Climate Change
REDD+
We consider the Climate Change subject as a national security subject that fights against food insecurity and biodiversity conservation.
Guatemala, according to the Global Climate Risk Index 2015, is considered worldwide as the ninth country more vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change. Our main strategy to face this climate vulnerability is the forest conservation through the Protected Areas management and conservation. This strategy allows us to mitigate such effects maintaining big amounts of forest cover and biodiversity in our working areas. Also, we work in different adapting actions to the effects of climate change, especially in high vulnerability regions, as the capital city.
FUNDAECO has promoted during the last 10 years a number of programs that facilitate the rural and indigenous community adaptation to the climate change effects. Our projects for adaptation and mitigation are:
Agroforestry and Forest Restauration for the Ecological Connectivity, Poverty Reduction and Biodiversity Conservation in Cerro San Gil: with the support of the Livelihoods fund, FUNDAECO supports the communities in the creation of 4.000 hectares of agroforest systems, including the planting of family and community forests, rubber, fruit trees, black pepper, etc. based on dispersed trees, live barriers, shade trees and automatic wind interrupters to increase the forest cover in the agricultural and livestock systems. The project will benefit more than 500 families of 25 mayan-q’eqchis and ladino communities that live in poverty and extreme poverty conditions, increasing the food security and increase the family income, thereby reducing its vulnerability to climate change.
Sustainable Forest Management and Worldwide Multiple Environmental Benefits: with the support of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), FUNDAECO currently promotes the conservation and sustainable management of forests, as well as the plantation of agroforest systems in the communities of Huehuetenango (located in the highlands) with the objective to reduce the deforestation rate and its vulnerability to climate change. The project will support the protection of 34.357 forest hectares, the creation of a biological corridor and the promotion of agroforest systems with 10 communities. A new initiative of REDD+ for Guatemala will be designed under this initiative.
Water Sustainable Management in the Cuchumatanes: with the support of the Agency for International Development –USAID- FUNDAECO is supporting 11 communities in the northwestern highlands of Guatemala, with the objective to improve water management and guarantee the access to safe water and the production in the area. The project is contributing to increase food security and the reduction of climate change vulnerability through infrastructure of rainwater harvesting, river basins recovery and small irrigation systems. The project will guarantee safe water access for 2.300 people; improve agricultural productivity for 60 families and sustainable management of 3 river basins.
Sustainable cities: Metropolitan Ecological Corridor: with the support of the French Fund for the Environment –FEEM- FUNDAECO will design a project to promote the establishment of an Ecological Corridor for Guatemala City, contributing to city planning and development, with the objective to guarantee water management and access, the reduction of disaster vulnerability, biodiversity conservation and the access to recreational areas for the Guatemalan urban population. The project will support the ecological parks creation and management inside the city, promoting the participation of neighborhood associations and soil sustainable use, supporting territorial planning of the city.
Participative Design and Fishing Restauration Areas Protection in the Protected Area of Sarstún River: with the support of MARFUND/ KFW, FUNDAECO is working together with the artisanal fisherman in the design and management of “fishing harbor” to improve the resilience to artisanal fishing before the climate change. Theses restauration zones are selected with the participation of local fisherman in the Caribbean of Guatemala. The project is offering benefits to more than 22 artisanal fisherman communities, assuring resource availability and sustainable fisheries that contribute to increase food security and thereby reduce climate change vulnerability.
REDD+ Project for the Caribbean of Guatemala: Avoided Deforestation, Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Community Development in the Tropical Forest Corridor of the Caribbean of Guatemala: with the collaboration of Althelia fund for climate, FUNDAECO is planning a REDD+ initiative for the Caribbean of Guatemala. The project pretends to guarantee protection of existing forests through the increase of protection of natural forests and support of activities that generate income for the communities, including agroforest system plantation and ecotourism. In the long term, the project pretends to guarantee the establishment of 110.000 hectares of natural forests, support the establishment of 1.000 hectares of agroforest systems and support low impact tourism in 7 sites throughout the Caribbean of Guatemala, with the objective to avoid the emission of more than 8.000,000tC02, contributing to sustainable development of 60 communities.
