GT0012 Guatemala: PeopleCentred Conservation & Ecodev.
in Sierra de la Minas Biosphere Reserve

Project Summary:
The Ecodevelopment project in the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere
Reserve is focused on environmentallysound economic development
and conservation education in and around the Sierra de las Minas
Reserve, as a counterpart and complement to other ongoing protection
and management efforts. The overall goal of the project is the
conservation and sustainable use of the region's natural resources
in perpetuity and achievement of human wellbeing through
the development of sustainable livelihoods.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 90 | |
|
Consumption & Pollution 0Freshwater Ecosystems 10
| | EE & Capacity Building 40
|
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 20 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 40 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
The Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve lies in northeastern
Guatemala, with an area of approximately 236,000 ha of rugged
mountainous terrain, encompassing seven life zones and speciesrich
cloud forests. Numerous rare and endangered plants and animals
such as the quetzal, jaguar, possibly the harpy eagle, tapir,
white monk orchid and high numbers of endemic plants and invertebrates
are found in the area. While relatively inaccessible due to its
extremely rugged topography and lack of roads, the area has come
under increasing threat in recent years primarily from the expansion
of the agriculture frontier up the slopes of the Sierra, with
resulting deforestation from land clearing and agriculturallyinduced
forest fires. The second major threat to the area has been uncontrolled
and ecologicallyunsound lumbering, as the Sierra houses
extensive timber resources. Hunting is an additional pressure
on the wildlife resources of the area. WWF involvement in this
region began in early 1989, with support to Defensores de la Naturaleza,
a Guatemalan NGO long interested in the area, to complete the
technical and feasibility study of the area required for its specific
legal establishment as a Biosphere Reserve in 1990. WWF has subsequently
worked with Defensores to develop an overall integrated conservation
and development project whose goals are to: protect the biodiversity
and forests of the Sierra; maintain and improve the watershed
functions; improve the quality of life of local residents in accordance
with sustainable utilization of the natural resources in the area;
and promote scientific research in the area.
Project Objectives:
1. To strengthen and expand training and extension by involving
farmers from 50% of the communities in sustainable agricultural
production of corn and beans through adoption of technologies
to conserve soil and build fertility.
2. To develop a forestry programme focused on provision of technical
services for sustainable management of timber and nontimber
forest products and strengthening local capacity for managing
community forest resources.
3. To develop a cadre of local promoters and technicians to extend
agricultural and forestry work geographically.
4. To develop new training and extension activities in social
organization, marketing, processing and storage.
5. To integrate the environmental communication project activities
into the extension and training work and incorporate ecological
learning into all extension activities.
6. To continue to build support and capability to positively
affect the reserve among the region's decision makers through
training and communication.
GT0012.1: Ecodevelopment Project in the Sierra de las Minas
Biosphere Reserve (Jan. 92 - Dec. 96)
Activity Background:
In November 1993, DFN completed an evaluation of field activities
and reached several important conclusions: 1) the sustainable
agriculture activities have a high adoption rate and need to be
expanded in order to reach communities not yet covered; 2) greater
emphasis should be given to organization and training of women;
and 3) environmental education, especially information regarding
the importance of the SMBR and the role of DFN, need to be better
integrated into community extension and outreach activities. DFN
incorporated these elements into an overall programme called Ecodevelopment.
Activity Objectives:
1. To improve the quality of life of the local populations through
rational resource management and increase sensibility and respect
for nature.
2. To increase agricultural productivity and sustainability to
improve the standard of living.
3. To strengthen womens' participation, giving emphasis to transmission
of personal values towards nature and sustainable resource use.
4. To train local residents in improved resource management and
conservation, and develop legal, community, and institutional
mechanisms for conservation.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Education; Forest
Management; Institutional Support and Development; Protected Area
Management; Programme / Project Development.
Activity Species:
Resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno).
