Climate Action Mexico Project #7814

Help Local Leaders Save the Mesoamerican Reef

by Fondo Mexicano para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza, A.C.

Help Local Leaders Save the Mesoamerican Reef

Project Report | Jul 7, 2015
MAR Leadership News: April - June 2015

By Elisa Lopez | MAR Leadership Program Project Officer

Dear friends and supporters!

We want to tell you how appreciative we are of your support to the Mesoamerican Reef Leadership Program in 2014! Your belief in our mission of a healthy reef with prosperous communities has allowed us to strengthen the capacities and leadership skills of young conservationists in Mexico (Quintana Roo), Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras to help them launch marine and coastal conservation project.

In gratitude, we are happy to share with you the progress made by the MAR Leadership Program and Fellows in the development of their projects and their professional careers along the second quarter of 2015.

2014 MAR Leadership cohort farewell: Final workshop in Belize

The Fourth Workshop of the 2014 Cohort, was held in Belize City, Belize from April 26^th to May 3^rd, 2015. In addition to the trainings that Fellows received, this dynamic workshop connected Fellows with international experts, and strengthened the MAR Leadership network, enabling new synergies, and empowering the existing ones. As in previous workshops, other Fellows from the host country participated, including Nicanor and Angeline (2011 MAR Fellows), Leonel, Adriel and Joel Green (2012 MAR Fellows).

The workshop started with training on advocacy delivered by Lori (ELAW¹). The analysis of real case studies in the four MAR countries was presented by other ELAW members, such as Alejandra (CEMDA²), Janelle (Oceana), Judge Antoinette, Clarisa (IDAMHO³), and Jeanette (ADA2⁴).

The goal of this training was to develop a wide and purposeful vision of public policies in MAR Fellows, and help strengthen their capacity to influence society and decision making processes.

As it has been done in former workshops, a Symposium on Integrated Solid Waste Management in the MAR countries was held in Belmopan, which allowed an exchange of ideas and agreements between government authorities, MAR Fellows, experts, and members of various social sectors of the host country, who share an interest in preventing the impacts of inadequate management of solid waste in the MAR. Regional and national efforts regarding sustainability on solid waste management were presented.

Fellows were also trained on institutional development and resource mobilization by Annette, which motivated the analysis of the challenges that social organizations face in achieving their own sustainability. Annette helped Fellows understand how to leverage the resources of their organizations, how to find innovative and creative alternatives for income generation and diversification of financing sources for their projects, and how to professionalize and strengthen their institutions.

MAR Fellows presented the progressed made in their projects, the big changes that they are all already achieving in their communities, and future plans.

¹ Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, ² Mexican Center for Environmental Law, ³ Honduras Institute for Environmental Law, ⁴Alianza de Derecho Ambiental y Agua.

Hihlight of the 2014 cohort

1) New skills and knowledge: 13 fellows have been trained on project design, fundraising, strategic communications, personal development, negotiated solutions/conflict resolution, and public policy advocacy. This bundle of skills is designed to assist Fellows in the design and execution of their projects. Three Fellows have advanced to positions of greater influence and responsibility in their current organization. Fellows have raised funds from governmental sources, Foundations, and a local NGO to launch their projects. Several of them have become advocates inside important public policy reform processes. For instance, Melissa is leading the adaptation of a national policy for integrated waste and sewage management in Guatemala; and Lemuel is leading the development of a new regulation that includes a solid waste generation assessment as a pre-requisite to securing permits for startup businesses in Cozumel.

2) Sustainable Materials Management as a guiding model for Fellows’ projects: 7 projects on Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) have been launched in five communities (Cozumel and Holbox islands in Mexico; Punta Gorda in Belize; Livingston in Guatemala; and Roatan Island in Honduras) contributing to the regional vision of reducing plastic waste in the MAR by 30% in the next 3-5 five years. SMM projects emphasize source reduction, materials reuse, composting, recycling, local job creation, and regional economic development. Fernando, Tzahyríand Denisse have contributed in rehabilitating Holbox Island transfer station. It has been cleaned up and employees have been trained and equipped. In the last several months 8 tons of waste has been transferred to the mainland for recycling. Incineration has been an issue of concern in Holbox. In addition, students from Holbox schools are recycling PET bottles by converting them into hammocks and roofs. They are also transforming paper, glass, and cardboard into arts and crafts for educational purposes. Given the small size but biological importance of Holbox, these actions have measurably reduced the waste discarded in the transfer station, which can be a leaching hazard for the reef.

