REFORES strengthens community-based early warning systems in the Sula Valley, Honduras, through the delivery of climate monitoring equipment

• These instruments will strengthen the generation of hydrometeorological information in the watersheds of the San Ildefonso and Manchaguala rivers, promoting better coordination among communities, local governments, and institutions to anticipate and respond to the effects of climate change.

The municipalities of Omoa and San Pedro Sula, in Honduras, received a set of climate monitoring and warning equipment on July 22 and 24, 2026, respectively, aimed at strengthening community-based early warning systems (SAT-C) in the watersheds of the San Ildefonso and Manchaguala rivers. The equipment was provided by the project , to Increase Resilience to Extreme Climate Events in the Atlantic Region of Central America” (REFORES – Forest Restoration for Climate Resilience).

Through this, REFORES seeks to improve the monitoring of hydrometeorological variables and generate timely information, thereby strengthening risk management in the face of floods, landslides, and other extreme climate events. In Honduras, the project aims to positively impact more than 22,000 people, directly and indirectly.

Institutional representatives, municipal authorities, and community observers participated in the activities and will be responsible for monitoring and following up on the operation of the meteorological stations. In Omoa, for example, one of the pieces of equipment will be installed in the community of Tierra Santa to strengthen the local early warning system in response to increased rainfall and rising river levels.

“Thanks to REFORES, we can now alert the community in time. The equipment has strengthened monitoring in the areas surrounding the Cuyamelito–San Ildefonso rivers, which are very dangerous and have high flows that come down forcefully from the mountains. For example, one of the pieces of equipment delivered is an alarm, a high-resolution loudspeaker that will be installed on the Cuyamel bridge,” said Ricardo Alvarado, mayor of the municipality. “Together with the station that will be installed at the dam, when the river comes down with force and a large volume of water, this equipment will be activated and will warn of the danger through this loudspeaker, so that the entire community can be alerted,” he added.

Karla Mejía, REFORES project coordinator in Honduras, highlighted the importance of integrating institutional capacities, community participation, and climate information to strengthen prevention and territorial response. “REFORES has joined the initiatives of the Municipality of Omoa to strengthen risk management, restoration, and capacity development at the local level. We recognize the efforts that the municipality has made in recent years to build technical capacity, from local government to communities,” she said.

This equipment delivery was carried out as part of the coordination established with the Secretariat of State in the Offices of Risk Management and National Contingencies, through the National Center for Atmospheric, Oceanographic and Seismic Studies (CENAOS).

This coordination enables communities and local governments to have more accurate and timely information to anticipate hydrometeorological events, make informed decisions, and coordinate prevention and response actions that contribute to protecting people, livelihoods, and the territory.
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Restoration and governance

In addition to delivering equipment, REFORES promotes coordination among communities, local governments, and national institutions to strengthen prevention and response to climate risks. The project encourages the participation of women, young people, and other groups in vulnerable conditions, recognizing that effective risk management requires both reliable information and community organization and participation.

These actions connect climate change adaptation, risk management, and ecosystem restoration through Nature-based Solutions (NbS). In this way, the project seeks to reduce the vulnerability of territories, protect essential ecosystem services, and generate key inputs for evidence-based land-use planning and municipal planning.

The information generated also serves as an input for land-use planning, municipal planning, and the definition of evidence-based adaptation measures, helping local governments and communities better prepare for the effects of climate change.

The project

REFORES is financed by the Adaptation Fund, implemented by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), and executed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE).