Restoring 10 hectares of riparian forest in El Merendón to strengthen water resources in San José de Manchaguala

• The reforestation day, held on August 20, is part of the Restoration Network and aims to secure the local water system and community resilience in the Sula Valley, Honduras.

With the objective of restoring 10 hectares of riparian forest and strengthening the local water system, a reforestation day was carried out in San José de Manchaguala, in the El Merendón Reserve, Honduras, a priority intervention for the Chamelecón River basin and the well-being of families in the community.

The activity is part of the efforts of the Restoration Network, made up of the Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente (SERNA), Cervecería Hondureña, WWF Mesoamérica, the Instituto de Conservación Forestal (ICF) of the northwestern region, the Asociación de Patronatos de la Reserva El Merendón, the Alianza para la Seguridad Hídrica de San Pedro Sula (APSHSPS), CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) through the REFORES project, the Instituto Hondureño de Turismo, and district education authorities. REFORES is implemented by CATIE with financial support from the Adaptation Fund, in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE).

The Chamelecón River basin is strategic for water and forest management in the Sula Valley. The intervention coincides with the upcoming construction of the community’s first drinking water distribution system, which makes the recovery of the riparian forest a priority to ensure the sustainability of the resource and the well-being of families.

The actions will directly benefit the community and contribute to improving forest cover in neighboring localities of El Merendón, reinforcing watershed protection and resilience to climate change.

Thanks to this joint work, key synergies have been established with local actors in the El Merendón region, coordinating efforts in forest landscape restoration and strengthening community and institutional capacities to ensure climate-resilient management of water and territory.