commercial and subsistence agriculture.

Deforestation rates in Belize are still the lowest in Central America (32km2 per year), but that may soon change. Immigrants from neighbouring countries looking, quite literally, for greener pastures, have brought with them inappropriate agricultural practices. These include slash and burn agriculture and the use of pesticides. Over the past few years, vast tracts of forest bordering the Maya Mountains have been replaced by banana and citrus plantations. There are fears that subsistence farmers may be forced to retreat to steep hillsides unsuited for agriculture. This has already happened in other parts of Central America.

People involved in this project are working with Belizean farmers in the Maya Mountain buffer zones to develop new technologies for profitable and sustainable agricultural systems. WWF is also helping the Belize government raise its capacity for environmental regulation and protected area management by providing institutional support.

The project has had an effect on conservation efforts throughout Belize. Activities currently underway include a national protected areas management plan, guidelines and regulations for environmental impact assessment, establishment of a Protected Areas Conservation Trust, and training in areas such as project formulation and conflict resolution. A US$500,000 Conservation Development Fund has also been established to help Belizean NGOs implement field projects.




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Copyright 1996, The World Wide Fund For Nature