Restore and Protect Forests in Mesoamerica

Dear GlobalGiving supporters,

I hope you continue to navigate the global pandemic we’re all living through with health and resilience!

We’ve certainly had our share of challenges. As you may have heard, Hurricane Eta recently severly impacted Central America. Thankfully, it did not directly affect our local partners in Guatemala in terms of loss of lives and homes. However in the Ixcán, El Quiché area, there was flooding of the corn production area located on the banks of the Chixoy River. 

In the area of Multiple Use of the Sarstún River, community leaders have told us that they had no problems related to flooding. However, the communities located on the banks of the Río Dulce, had to enact emergency evacuations to higher ground. We are grateful that there was no considerable damage to people and homes, the corn harvest had already finished, and the next planting cycle will begin at the end of November.

In the context of COVID-19 and a natural disaster, I’m pleased to share with you that we have recently started implementing a project to protect and restore mangroves, led by local communities. As you may know, mangroves are essential for coastal protection from erosion. By offering an obstacle to wind and waves, they significantly decrease the intensity of the storm while reducing its human and material toll. Their roots also play an important role in trapping sediments and stabilizing shorelines facing increased erosion pressures.

Besides their role in shoreline protection, mangroves constitute a valuable tool in the fight against climate change. When a tree grows, it stores carbon in its biomass, thus decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Mangroves perform this carbon storage mechanism particularly well, as they can store up to five times more carbon than an equal area of rainforest. These efficient carbon sinks are becoming increasingly relevant in the light of worsening climate change.

Our project launched last week (right before Eta) with 2 participatory workshops to identify the causes of mangrove degradation in the communities of Barra Sarstún and San Juan in Livingston, Izabal, where 25 people from each community participated. The project will include training community brigades to protect the mangroves, monitor their condition, and regenerate degraded areas.

I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress and thank you for your support! This year has certainly presented many challenges and obstacles, but we are grateful that you are part of our community and that you have supported us during this journey.

In solidarity,

Mario Ardany de Leon, Program Officer, Guatemala