FINAL REPORT

JULY 2016-JUNE 2019

IMPROVED COASTAL WATERSHEDS AND

LIVELIHOODS PROJECT

JUNE 30, 2019

This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by IUCN.

ICWL Final Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACRONYMS ...... 3 1. PROJECT OVERVIEW ...... 4 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 6 3. DESCRIPTION OF MAIN RESULTS ...... 11 I. Natural Ecosystems and Biodiversity Protected and Restored Through Climate‐Smart Approaches (ER1) ...... 11 II. Sustainability of Rural Livelihood Systems Improved Through Climate‐Smart Approaches (ER2) ...... 30 III. Effectiveness and Integration of “Source‐to‐sea” Watershed Governance Improved (ER3) ...... 37 IV. Crosscutting Issues ...... 44 4. INDICATORS ...... 49 5. ANNEXES: SUCCESS AND LEARNING STORIES ...... 50

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ACRONYMS

ADESCO Community Development Association, El Salvador AGRACC Roundtable for Environment, Risk Management and Climate Change, Honduras AMH/E Chismuyo Chismuyo Bay Species and Habitat Management Area ASINORLU Inter-Municipal Association of the North of La Unión AVE Adaptation, Vulnerability and Ecosystems Project BRIDGE Building River Dialogue and Governance – Mesoamerican Project CDMYPE Center for the Development of Micro and Small Enterprises CENDEPESCA Directorate General for Agriculture and Fisheries, El Salvador CENTA National Center for Agricultural, Livestock and Forest Technology CEPIS Pan-American Center for Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences CLA Community Learning Activities COAL Local Advisory Committee, El Salvador COCOCO Community Consultative Committees, Honduras CODDEFFAGOLF Committee for Defense and Development of Flora and Fauna of the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation CREHO Ramsar Regional Center for Training and Research for the Western Hemisphere DIGEPESCA Directorate-General for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Honduras DPI National Police Forces, Honduras ER Expected Result FEMA Office of the Special Prosecutor for the Environment, Honduras FIAES Initiative of the Americas Fund El Salvador FONAES El Salvador’s Environmental Fund FUNDER Foundation for Rural Enterprise Development, Honduras FUNSALPRODESE Salvadoran Foundation for Social Promotion and Economic Development ICF Institute for Conservation and Forest Development, Protected Areas and Wild Life, Honduras ICMARES Marine Science Institute of the National University of El Salvador ICWL Improved Coastal Watersheds and Livelihoods Project IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature MAG Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, El Salvador MARN Environment & Natural Resources Ministry, El Salvador MiAmbiente State Secretary of Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Mining, Honduras NGO Non-Governmental Organization PAHO Pan American Health Organization PDLS Fonseca Gulf Local Sustainable Development Plan, El Salvador PLAS Local Plan for the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources ROLA Local Environmental Observers Network SAG Agriculture and Livestock Secretariat, Honduras SAPZsurH Honduran Gulf of Fonseca Protected Areas Sub System UAMs/UMAs Municipal Environmental Units UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change USAID U.S. Agency for International Development

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1. PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Improved Coastal Watershed and Livelihoods (ICWL) project was implemented by IUCN between 2016 and 2019, in partnership with the Committee for Defense and Development of Flora and Fauna in the Gulf of Fonseca (CODDEFFAGOLF), the Foundation for Rural Enterprise Development (FUNDER), and the Salvadoran Foundation for Social Promotion and Rural Development (FUNSALPRODESE) to improve biodiversity conservation in the lower watershed and coastal zones of the Goascorán River in the gulf of Fonseca.

USAID awarded IUCN a USD 3.7-million grant for the implementation of activities in the following municipalities: La Unión, Pasaquina, San Alejo, El Sauce and Concepción de Oriente in El Salvador; and Nacaome, Alianza, Goascorán, Aramecina, Amapala and Caridad in Honduras. The project focused on two coastal-marine areas: Union Bay in El Salvador and Chismuyo Bay in Honduras.

The ICWL project worked towards three expected results: 1) Natural ecosystems and biodiversity protected and restored through climate- smart approaches; 2) Sustainability of rural livelihood systems improved through climate-smart approaches; 3) Effectiveness and integration of “source- to-sea” watershed governance improved. A fourth result was included as a transversal outcome to reduce climate vulnerability of coastal and watershed communities through an adaptation-based mitigation approach.

Other crosscutting activities targeted Gender and youth, Knowledge management and Communication and outreach.

ICWL intervention area

Between 2011 and 2019, IUCN implemented four projects in the Goascorán basin to promote integrated watershed management. With the Building River Dialog and Water Governance (BRIDGE) project, work was conducted with local stakeholders to establish multi-stakeholder grassroots platforms, cross-border technical coordination and joint planning and organizational strengthening. Training was provided to national authorities and local leaders on integrated water management, international water law, cooperation and consensus building. Local stakeholders in Honduras and El Salvador agreed on a roadmap to legalize and strengthen national water management bodies that are part of the Bi-national Watershed Management Group, in order to enforce trans-boundary cooperation commitments.

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With the Community-Based Watershed Management Program (PGCC) funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), experiences with multi-level water governance processes were strengthened in Honduras, fostering the creation and strengthening of community-based watershed management structures that coordinate with relevant authorities. In addition, a participatory approach to prioritize investment in technology related to adaptation to climate change and disaster risk reduction was adopted among farmers.

The Adaptation, Vulnerability and Ecosystems (AVE) project looked to improve the resilience of local communities to climate change by piloting local adaptation measures to cope with the effects of drought in two specific micro basins (Honduritas in El Salvador and Lituy in Honduras). The project also contributed to national efforts in fulfilling commitments acquired as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the National Strategy on Climate Change, and the General Water Law, among others. It also generated monitoring tools based on concrete and reliable evidence related to the effectiveness and multiple benefits of ecosystem-based adaptation.

The ICWL project complemented the processes initiated by these previous projects by focusing – for the first time – on the conservation of coastal ecosystems. It also implemented an innovative livelihoods enhancement strategy by harnessing community microfinance mechanisms to promote better production practices and increased income with biodiversity conservation.