3) Networking opportunities and synergies: 7 multi-sector conservation partnerships arise from relationships developed as part of the 2014 cohort. An example is the collaboration between Emerson from Belize and Mario from Guatemala who are working on a strategy to transport recoverable materials from Punta Gorda, Belize to Puerto Barrios in Guatemala where they will be recycled. Tzahyrí from Holbox and Lemuel from Cozumel are implementing a new initiative based on cero plastic zones where they are replacing disposable plastic bottles with reusable bottles which will significantly reduce waste production in their communities. Lemuel is collecting the iron-man and other sports events plastic bottles that are in good shape and is delivering them to Tzahyrí who is introducing them in schools.

Fellows have been linked to international mentors who have strengthening their MAR project, and helped fellows with their current job and responsibilities. Laura from Honduras participated as a speaker at the Summit on Sustainable Materials Management organized by the U.S. National Recycling Coalition, in collaboration with the Center of Syracuse University the Sustainable Community Solutions and the Center for Environmental Finance of the University of Maryland. She learned about successful experiences in implementing the SMM and had the opportunity to meet several members of the Recycling Coalition of Puerto Rico who will be visiting her in Roatan in supporting her project in Roatan. During a Solid Waste Management Forum, the Bay Islands Governor and the mayors of the two municipalities on Roatan Island signed an unprecedented agreement to collaborate with the sustainable management of materials project and support Fellows projects.

2015 Call for applications

The central goal of the 2015 MAR Leadership Program is to conserve 20% of the existing mangrove cover in the (MAR) over the next five years by reducing deforestation and degradation of mangrove ecosystem services (ecotourism, coastal protection, fisheries, blue carbon, aquifer protection) and addressing threats to mangroves through a range of strategies and projects advanced by selected Fellows.

The call for applications closes on July 15^Th. We are excited and looking forward to receiving plenty of applications from candidates in the MAR countries.

What are MAR Fellows up to?

Roatan-Cancun binational conferences

In June, binational conferences between elementary schools in Roatan and Cancun were held. 2014 MAR Fellows Cindy (Honduras) and Monica (Mexico) connected two schools for the second time this year, and they plan to continue with more groups of different ages and also with teachers. The topics discussed during the conferences were focused on the importance of the coastal ecosystems shared by both countries as well as how solid waste has become a threat to the ecosystem. Children from both countries shared messages and solutions.

Environmental education focused on youth is the cornerstone of Cindy and Monica´s leadership projects. Technology has become the means of communication that brings awareness on solid waste out of the classroom and that can be replicated throughout the region. It is expected that Cindy and Monica can trace a training plan according to the teachers and students’ needs in the Sandy Bay School to strengthen the SMM program (Sustainable Materials Management). Cindy together with Laura will begin framing the baseline of waste generation in the school to feed into their project and into Monica´s project: the online learning platform. This platform –will share trainings as well as information about SMM and downloadable teaching materials, all tropicalized into a context of SMM in the MAR.

Cindy and Laura: news from Roatan

In June BICA Roatán (Bay Island Conservation Association) celebrated the Oceans Day with a workshop organized by Cindy (2014 MAR Fellow, Honduras) is the who is the environmental educator. The workshop focused on ocean pollution in the school Modelo of Sandy Bay. The event was also attended by school teachers of West End and staff of the Department of Education of the Bay Islands Department. Activities also included a beach cleanup with teachers. Teachers were shocked with videos and photos that we shared and every day they are more and more convinced that we must act, and that one of the first solutions to this problem is to raise awareness and take responsibility – says Cindy.

VIII Environment Education World Congress

World Environmental Education Congress – WEEC – is an international congress addressing education for environment and sustainable development. It is the meeting point for everyone working in education for environment and sustainable development or who have an interest in the field. WEEC2015 is an opportunity to learn more about the latest developments in environmental and sustainability education, to share your own work with people from all over the world and to learn from others.

As part of her individual training funds, the MAR Leadership Program supported Monica (2014 MAR Fellow, Mexico) to attend WEEC2015, to be held from June 29 to July 2 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Congress theme is "Planet and People - strategies for living together". Monica submitted two abstracts that were accepted for oral presentation: Mesoamerican Reef Leadership Program: Building a New Generation of Environmental Leaders and Connecting Initiatives for a Healthy Reef: a virtual learning platform on Sustainable Materials Management for the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion.