GT0016 Guatemala: Guatemala Trust Fund for Conservation
Project Summary:
The Guatemala Conservation Trust is a long term mechanism to support
conservation action in priority geographic and thematic areas
and promote discussion of conservation and sustainable development
issues. It functions as a legally inscribed entity with backing
of the relevant institutional and financial management entities
of Guatemala. It has fulltime administrative management,
professional financial and legal advisors, a trustee, and formal
procedures and guidelines for project decisionmaking, financial
disbursement mechanisms, and selection of new members. WWF sits
on the board together with four Guatemalan NGO partners and the
government management authority as advisor. Projects to create
and manage protected areas, build conservation capacity, promote
sustainable resource use, and protect species of special concern
are developed by these organizations and others that may apply
for financing. The trust is designed to cover operational costs
and make grants through conservative investment policies that
permit sequestering an interest allotment to continue capitalization.
WWF assists in attracting attention and support to the trust,
participates actively in decisionmaking regarding disbursements,
operational and administrative structure, procedures and systems,
and in general discussion of Guatemala conservation issues. The
GCT is a nontraditional mechanism by which WWF will decentralize
our programmatic decisionmaking and financial responsibilities
in this important country of the Central American focal unit.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 100 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Guatemalan conservation took a significant step towards self empowerment
with the formation of a trust fund in 1991 to support protected
areas planning and management, environmental education, biodiversity
research, sustainable use of wild resources, technical training,
and other activities that promote sound linkage between conservation
and national economic development. WWF joined with Defensores
de la Naturaleza, Fundación Interamericana de Investigación
Tropical, and Fundación Mario Dary Rivera in establishing
a board to oversee financial management of the fund and development
of spending programmes. A government representative participates
as a nonvoting member. The board's representation may increase
to include a maximum of nine member organizations. WWF staff were
instrumental in designing and creating the administrative and
legal framework for the trust. The fund was capitalized initially
with USD155,000 of WWF general funds authorized in FY91 and 92,
a private donation from UK of USD370,000 authorized in FY92, and
USD290,000 from conversion of donated commercial debt held by
the Bank of America in FY93. The fund is expected to attract additional
contributions from bilateral and multilateral aid agencies, the
GEF, and other sources both public and private sectors to reach
the target endowment of USD5MM. The fund is managed by a professional
financial management agency and receives annual audits by a leading
international accounting firm. It is structured as a longterm
endowment that grows over time by sequestering 20% of the interest
generated from the investment instruments, which will be predominately
low risk Guatemala Government issued bonds. Annual interest income
will fund a variety of conservation programmes. Project execution
will be the responsibility of a range of Guatemalan NGOs (including
nonmembers of the Trust Fund board) that have demonstrated
experience in the conservation arena. Project executants will
be accountable to the board. WWF promotes the trust as an important
forum for discussion and consensus building within the Guatemala
conservation community.
Project Objectives:
1. To build conservation capacity and financial and policy selfreliance
in Guatemala by providing a mechanism for permanent financing
of priority conservation activities and establishing a forum for
discussing and resolving conservation and development conflicts
and issues.
2. To decentralize the WWF Conservation programme in Guatemala.
GT0016.1: Participation in Guatemala Trust Board Meetings
(Jul. 93 - Jun. 96)
Activity Background:
WWF participation on the Guatemala Conservation Trust will continue
under the supervision of Miguel Cifuentes and backed up by Steve
Cornelius. WWF's responsibilities and role on the board will be
clearly described in a cooperative agreement with the Trust. Our
involvement will include participation in all decisions and actions
relevant to the four founding members of the Trust, except those
reserved for direct beneficiaries.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Methods:
Institutional Support and Development; Programme / Project Development.
GT0016.2: Leverage capital investment for GCT endowment
(Jul. 93 - Jun. 96)
Activity Background:
Though WWF will not dedicate general funds to complete the Guatemala
Conservation trust endowment, we will work actively with the other
GCT members to encourage bilateral, multilateral, and private
foundation participation.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
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