Projects implemented by the IUCN and implementing partners in the Goascorán watershed Funding Total project Implemen- Project Title / Countries Local Partners agency budget (USD) tation period Building River Dialog and Swiss Agency Phase I: Phase I: Water Governance for USD 3.171.450 2011-2013 (BRIDGE) Development Phase II: Phase II: Fundación Vida Mexico, Guatemala, and USD 3.476.320 2013-2015 Honduras, El Salvador, Cooperation. Phase III: Phase III: Costa Rica and Panama (SDC) USD 4.857.610 2016-2018 Adaptation, vulnerability and Ecosystems (AVE) BMU International Fundación Vida USD 5,685,800 2014-2018 Mexico, Guatemala, Climate Honduras, El Salvador, Initiative (IKI) Costa Rica and Panama Community-Based FUNDER Watershed Management IDE SDC USD 8,199,208 2015-2018 Program (PGCC) RAIN Honduras Improved Coastal United States Watershed and FUNDER Agency for Livelihoods Project CODDEFFAGOLF International USD 3,727,685 2016-2019 (ICWL) FUNSALPRODESE Development El Salvador, Honduras (USAID)

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2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Biodiversity — the variety of life on Earth — is being lost at increasing and alarming rates. To date, this has been treated as an environmental problem. Yet the so-called biodiversity crisis is also a development crisis. Biodiversity loss threatens to undermine hard-won development gains, including in health, resilience, food security and GDP earnings. Poor people are particularly dependent on biodiversity — both to meet day-to-day livelihood needs and to enhance resilience to climate change and other threats. So they are hardest hit by its loss, especially when coupled with climate change.

Dilys, R., Seddon, N., Elliott, J., IIED Briefing: Biodiversity loss, development crisis?

A recent report published by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)1 showed that the accelerated loss of biodiversity can no longer be considered a mere conservation issue. As biodiversity is depleted, ecosystems lose their ability to provide goods and services on which humans depend, and become increasingly vulnerable to climate change. The situation is even more alarming in developing countries, where low-income communities are directly dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods and to withstand the effects extreme climate events. Development organizations must therefore implement strategies that address the drivers of biodiversity loss and recognize nature’s wealth as a crucial capital for sustainable socio-economic progress.

This final report presents the work carried out under the improved Coastal Watersheds and Livelihoods project to protect and conserve coastal ecosystems in the lower Goascorán Watershed and ensure that local communities benefit from increased income while reducing threats to biodiversity. These efforts focused primarily on the conservation of mangroves as biologically significant ecosystems, and the fisheries they support. It tackled the threats to these ecosystems with a Reef-to-Ridge approach, striving to understand and address the drivers of biodiversity loss stemming from the upper, middle and lower watershed, and implementing actions to protect and conserve coastal areas. This allowed achieving four Expected Results (ERs):  ER1 Natural ecosystems and biodiversity protected and restored through climate- smart approaches  ER2 Sustainability of rural livelihood systems improved through climate-smart approaches  ER3 Effectiveness and integration of “source to sea” watershed governance improved  ER4 Reduction of coastal and watershed communities’ climate vulnerability through adaptation-based mitigation approach

In addition to addressing climate vulnerability across all expected results, other crosscutting efforts focused on gender and youth, knowledge management, and communication and outreach also allowed ensuring that the project reached targets set in terms of social inclusion, capacity building and awareness.

Under ER1, the ICWL project achieved a significant improvement of the management effectiveness of the Chismuyo Bay Species and Habitat Management Area (AMH/E Chismuyo) in Honduras and the mangrove forests of La Unión Bay in El Salvador, for a total of 37,000 hectares under improved management.

1 Dilys, R., Seddon, N., Elliott, J. (2019). ¿Biodiversity Loss, development crisis?. Biodiversity loss is a development issue: a rapid review of evidence. [Issue Paper]. IIED, London

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In Honduras, the Chismuyo Bay Co-Management Agreement was renewed in November 2017 for another five years, establishing continued cooperation between implementing partner CODDEFFAGOLF, the Institute for Conservation and Forest Development (ICF) and Municipalities. The first AMH/E Chismuyo Biennial Operative Plan, Protection and Monitoring Plan and Scientific Research Program were approved as operative tools to improve natural resources management and environmental legislation enforcement.

Several institutions involved in the Chismuyo protected area management were strengthened. At community level, three Community Consultative Committees (COCOCOs) were created and recognized by authorities to ensure public participation to environmental good governance. At institutional level, the Valle Department Inter-institutional Task Force against Environmental Infringement was created to coordinate law enforcement institutions and civil society efforts in monitoring human activities.

In El Salvador, results were achieved at various levels as well. The Coordination Committee to the Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area Local Sustainable Development Plan (PDLS) was created and recognized by the Environment & Natural Resources Ministry (MARN). The Coordination Committee will follow up on the implementation of the PDLS across 14 municipalities, ensuring the conservation of mangroves, fisheries, fresh water, among other prioritized conservation targets.

At community level, the Barrancones Local Plan for the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources (PLAS) Committee was created and supported in submitting their comments on the PLAS to MARN’s natural area management direction. This participative process ensured the plan was fully understood and accepted by the community and thus facilitates its effective implementation. The Barrancones PLAS is the first one established in the Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area as a local instrument ensuring the sustainable extraction of fish and seashells as well as the conservation of mangrove forests.

Another key achievement of the ICWL project under ER1 the design and implementation of a terrestrial and marine biological monitoring protocols that allowed producing reliable and trusted scientific information about the health of coastal-marine ecosystems and selected species of fauna in La Unión and Chismuyo bays. Results show that mangroves in the area are still fairly well conserved, as indicated by a healthy, stable population of crocodiles. Yet the scares presence of large mammal predators, the low abundance of mollusks and crabs of commercial value and the poor quality of water in estuaries call for additional efforts to protect these ecosystems and regulate human activities. Local implementing partners and institutions’ capacities were built with training and equipment, which allowed them to translate these protocols into local monitoring systems and continue biological monitoring activities to complement the data baseline and further inform decision-making.