You can see these abstracts and more at: https://b-com.mci-group.com/AbstractList/150604WEEC.aspx

Vicente

Vicente (2010 MAR Fellow, Mexico) was recently appointed Project Manager for the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI). Vicente´s tasks will be to coordinate MARTI´s partners in the four MAR countries, to create a monitoring and evaluation system, to promote the establishment of strategic alliances for the initiative, fundraising support, and communication of achievements. In addition, Vicente is supporting the Mesoamerican Reef office of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) based in Guatemala to develop the brand and communication strategy of MAR Destination. The destination seeks to bring together community tourism initiatives in the four MAR countries (with emphasis on Guatemala and Honduras but with a regional vision) and allow these initiatives to have more outward visibility, and to have a common image to appeal to niche markets.

Carlos

Carlos (2012 MAR Fellow, Mexico) is advising the Municipality of Solidaridad (where Playa del Carmen is located) with its Climate Change Strategy to report to the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) in the Cities project. CDP is an international, not-for-profit organisation providing the only global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share their environmental information. Through CDP, cities around the world are measuring, monitoring and managing their impact on the environment. Over the past five years, CDP has worked with 207 cities to manage over one billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. CDP’s cities program demonstrates that cities are better managing their risk and increasing resiliency through more than 2,000 activities to mitigate and adapt to climate change. See more at: https://www.cdp.net/cities.

Following this Climate Change Strategy, the Municipality of Solidaridad is the 4th nationwide town to report to CDP and opens opportunities to participate in the 21th Conference of Parties (COP) in Paris (http://www.cop21paris.org/).

Kim

2011 MAR Fellow Kim (Mexico) has completed the writing of his Ph.D thesis at the Curtin University of Technology, in Perth, Australia! His research was partially performed through his MAR Leadership project: Adding value to MAR ecosystems, a holistic approach to its fisheries. This project seeks to generate socio-economic incentives for sustainable fishing and monitoring through the implementation of artificial shelters for spiny lobster and the restoration of Biosphere Reserves in Banco Chinchorro and Sian Kaan. We share some of the results published in the paper: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ abs / 10.1080 / 17451000.2012.727434.

Giacomo

In June 2012 MAR Fellow Giacomo (Mexico) won the Award as Sea Hero by the Scuba Diving magazine http://www.scubadiving.com/ The magazine is acknowledging his hard work in marine conservation as Director of Roatan Marine Park, Honduras.

Other Fellows’ proyects impacts

Maya Ka'an, 2010 Fellow Vicente´s project is a new community tourism destination in the Mexican Caribbean that has integrated 17 (tourism cooperatives) in nine locations covering three municipalities in central Quintana Roo. In three years the project has trained 400 people from the communities of the Maya Zone of Quintana Roo, certified more than 30 tour guides under the NOM 009 on specialized nature tourism, and has certified 10 companies as sustainable ecotourism companies under the norm NMX 133 Ecotour
Attachments:

GlobalGiving_Project_Report_July2015_v3jul.pdf (PDF)

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Apr 7, 2015
MAR Leadership News: January - March 2015

By Maria Eugenia Arreola | Director

Dear friends,

The first quarter of the year has been hectic and productive. We are happy to report the progress made by the 2014 MAR Fellows in the development of their projects and their professional careers. Joanna and Mario from Guatemala, attended a workshop on Greenhouse Gases (GHG) Inventories organized by USAID, WWF, GIZ and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, MARN. Guatemala has recently approved the Framework Law on Climate Change, which promotes initiatives that reduce emissions of GHG. Landfills, especially those with high load of organic matter, are important sources of GHG, therefore a project that reduces the amount of organic waste disposal through composting for example, will be considered as a change climate mitigation tool and therefore have greater legal and financial support. For this reason, many of the 2014 cohort fellows like Joanna and Mario are increasing their interest in this type of training to monitor the impact of conservation in their projects. Also, and as part of their project with the project entitled "Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) along the Motagua River basin and starting with the Municipality of Livingston ", Joanna and Mario have continued socializing the concept of SMM by training teachers, giving interviews at national media and organizing strategic meetings with key stakeholders such as municipal authorities.

