Guatemala Strengthens Its Commitment to Ecological Restoration and Climate Change Adaptation

• The REFORES project, executed by CATIE, WRI, and BCIE, was presented to key environmental authorities in Guatemala.

During the week of April 15 to 19, important discussions on natural resource management and climate change adaptation took place in Guatemala, with the presentation of the progress of the REFORES project - Forest Restoration for Climate Resilience - to the country's main environmental authorities.

The project is executed by CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), with funding managed by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) from the Adaptation Fund. It aims to strengthen climate resilience through ecosystem restoration.

The meetings were attended by René Zamora and Ana Lorena Córdoba from WRI; Estuardo Girón, REFORES coordinator in Guatemala; Róger Villalobos, researcher from CATIE's Climate Action Unit; and Julio López, CATIE's representative in Guatemala.

The dialogue was held with representatives from important public institutions of the country such as the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the National Council of Protected Areas, and the National Institute of Forests.

Discussions focused on the main objectives of the REFORES project, highlighting its relevance in the current context of environmental challenges faced by Guatemala. Multiple opportunities for collaboration between the project's implementing institutions and the main governmental institutions were identified. Furthermore, steps were outlined to ensure effective coordination of all project activities in the country, which will allow for successful and sustainable implementation of the restoration and climate adaptation strategies.

These interactions not only reinforce Guatemala's commitment to sustainable environmental management but also establish an essential collaborative framework to face the challenges of climate change through joint efforts between the government, international organizations, and experts in the field.

About the REFORES Project

The goal of the REFORES project, to be implemented in Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, is to strengthen the climate resilience of communities and ecosystems in the region through nature-based restoration efforts, consciously incorporating approaches of gender, cultural relevance, and youth. The project also seeks to provide access to tools and community training, support local and community early warning systems, and implement a regional approach that enhances the possibilities of scaling up ecosystem restoration as adaptation measures in the Gulf of Honduras.

The project aims to directly benefit 2,050 people and indirectly more than 35,000, in addition to providing the countries with early warning systems to improve their response capacities to extreme climate events. Additionally, it aims to promote learning and exchange through the collection of lessons and experiences, which the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) can later use for replication throughout the Caribbean region.