In terms of ecosystem restoration, combined efforts of implementing partners and local communities have allowed reforesting a total of 129.5 hectares of mangrove in La Unión and Chismuyo bays. This activity contributes to climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and local communities’ resilience and livelihoods preservation. If these areas are protected over the next 2-5 years, they have the capacity to sequester 8806 tons of CO2equivalent. Community groups and local authorities were supported in including mangrove protection into local management plans, in order to ensure that environmental legislations are enforced locally.

Community microfinance associations have been promoted in Honduras for over two decades, as an effective strategy to foster savings habits and provide access to credit for communities

7 ICWL Final Report with no access to the formal banking system. Under ER2, it was harnessed to enhance biodiversity conservation and foster environmental awareness, by including an environmental education component to the capacity building process, promoting sustainable fishing and agricultural practices and ensuring communities adopt an environmentally responsible behavior by signing a collective performance agreement that includes environmental commitments.

Fishermen of Amapala, Honduras

The ICWL project organized 716 farmers and fishermen in 31 community microfinance associations, which have seen a total increase in capital of USD 227,227, thanks to members’ savings, fees, interests generated by loans and income generated by sales performed by the association. Another USD 77,800 was awarded to microfinance association as seed funding to leverage investments and loans, thus creating business opportunities and jobs. As result of technical assistance for improved productive practices and access to market, farmers and fishermen sales brought by a total gross income of USD 827,715.

Under ER3, the ICWL project promoted the source-to-sea approach as an integrated watershed governance best-practice, stressing the interrelation between all levels of the Goascorán basin. Cross-border events provided a space for dialogue and coordinate action to improve watershed conservation, with a special emphasis on solid waste management, which was identified as one of the most pressing environmental crisis in the watershed. Indeed, a study carried out by the ICWL project showed that plastics compose 22% of household solid waste produced in the area, approximately twice the average rate for Latino America and the Caribbean’s. Municipal waste collection and disposal systems show critical deficiencies in terms of coverage and technical capacity. As a result, thousands of tons of solid waste, especially plastics, end up open fields, rivers and eventually estuaries and the see, posing a great threat to biodiversity and ecosystems.

Besides, collection of local people’s testimonies and visits to the river channel locally known to clog each year allowed documenting seasonal blockage of water flow by a mixture of solid waste and organic debris during the rainy season and excessive sedimentation during dry season, thus greatly affecting water flow and local livelihoods. To address this issue, the ICWL project introduced plastic management among fishers and farmers, safer use of pesticides and their containers and properly disposed of more than 200lbs of agrochemical plastic containers.

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Goascorán River, August 2017 Goascorán River, March 2018

To ensure that livelihoods and conservation enhancement are supported by legal instruments, the ICWL project supported Municipal Environmental Units and community governance structures in improving local decision-making and environmental management. Sustainable productive practices, waste management, biodiversity conservation and other environmental priorities were streamlined into municipal ordinances and community governance structures status. Overall, 14 legal instruments were proposed, of which 3 were adopted and 6 implemented to improve environmental governance in the project area.

Mangrove’s capacity to store carbon, especially in soil, is up to four times higher than other types of forest. Protecting and restoring mangrove thus is a powerful way of using nature to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce communities’ vulnerability. Within the ICWL, this was combined with efforts to improve agricultural and fishing practices to reduce threats to ecosystems and lower climate impact, and provide access to credit for alternative livelihoods, offering local communities additional tools to face climate challenges. Women and youth’s participation was promoted in all project activities to ensure equal access to decision- making and income, and foster new leaderships.

FUNSALPRODESE's staff Herbert Alvarado explains the importance of mangrove ecosystems to children in Los Jiotes, San Alejo, El Salvador

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Reduction of coastal communities’ vulnerability (ER4) through adaptation-based mitigation was achieved through crosscutting interventions in all activities. In particular, reforesting 129.5 hectares of mangrove as part of ecosystem restoration efforts in La Unión and Chismuyo bays have contributed to climate change mitigation, while helping communities adapt and increase local communities’ resilience and livelihoods preservation. If these areas are kept protected, they have the capacity to sequester 8,806 additional tons of CO2 equivalent in the next five years A blue carbon study measuring the carbon stored in about 17,000ha of mangrove forests calculated that 25 million tons of carbon equivalent are already sequestered in the soil and trees of mangrove ecosystem of La Unión and Chismuyo bays. However, large quantities of CO2 will be emitted if coastal ecosystems are altered by land-use changes (such as deforestation, shrimp farming, and salt production).

According to USAID, all these expected results have contributed to USAID Mission goals of enhancing local socioeconomic development, reducing illegal migration and strengthening self- reliance capacities by providing communities with the development of a self-financing mechanism of loans and savings (caja rural in Spanish), agro-business management training, enhanced watershed governance capacity and significantly better management of coastal resources and ecosystems. Likewise, the project has also effectively complied with the USAID Biodiversity Policy, reducing threats to the rich coastal biodiversity in La Unión and Chismuyo bays.

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3. DESCRIPTION OF MAIN RESULTS

I. Natural Ecosystems and Biodiversity Protected and Restored Through Climate-Smart Approaches (ER1)

We are taking care of what is ours, taking care of what belongs to us, taking care of the future. We thank USAID and CODDEFFAGOLF for everything they have done, because before we were just a few boys and girls who new nothing. Now we are 25 voluntary park rangers eager to work, observe. We have learned how to file complaints; we understand better what we have and how to take care of it.

Jesus Alberto Ventura, young voluntary park ranger of Playa Grande, Honduras

Under ER1, the ICWL project enhanced the protection and restoration of 37,000 hectares of biologically significant natural areas, including about 17,000ha of mangrove forest in La Unión Bay (El Salvador) and Chismuyo Bay (Honduras) in the Goascorán coastal zones. Mangrove protection was increased by updating relevant management plans, effectively coordinating national institutions, local governments and community governance structures and establishing an improved monitoring system to inform decision-making and strategic planning, in order to create the local capacity to maintain these crucial ecosystems. Mangrove reforestation was also carried out in both bays, which contributed to national forest restoration efforts. Thanks to the implementation of a coastal blue carbon methodology, carbon stocks contained in mangrove ecosystems of the Gulf of Fonseca were measured, thus demonstrating their great climate change mitigation capacity.