Melissa from Guatemala finalized the process of reformation and adaptation of the National Policy for the Integrated Management of Solid Waste. Regarding her project "Guide to Develop Plans for Municipal Solid Waste Management for the town of Livingston" Melissa has incorporated the guide in the Annual Work Plan of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) and has achieved technical and financial support from the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and has achieved validation through the Coordinating Committee for the Integrated Solid Waste Management.

Tzahyrí from Mexico is recycling glass by creating fine arts and crafts. She learned the technique of vitromosaic with discarded bottles, glass fusing and cut glass from Mexican artisans. Tzahyrí’s objective is to develop a sustainable alternative for the glass used in Holbox Island. Through these techniques the used glass becomes souvenirs for tourism. Tzahyrí’s MAR Leadership project seeks to establish a plan for integrated management of materials in the natural protected area of Yum Balam, where Holbox is located, reducing the amount of waste reaching the landfill (glass in this case), but also, supporting the conservation of Holbox´s biodiversity by giving tourists a sustainable alternative to traditional handicrafts made from corals, sponges and starfish.

The nonprofit organization, Ocean Conservancy (OC), through its Programme Trash Free Seas (Trash Free Seas), has worked hard over the past year in an exercise to identify the most important sources of plastic pollution in the ocean with which outlined a set of solutions that match the scope and scale of the problem. OC has considered Belize as the perfect location to conduct a study because it allows them to assess the driver and barriers to success through various stages of the development of waste management. This work is being conducted by Ted S., director of DSM Environmental Services, Inc. and Emerson , 2014 Belize MAR Fellow, is helping him as the focal point of fieldwork in Belize, organizing meetings and showing Ted the waste management system of various districts of Belize. We are very excited about this new partnership with Ocean Conservancy.

Pablo, 2010 Mexico MAR Fellow, through Oceanus International, is working on a project to clean the FONATUR marina in Cozumel, considering all the environmental conditions. This will help FONATUR avoid dispersion of sediment plumes that may damage the reef, among other negative effects that have impacted in previous projects the reef of Cozumel Marine Park. Oceanus International is also constantly working on the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, where Pablo works in the project “Better Than A Beach” conditioning the hotel beach carefully following all environmental standards.

Maricarmen , 2010 MAR Fellow, reports to us from the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas of Mexico where she works, about the territorial expansion of the queen conch fishing ban until November 2017 and ranging from Punta Herrero to Xcalak, Quintana Roo. “Little by little we are increasing the ban area”- Maricarmen said. We want to congratulate her and the Fishermen Cooperatives from Banco Chinchorro, Langosteros del Caribe, and Andrés Quintana Roo for this initiative. After 10 years as director of Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve and Xcalak Reef National Park, Maricarmen has recently been appointed as Director of the Whale Shark Biosphere Reserve and Isla Contoy National Park, on the northern tip of the MAR region.

Angela, from Guatemala and Carlos, from Mexico, both 2012 MAR Fellows, received a scholarship to participate in the environmental economics for coastal ecosystems online course "Coastal Conservation Economics", which is being developed through a partnership between Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) and Duke University - Nicholas Institute. The course began in January and will last until May, with students from around the world. This course will significantly extend the capabilities of Angela and Carlos as to understand how institutional and market failures lead to the degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems. They will discuss political and economic tools to remedy these faults, and even they will have a focus on how the valuation of environmental services is influencing decision makers in developing conservation policies.

"La Garza" the researching vessel from the Foundation for Eco-development and Conservation (FUNDAECO), a Guatemalan nonprofit organization, celebrated its second anniversary. Transforming "La Garza" into a floating marine researching center that seeks to mobilize the collective interest on the environmental problems of the Gulf of Honduras, was the MAR Leadership project of Karen, 2010 MAR Fellow Guatemala and Director of Institutional Development at FUNDAECO.

In response to the regional need to monitor and balance the fishing of sharks and rays in Guatemala, an Advisory Committee for Sharks and Rays was established. The organization is run by the Directorate for Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations of Guatemala (DIPESCA) and the non-profit Fundación Mundo Azul, with the participation of the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), the diving school Water Quest and organizations like Healthy Reefs Initiative (represented in Guatemala by Ana 2011 MAR Fellow, the Center for the Marine studies and Aquaculture (CEMA) at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, "MarAlliance" and " Shark Legacy Project "coordinated by Giacomo, 2012 MAR Fellow Honduras. In January this committee held a meeting to support the implementation of international conventions and laws by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). "We need to educate and raise awareness on the importance of sharks and rays for the balance of coastal marine ecosystems, on how to promote sustainable fisheries for the economy of fishing communities and on the need to diversify fishermen´s economic activities," said Giacomo.

We have the 2015 cohort theme!

In the first quarter of the year we finished shaping the 2015 cohort theme, which will focus on the valuation and conservation of mangroves along the SAM region. In January, the MAR Leadership team traveled through the four countries gathering information and identifying key stakeholders, and met in Mexico City with the Executive Committee of the program to define the regional vision of the 2015 cohort. The regional vision for 2015 is to achieve zero deforestation of mangroves in the SAM within the next 10 years, with middle-term targets (5 years) including the protection of at least 40,000 hectares of mangroves (equivalent to 20% of the current coverage) and the valuation of ecosystem services as a reality in at least 5 locations in the region.

The 2015 MAR Fellows cohort call for applications will be published in May. Follow the process in our website and social networks!

Thank so much for your support to the MAR Leadership Program!!!

Links:

Learn more about the MAR Fellow in Facebook and Twitter

Attachments:

MAR-L update Jan -March 2015 (PDF)

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Dec 30, 2014
MAR Leadership Updates - December, 2014

By Elisa Lopez | MAR Leadership Program Project Officer

Melissa Alvarez giving her presentation

Dear friends and supporters!

We wanted to tell you how appreciative we are of your support to the Mesoamerican Reef Leadership Program in 2014! Your belief in our mission of a healthy reef with prosperous communities has allowed us to strengthen the capacities and leadership skills of young conservationists in Mexico (Quintana Roo), Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras to help them launch marine and coastal conservation projects.

We wish you a happy end of the year and a positive start to 2015.

MAR Leadership Team

Here are some updates of our fellows and their projects:

On October 8th 2014 MAR Fellow Melissa Alvarez was invited by the Ministry of Natural Resources (Mesoamerican Biological Corridor) in Guatemala to present the MAR Leadership Program and the Livingston Integrated Waste Management project in the National Policy Management Group Meeting which was held in Puerto Barrios. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss integrated coastal and marine management in Guatemala. 30 representatives of institutions and other groups from Livingston and Puerto Barrios municipalities participated.

2010 MAR Fellow Pablo Besquin’s project: modular artificial reef AMA® was launched in 2009 when he installed an artificial reef barrier at the NH Hotel in Puerto Morelos. This project seeks to restore the coastal area of Quintana Roo and avoid the continuous erosion of the beaches. Given its positive impact in restoring the beach at NH Hotel a second group of artificial reefs has been authorized and will be installed in November 2014. Catalonia Hotel in Puerto Aventuras has also signed an agreement to install a reef barrier. Additionally to protecting the coast, this artificial barrier reef will contribute to the coral eco-system conservation, since it will become a fish aggregating site for tourist attraction, which will reduce the pressure of tourists and fishermen on the natural reef areas.

Paradisus Playa del Carmen the hotel where Carlos Segura (2012 MAR Fellow) works as Environmental Manager, signed an agreement with Oceanus, A.C. (2011 MAR Fellow Gabriela Nava’s organization) to raise funds for her Coral Restoration Project which is the first project in Mexico that restores reef areas by transplanting coral colonies grown in nurseries. The hotel has placed two boxes in the Welcome launch for this project. This is a clear example of how the MAR Leadership Network is working.

In September Giacomo Palavicini (2012 MAR Fellow, Honduras) gave a TED talk on sharks at TEDxTegucigalpa which gathered distinguished personalities whose ideas and actions are helping Honduras to make a better country. Giacomo Palavicini is a renowned oceanographer and Executive Director of Roatan Marine Park and is making possible the consolidation of a culture for the preservation of Honduras marine resources. Giacomo’s participation’ at TedxTegucigalpa was recognized by the Mexican Ambassador in Honduras in a private meeting and in the Embassy’s newsletter.