Mangroves of La Unión and Chismuyo coastal zones cover approximately 17,000 hectares (pink areas on the map above). In Honduras, mangroves of Chismuyo Bay are part of the Chismuyo Bay Species and Habitat Management Area (AMH/E Chismuyo) and of the 1000th RAMSAR site. In El Salvador, mangroves of La Unión Bay they are a prioritized conservation target of the Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area.

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Conservation Area Management

Chismuyo Bay Species and Habitat Management Area

Thanks to the ICWL Project, the Chismuyo Bay Species and Habitat Management Area (AMH/E Chismuyo) co-management entities CODDEFFAGOLF, the Honduran Institute for Conservation and Forest Development, Protected Areas and Wildlife (ICF) and local governments enhanced the protected area’s management effectiveness from 38% in 2017 to 79% in 2019. Management effectiveness assessments demonstrated great progress with the design of management plans and other instruments which are implemented by institutions under improved coordination; an enhanced co-management capacity, in particular thanks to the creation and strengthening of Community Consultative Committees (COCOCOs); and enhanced awareness thanks to coordinated efforts aimed to educate and engage communities for environmental protection, with a focus on women and youth. More importantly, these outcomes have a great replication potential, as CODDEFFAGOLF has the capacity and mandate to replicate them in other areas of the Honduran Gulf of Fonseca Protected Areas Sub System (SAPZsurH).

AMH/E Chismuyo Management Plans

The ICWL provided the convening, logistical and financial capacity to establish a number of instruments that contribute to the enhanced management of the AMH/E Chismuyo. Firstly, on November 9 2017, ICF, CODDEFFAGOLF and municipalities signed the renewal of the AMH/E Chismuyo Co-Management Agreement for 2017-2022. The Agreement is the main instrument regulating the operation and the coordination of all parties to ensure the effective protection of Chismuyo Bay’s ecosystems.

Following the signature of the Co-Management Agreement, the first Chismuyo Bay Biennial Operative Plan was approved for 2018 and 2019, to define prioritized actions and their means of implementation to achieve the goals set out in the agreement. The plan was based on recommendations emerging from the management effectiveness evaluation carried out in May 2017. It was drafted with the participation of community leaders of Community Consultative Committees of Amapala, Nacaome and Alianza, ICF, UMAs, the SAPZsurH Technical Follow- up Committee, CODDEFFAGOLF and FUNDER. The Operative Plan takes into consideration the capacity and priorities of local stakeholders, in order to make its implementation realistically achievable. It includes seven lines of actions: protection, management of natural resources, community development, public use, environmental education, monitoring and evaluation. Each stakeholder committed logistical, human and financial resources to guarantee its effective implementation.

Several actions were then taken to implement the Operative Plan. On March 7 2018, the Inter-institutional Valle Department Task Force against Environmental Infringement (later referred as Task Force) was created to improve the protection and monitoring of the Chismuyo Bay protected area, the Marine National Park and San Lorenzo Bay. The Task Force includes eight members of six institutions: Armed Forces, Nacaome and San Lorenzo’s Investigation Police Department, Honduras National Police, ICF and the Office of the Special Prosecutor for the Environment (FEMA).

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The Task Force and COCOCOs agree on the coordination of a large clean-up campaign in mangrove areas of Chismuyo Bay

At the same time, CODDEFFAGOLF established the first Chismuyo Bay Protection and Monitoring Plan. It was designed in a participative manner, starting with a mapping exercise and field trips with local communities to identify prioritized monitoring routes. The process involved representatives of the Task Force, municipalities and COCOCOs. The Plan’s objective is to reduce and mitigate threats affecting Chismuyo’s biodiversity and local communities’ livelihoods by improving the coordination of public and civil society organizations and planning actions to ensure the enforcement of environmental legislation. It also establishes the allocation of human, material and financial resources.

Since then, the Task Force coordinates monitoring operations with the Directorate-General for Fisheries and Aquaculture (DIGEPESCA), municipalities and CODDEFFAGOLF, which allowed to control fishing activities legal compliance (such as the type fishing nets or extracted bivalves size), confiscate illegal mangrove wood bundles and follow up on environmental complaints by investigating alleged infringements (illegal salt extraction or shrimp farming activities for instance). The increased and coordinated presence of park rangers and law enforcement institutions in the area has already triggered positive behavioral changes, as some fishermen are voluntarily changing their fishing gear to comply with legislations and avoid confiscation. Other actions taken to improve management effectiveness included signposting: 22 signs were set up to identify the protected area’s boundaries and strategic sites.

The ICWL project also allowed CODDEFFAGOLF to establish the SAPZsurH Scientific research program, on the basis of the biological monitoring protocol implemented in early 2018 (see section on Biological Monitoring below) and mangrove restoration activities. The program includes protocols on mangrove restoration and monitoring, water quality, climatic parameters and mollusks and crustaceans and involves active participation of local communities.

The ICWL project also supported the inclusion of ten mangrove and dry forest monitoring plots within ICF’s National Forest Inventory, five of which are located within Chismuyo Bay. Four field trips were carried out by ICF between March and April 2018 and the final forest inventory reports for Honduras’ Pacific Coast was handed. The report states that 60% of forest sampling sites are affected by domestic-use logging (for firewood and construction). Although the scale of this threat does not prevent forest regeneration in these sites, it recommends logging should be closely monitored and further efforts must be made specifically to assess impacts of logging for shrimp farming. The reports also states that the Honduran National Forest Inventory should consider including systematic hypogeous carbon

13 ICWL Final Report measurement (i.e. carbon stored in soils), as studies have shown that soils act as very efficient carbon sequesters (including the ICWL blue carbon study presented hereafter).

Other institutional strengthening and coordinating actions taken thanks to the ICWL project include the approbation of the Roundtable for Environment, Risk Management and Climate Change (AGRACC) Roundtable Strategic Plan, the coordination of the SAPZsurH Technical Follow-up Committee in their efforts to implement the SAPZsurH Management Plan and the support to the Pacific Sub-Committee of the National Wetlands Committee in hosting their general assembly and other events such as the National Mangrove Forum. All these efforts contributed to enhanced coordination among institutions, knowledge exchange and best- practices replication in the southern part of Honduras and at national level.

Community Consultative Comittees

CODDEFFAGOLF staffs Javier Velázquez and Víctor Bocanegra take COCOCO leaders on a journey to rediscover the natural wealth of Chismuyo Bay. These experiences raise communities’ environmental awareness and foster a feeling of natural resources ownership.

Community Consultative Committees (COCOCOs) are one of the most important community governance structures contributing to the conservation of coastal biodiversity for their role as co-management entities to the Chismuyo Bay protected area. Three COCOCOs were officially created thanks to the ICWL project: El Conchal and El Estero in Alianza and Chismuyo in Nacaome. All three COCOCOs were officially recognized by ICF’s Economic Development Department and municipalities. Pre-existing Amapala’s COCOCO La Flor, on the other hand, was involved in capacity building and other project activities as it is also located in Chismuyo Bay.

The Chismuyo Bay COCOCOs now count with their Regulation on the Organization and Operation, Action Plans and Management Board, which leaves them with the installed capacity to operate and coordinate with other institutions. Strategic activities such as mangrove protection and restoration, awareness raising and solid waste management were prioritized in their Action Plans, taking into account the lines of action defined in the Chismuyo Biennial Operative Plan. Other commitments were taken, including signposting on wildlife protection, reporting any wildlife trafficking activity and key bird species sighting, especially parrots.

To ensure COCOCOs capacity to implement their action plan and progress towards self- reliance, the ICWL project coordinated a series of activities to build COCOCO members’ awareness, knowledge, leadership and organizational capacity. Training topics included organizational processes, participative planning, environmental, wildlife and protected areas

14 ICWL Final Report legislation, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, governance and public participation.

Thanks to these efforts, the ICWL project achieved the effective participation of organized communities to environmental decision-making and protected area management, as well as to coordinate actions with government institutions. For instance, the coordination between COCOCOs and the Task Force allowed enhancing environmental complaints processing by improving the way environmental infringements are documented and reported by communities and prioritizing monitoring routes within Chismuyo Bay to enforce environmental legislation. It also allowed coordinated actions to improve solid waste management: after COCOCOs helped mapping five sites heavily polluted with solid waste in Chismuyo Bay, ICF, municipalities, and COCOCOs implemented a massive clean-up campaign, removing about 1 ton of solid waste from 10 ha of mangrove.

As an unexpected result, COCOCOs took on a leading role during the climatic events that affected southern Honduras in October 2018. After sustained heavy rains caused floods, COCOCOs members voluntarily lead local rescue interventions, making use of the boat purchased with ICWL funds and using their improved knowledge of the area to provide support to flood victims. Although this is not the primary intended effect of community governance capacity building activities, it shows that the project strengthens local leaders and contributes to more organized and resilient communities.

ICWL’s experience with creating and strengthening COCOCOs leaves important lesson’s learned in the hands of CODDEFFAGOLF and will allow them to replicate the experience in other protected areas of the SAPZsurH.

El Conchal, El Estero and Chismuyo Bay COCOCOs are located in different locations of Chismuyo Bay

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Environmental Education and Awareness Raising

Increased awareness and knowledge is a first step towards behavior change. With this in mind, the ICWL project promoted numerous capacity building and outreach activities in Chismuyo Bay. Overall, 442 people were trained to ensure the awareness of environmental legislation and existing threats to ecosystems, the implementation of management plans and improved community organization and action. Gender balance was achieved with the participation of 154 women (48%) and including special capacity building activities on gender, feminism and new masculinities. Women also demonstrated their physical ability to participate to environmental conservation by leading hands-on activities such as mangrove reforestation and clean-up campaigns.

Biodiversity conservation also requires a true change in attitudes. The next generation was thus engaged with targeted activities, such as the design and implementation of the Chismuyo Bay Environmental Education Plan by a group of young volunteers who designed ludic and didactic materials, such as games and storybooks. Students were also involved as trainees to contribute to the design of the Plan, as well as other instruments such as mollusks monitoring protocols. In total 85 boys and 58 girls were involved in Chismuyo Bay.

The ICWL project bid farewell to Chismuyo Bay with a broad outreach campaign broadcasted on local television channels and social networks, under the motto “Give Chismuyo a hand” (Dale La Mano a Chismuyo). This last push for more responsible behaviors contributed to increasing awareness of the crucial value of biodiversity and of coastal ecosystems, and build a positive local identity linked to the riches of nature.

This infography was broadly disseminated by CODDEFFAGOLF to raise communities’ awareness of Chismuyo Bay’s biodiversity

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Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area

El Salvador’s National Territorial Planning and Development Plan identified 15 Conservation Areas that contain the most important biological diversity and natural areas of national importance. Six of these are located in coastal zones, covering almost 100% of the Pacific Rim. One of them is the Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area, which was the focus of the ICWL intervention in the country.

The Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area includes about 6,000 Ha2 of mangrove forest which support local fisheries, as well as some of the last areas of conserved dry forest areas in the country (Pasaquina’s morrales). Thanks to the ICWL project, the management effectiveness of the Conservation Area’s mangrove forest and connecting ecosystems was improved, increasing the average value of each indicator from 2.59 in 2017 to 3.68 in 2019. Several activities of the ICWL project have contributed to enhance management plans and local capacity for their implementation, park rangers’ knowledge, equipment and infrastructure for improved monitoring, as well as environmental awareness and education.