Climbing the career ladder

Yashin Dujon (2010 MAR Fellow from Belize) is the new Environmental and Community Relations Officer at Harvest Caye. Harvest Caye is a new destination -- comprising two adjoining islands which are “eco-friendly”. Yashin is working on Developing the Eco-Adventure First Port that will be ISO 14001 Certified. There is a lot of public contention around it so he is revising the education and interpretation Programmes to meet ISO 14001 criteria and standards.

Oceanus A.C. Congratulations!

The organization Oceanus AC, which MAR Fellow 2011Gabriela Nava is a founding partner, won an Honorable Mention for the 2014 Conservation of Nature Award in the Category of Civil Organizations, an award given annually by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas of Mexico (CONANP).

Raising awareness of new generations

In August, Ian Drysdale (2010 MAR Fellow), Jenny Myton (2010 MAR Fellow) and Giacomo Palavicini (2012 MAR Fellow) of Honduras gave a master lesson at the Escuela Agricola Panamericana El Zamorano where they share their experiences on sustainable management of sharks and marine protected areas.

Exhibition in Cozumel

In October Javier Rojas (2010 MAR Fellow from Mexico) gave a presentation on "Results of the study: Business perception towards sustainable development in the north of Quintana Roo" developed in 2011 by Sustainable Development Consultancy for Tourism Enterprises (CODESUET) with support from the Leadership Program. Javier also shared his experience on Green Globe certification with the students of the Master of Management and Audit at the University of Quintana Roo in Cozumel.

Sustainable Tourism Expo

Vicente Ferreyra (2010 MAR Fellow) and Fernando del Valle (2014 MAR Fellow) participated as speakers at the Sustainable Tourism Expo which took place 15 - 17 October at the Palladium Hotel Tulum. Vicente presented the successful community tourism project Mayan Ka'an and Fernando spoke about the MARTI Certification. Both are emerging as true leaders and experts in the field of responsible tourism in Quintana Roo and other MAR countries.

Cozumel Scuba Fest 2014

The Cozumel Scuba Fest 2014 took place on December 9-14th. This event annually brings together the diving community of Quintana Roo and international divers. This year the event was attended by explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau. Scuba Fest's vision is to promote corporate social responsibility in in diving companies of Cozumel and Riviera Maya who are willing to protect the coral reef barrier and provide high quality services. The event also creates awareness in the local community regarding the importance of protecting the marine ecosystem and promotes concrete actions from the local government and regional NGOs. The Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature (FMCN), through the MAR Leadership Program (MAR Leadership) was invited to participate as an exhibitor. In representation of the program several MAR Fellows from different generations joined us in the event: Javier Rojas (2010), Tzahyrí Peraza (2014), among others managed to showcase their projects. As a result of the event, FMCN managed to position itself as a strong conservation organization in the world of professional divers. In addition, we were invited to participate in a congress for graduate students at the University of Quintana Roo in Cozumel where the MAR Leadership Program was presented and of great interest to teachers and students. It was therefore a pleasant experience that we hope to repeat in subsequent years.

Third workshop for the 2014 Cohort in Roatan

From 1 -9 November, 2014, the third workshop of 2014 cohort took place in Roatan, Honduras. It was a technically complex workshop due to the degree of progress in the strategic plans of each project and the challenges that naturally brings personal interactions within each team, but also very successful thanks to the work of consultants and the MAR Leadership team. As always, the trainings were of very high standard, this time including four international experts through videoconference.

It was also a very productive workshop in terms of the regional synergies that came up. We saw alliances between Fellows from different teams and countries with common goals and experiences, working together in strengthening their projects and generating invocative solutions to the solid waste problem. An example is the collaboration between 2014 MAR Fellows Emerson García (Belize), Mario Salazar (Guatemala) and David Barahona (Roatan) who are planning a parallel initiative to their projects in order to transport recoverable materials from Punta Gorda and Roatan and transport them to Puerto Barrios where Mario (recycling entrepreneur) will process and recycle them.

During the Solid Waste Management Forum the Bay Islands Departmental Governor and the mayors of the two municipalities on the island of Roatan, signed an unprecedented agreement in which they expressed their willingness to collaborate with the sustainable management of materials project in Roatan and support MAR Fellows projects from other previous cohorts. Following this event, we are planning a visit from these authorities and possibly those from Belize and Guatemala to Mexico to learn about how this problem is dealt.

Giacomo Palavicini

Ian, Jenny and Giacomo with students

Roatan 2014 workshops

Links:

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