Gulf of Fonseca Local Sustainable Development Plan (PDLS)

With the continued support of FUNSALPRODESE and FIAES and in coordination with MARN the ICWL project established and strengthened the Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area’s Local Advisory Committee (COAL), as foreseen by Salvadoran Protected Natural Areas legislation. The COAL acts as the Coordination Committee for the effective implementation of the Fonseca Gulf Local Sustainable Development Plan (PDLS), with targets prioritized issues, such as mangrove conservation, sustainable agriculture and fisheries, fresh water, among others in 14 municipalities. The COAL includes representatives of Municipalities, community leaders, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) active in the area and relevant public institutions.

The COAL was officially recognized by MARN through a certificate of incorporation. FUNSALPRODESE is represented within the Committee and will follow up on its operations In order to ensure the COAL’s operative capacity, the ICWL project supported it in drafting its first work plan and it was agreed that FIAES will allocate budget for the Committee’s functioning in each project funded in the area over the next five years.

Following a request from the local community, the Gulf of Fonseca COAL assessed the environmental condition of the Olomega Lagoon between Chirilagua, San Miguel and El Carmen, La Unión

2 According to a study carried out by ICMARES in 2016, mangrove cover amounts to 6,029.25 ha in La Unión Bay

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Barrancones Local Plan for the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources (PLAS)

The ICWL established the first Local Plan for the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources (PLAS) Committee in the Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area. For this pilot experience, Barrancones in the Pasaquina municipality was chosen for its unique location both in the La Unión estuary and on the Goascorán river bank. Barrancones’ PLAS includes actions to use coastal zones’ resources in a sustainable fashion, such as blue crabs, punches, bivalves, fish and mangrove.

A highly participative consultation process lead by FUNSALPRODESE ensured there is a consensus among Barrancones community members about the Plan and that they understand that each provision they agreed on has to be implemented. Special attention was given to the participation of youth, as their fishing or extractive experience might differ from older community members. Six women were also involved, as their experience with product commercialization is valuable to inform effective planning. Barrancones community members have submitted their comments on the PLAS to.

Thanks to this consultation process, MARN’s natural area management direction now counts with a revised plan that includes information tailored for the local context and local use of natural resources. Its final approbation of the PLAS is subject to MARN’s decision, which remained pending due, due to the change of Government in El Salvador in June 2019. Once the plan is approved, its implementation depends on appropriate coordination between MARN, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), the Directorate General for Agriculture and Fisheries CENDEPESCA and the Barrancones PLAS committee.

Improved interpretation and monitoring infrastructures

The ICWL project allowed enhancing MARN’s interpretation center in Los Jiotes, San Alejo. The center and its access were refurbished and equipped with sanitary installations. It now features an exhibition with wildlife and livelihood pictures, glass cabinets to conserve a collection of natural artefacts, informative signs and educative material.

View of the refurbished interpretation center in Los Jiotes, San Alejo

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In order to provide MARN park rangers with easier access to La Unión Bay to carry out monitoring rounds, the ICWL project also refurbished a 418m-long elevated trail. The trail also allows promoting tourism in the area and is already attracting many visitors. It includes interpretation signs, three platforms where visitors can observe mangrove and wildlife and one last platform that can be used as a peer by park rangers and local fishermen during low tide to access La Unión estuary’s main canal. MARN park rangers were also equipped with a wooden cabin in Barrancones, Pasaquina, where they can safely store boat motors and other valuables.

The elevated trail in Los Jiotes provides allow visitors to observe mangrove ecosystems

The elevated trail has brought by an unexpected result: a rare species of bat was spotted in mangrove surrounding the trail. The northern ghost bat (Diclidurus albus) hadn’t been reported in the area and has raised much interest from MARN.

Northern ghost bat (Diclidurus albus) specimen spotted in Los Jiotes

Since the elevated trail is also used by workers of a salt farm to access the canal, FUNSALPRODESE reached an agreement with them to ensure its maintenance overtime.

The final platform of the elevated trail offers a spectacular view over La Unión Bay

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Biological Monitoring

One of the key outcomes of the ICWL project under ER I is the implementation of a series of biological monitoring protocols. Terrestrial, marine, blue carbon and crocodiles monitoring activities allowed establishing a baseline of biological and physical parameters in the area to inform environmental decision-making and future projects design in La Unión and Chismuyo bays. Part of the strategy was to purchase equipment (camera traps, drones, GPSs, etc.) and to build strong local capacities to allow for monitoring efforts to continue during and after the ICWL project’s lifetime. Findings of biological monitoring efforts were interpreted and presented in three infographic posters that were distributed among local beneficiaries as environmental awareness materials. A solid waste study was also carried out in the lower and middle watershed with the support of local authorities to determine the composition of households waste disposed of in the area. A summary of the main findings of all these activities is presented below.

Small and medium mammals and birds3

During a total of 720 camera-nights, camera traps captured images and videos of at least 70% of small and medium mammal species known to live in the area, such as coyotes (Canis latrans), jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi), opossums (Didelphis marsupialis), white tailed deers (Odocoileus virginianus), skunks (Spilogale angustifrons), raccoons (Procyon lotor), anteaters (Tamandua Mexicana) and rodents.

Camera trap shot of a jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroudi) taken on January 27 2018

In order to carry out bird monitoring, park rangers and volunteers carried out sighting rounds during early mornings between 5am and 8am and late afternoons between 5pm and 8pm, which are the most active periods for most birds. Bird monitoring showed 67 bird species in Honduras and 70 in El Salvador. Ardeidae was the most sighted family (herons, bitterns and related species). Additionally, a number of shorebirds were sighted (Recurvirostridae, Charadriidae, Scolopacidae families). Since these species feed on invertebrates found in healthy marine shorelines, we believe these sightings indicate that Chismuyo Bay and La Unión Bay are fairly healthy habitats.

Three species of significant value were sighted in the area of the Barrancones community, in Pasaquina, El Salvador: the semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) and painted bunting (Passerina ciris), both classified as near threatened and the yellow-naped parrot (Amazona auropalliata), in the endangered category, according to IUCN (2017).

3 These activities were carried out by biologists Hector Portillo, Fausto Elvir and David Mejía, as well as MARN, FUNSAPRODESE, ICF and CODDEFFAGOLF park rangers and IUCN staff.

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Mollusks and crustaceans4

Mollusk and crustacean monitoring efforts aimed to determine population density and morphometric variables of bivalves commonly called curil and casco de burro in Spanish (Anadara tuberculosa, A. similis and A. grandis) and mangrove ghost crab or punche in Spanish (Ucides occidentalis), which are species of commercial value.

The length of extracted A. tuberculosa individuals (from 2.0 to 7.5 cm in la Unión and 2.0 to 6.5 cm in Chismuyo) is coherent with data gathered in other parts of El Salvador, such as Jiquilisco Bay5. Nevertheless, they are small compared to data from other countries, such as in the Costa Rican Pacific coast6. Sampling sites with the highest A. tuberculosa population density in La Unión (up to 0.24 indiv/m2) show values similar to data reported in Jiquilisco Bay, while population density per sampled area in Chismuyo (up to 0.75 indiv/m2) were higher than those reported in El Salvador, which suggests that Bahía de Chismuyo is in better conditions. Nevertheless, values remain lower compared to other places in the region such as Golfito Bay in Costa Rica7, where average densities of 0.8 to 1.2 indiv/m2 are reported.

The length of extracted A. grandis individuals (from 2.1 to 11.0 cm in La Unión and 2.1 to 14.0 cm in Chismuyo) appears greater than those recorded in other parts of the American Pacific such as Estero Ayalan, Ecuador. If these uncommon dimensions are not properly understood and taken into consideration in management plans, a large number of individuals that haven’t yet reached their reproductive size could be extracted, thus preventing species reproduction and exhausting resources. On the other hand, A. grandis population density appeared to be generally very low in La Unión (up to 0.072 indiv/m2) and Chismuyo (up to 0.58 indiv/m2).

In La Unión Bay, the average and maximum cephalothorax width of U. occidentalis varies among sampling sites (up to 6.1 cm in La Unión and 4.0 to 8.0 in Chismuyo). The density of individuals of U. occidentalis was very low in general in La Unión (up to 2.0 indiv/m2) and in Chismuyo Bay (up to 1.2 indiv/m2). The average density per extraction sites recorded in Jiquilisco Bay is much higher, with values between 2.9 to 5.26 indiv/m2.

In both bays and for all species, data show high abundance of individuals that haven’t yet reached their reproductive size. In general, data suggest that if an extraction regulation is not established, these resources could be quickly depleted. Further monitoring efforts are needed to fully determine morphometric variables and population abundance and how these parameters vary according to environmental conditions, but this baseline tends to confirm the perception of local fishermen about the unplanned extraction of the resource, the risk that it poses for livelihood sustainability and calls for improved fisheries regulatory framework, additional efforts to foster environmental awareness and promote alternative livelihoods.

4 These activities were carried out by the Marine Science Institute of the National University of El Salvador (ICMARES-UES), with the support of ICF, CODDEFFAGOLF, FUNSALPRODESE and MARN park rangers and IUCN staff. 5 Flores, A., Romero, J., Córdova, M. 2011 Evaluación de la población de “curil” (Anadara tuberculosa) en los canales principales de Puerto Ramírez y el Jobal, Bahía de Jiquilisco, Usulután, El Salvador. Tesis de grado. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemática. Universidad de El Salvador. El Salvador. 6 Silva A.M, R.C. Bonilla. 2001. Abundancia y morfometría de Anadara tuberculosa y A. similis (Mollusca: Bivalvia) en el Manglar de Purruja, Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. Rev. Biol.Trop. 49. Supl. 2: 315-32. 7 Silva A.M, R.C. Bonilla. 2001

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Crocodile monitoring8

A rapid evaluation of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) population was carried out in La Unión Bay with the support of MARN park rangers and FUNSALPRODESE. Two rounds were carried out on March 12-24 and August 5-12 2018, along five transects, for a total of 36km.

A total of 187 individuals were sighted over 19 nights. The gross average number of individuals sighted varied from 1.9 to 3.3 individuals per kilometer (ind/km) in March and 1.2 to 4.4 ind/km in August. 68 individuals were captured to measure morphologic parameters, establish male and female density and assess their physical condition (such as visible injuries, skin parasites, low weight, and amount of fat around the neck and the basis of the tail. The largest captured crocodile was a 217.5 cm-long female.

Crocodile monitoring was included in environmental monitoring activities to respond to comments made by community members about the frequency of crocodile encounters in the area. Therefore, these efforts also aimed to verify the veracity of a perceived overpopulation of crocodilians. Contrary to the IUCN official and consultants collect expressed perception, Crocodylus acutus estimated biometric data of a crocodile captured in the sighting rates indicate a medium-sized, stable population Goascorán River in the Barrancones area, El compared to other studies across its geographical Salvador distribution. In order to produce conclusive data, monitoring rounds must be repeated over several years and take into account climatic, tidal, lunar and other parameters. Nevertheless, this first effort is significant since there are no recent scientific publications on crocodilian population in the area to the best of our knowledge.

Water quality9

Between February and March 2018, IUCN tested physical-chemical and bacteriological parameters in 18 sampling sites in La Unión and Chismuyo bays and two samplings sites in the Goascorán river and the Nacaome river with the support of the Marine Science Institute of the National University of El Salvador (ICMARES).

Physical-chemical parameters varied in both La Unión and Chismuyo bays. In general, sampling sites located in more open areas of the bays and estuaries seemed to show greater oxygenation thanks to wind action, while internal channels show greater turbidity because of sedimentation.

8 These activities were carried out with the support of Armando Escobedo of Guadalajara University, Marco Antonio López of Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco University, Gabriel Barrios, independent expert, FUNSALPRODESE and MARN park rangers, as well as IUCN technical staff. 9 These activities were carried out by the Marine Science Institute of the National University of El Salvador (ICMARES-UES), with the support of ICF, CODDEFFAGOLF, FUNSALPRODESE and MARN park rangers and IUCN staff.

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During sampling months, a bloom of Phaeocystis spp. was observed, which was reported by locals as a recurrent situation in the Gulf of Fonseca. While its causes and effects remain unknown, it appears that this algae absorbs oxygen as it dies, thus eutrophicating water10, which could affects fish, mollusks, crustaceans and microorganisms that require minimum levels of oxygen for their subsistence. A more permanent water monitoring is required to inform environmental decision-making and regulatory efforts.

Bacteriological parameters were measured in water samples collected during high tide at 30cm depth in La Unión and Chismuyo bays, and in two sites in the Goascorán River and two in the Nacaome River. Samplings were tested for Total coliforms, Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholera. Sampling sites in La Unión Bay showed constant high concentrations of Vibrios spp., Total and E. coli, which is related to high turbidity, sulfate concentration and, in some cases, high nitrate concentration. In Chismuyo Bay, Vibrios spp. and Total coli concentrations showed variations between February and March, which also appears related to nitrate concentration.

In the lower part of the Goascorán River flowing into La Unión Bay and the lower part of the Nacaome River flowing into Chismuyo Bay, water quality was rated regular-low according to the methodology of the family-level biotic index, which indicates substantial organic pollution in both areas, probably stemming from human settlements and agricultural activities such as cattle farming.

Blue Carbon11

Blue carbon is the carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows. It includes carbon sequestrated in biomass as well as underground. Mangroves can stock up to four times more carbon as land forest, since tidal activity lowers oxygen presence in mangrove forests, which interrupts the carbon cycle and allows its storage into soil. IUCN and CREHO applied methodologies that were validated at a global and regional level for the measurement of blue carbon in six transects in Chismuyo and La Unión mangroves.

Epigeous carbon (above ground) is stored in living and dead trees, fallen wood and leaves, and grass. It is measured on the basis of mangrove forest structure data12.

Hypogeous carbon (below ground) is measured in soil, roots and all underground biomass. Soil samples were taken at 5 cm, 22.5 cm, 40 cm and 75 cm depths with a cylindrical auger. Over 450 samples were collected and analyzed in a specialized lab.

Note that the units used below are understood as follows:  MgC: Carbon megagram (or ton)  MgC/ha: Carbon megagram (or ton) per hectare  CO2e: Carbon dioxide emitted if mangrove is destroyed  CO2e/ha: Carbon dioxide emitted per hectare if mangrove is destroyed  MgCO2e/ha: Carbon dioxide megagram (or ton) per hectare

10 Values less than 5 ppm were recorded in water samples in February and March 2018. 11 These activities were carried out by the Ramsar Regional Center for Training and Research for the Western Hemisphere (CREHO-RAMSAR), with the support of ICF, CODDEFFAGOLF, FUNSALPRODESE, ICMARES, MARN and IUCN staff. 12 Mangrove forest structure measurements were carried out along 125-meter transects subdivided in 6 7m-radius parcels every 25m. Tree trunks were measured at human chest height and data was gathered about the quantity of fallen dead wood and tree regeneration.

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According land-use maps elaborated in 2014 by MARN and MiAmbiente through a REDD CCAD GIZ project and CREHO’s multispectral analysis of satellite images taken by ESA’s Sentinel on November 11 2017, mangrove forest covers approximately 4552.48 ha in La Unión Bay and 12,488.52 ha in Chismuyo Bay.

According to ICWL measurements, average epigeous carbon in mangrove forests of La Unión Bay represents only 12% of total blue carbon in this ecosystem, with 44.63 +/- 25.20 MgC/ha13. Average hypogeous carbon represents 87%, with 311.069 +/- 120.05 MgC/ha. Average epigeous carbon in mangrove forests of Chismuyo Bay is similar to La Unión Bay’s, with 45.22 +/- 18.60 MgC/ha. Average hypogeous carbon in Chismuyo represents 89%, with 377.89 +/- 60.47 MgC/ha, as shown in the table below.

Epigeous and hypogeous carbon (Mg/ha) bays per forest component: La Unión Bay Chismuyo Bay Average Component MgCO e/ha Average (MgC/ha) MgCO e/ha (MgC/ha) 2 2 Living trees 38.28 140.49 39.93 146.56 Dead trees 0.28 1.02 0.93 3.43 Fallen Wood 6.07 22.28 4.35 15.96 Total epigeous 44.63 163.78 45.22 165.95 Soil 294.47 1080.7 359.88 1,320.76 Roots 17.22 63.21 18.01 66.11 Total hypogeous 311.69 1143.91 377.89 1,386.87 carbon Total at 1 m depth 356.32 1307.69 423.11 1,552.81

Considering both bays as a one ecosystem, the average carbon at 1 m depth is 389.72 +/- 13.75 MgC/ha. As shown in the table below, a total of 6,906,157.37 MgC is sequestered in mangrove forests of La Unión and Chismuyo bays, which is a potential 25,345,597.55 total CO2 emissions avoided as long as these ecosystems are conserved.

Total carbon stored in mangroves of Chismuyo Bay and La Unión Bay (17,041 ha) Unit Total SD Minimum Maximum MgC/ha 389.72 13.75 383.97 395.46

CO2e/ha 1,430.25 50.47 1,409.16 1,451.34 MgC 6,906,157.37 13.75 6,906,143.62 6,906,171.12

CO2e 25,345,597.55 50.47 25,345,547.08 25,345,648.02

The aforementioned 25 million tons of carbon will remain sequestered in the soil and trees of mangrove ecosystem of La Unión and Chismuyo bays as long as it is not altered by land-use changes (such as deforestation, shrimp farming, salt production, etc.). If the ecosystem is altered, large quantities of CO2 will be emitted and contribute to climate change. This is a strong message advocating in favor of mangrove conservation, which will has been passed on to relevant institutions in Honduras and El Salvador.

13 1 MgC/ha = 1 ton/ha. In addition, MgC refers to megagrams of organic carbon in the soil. That is, organic matter accumulated in the soil such as roots, wood, leaves, etc., which have gone through a process of organic decomposition for tens or thousands of years.

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Solid Waste14

IUCN conducted a solid waste study in the middle and lower Goascorán watershed to identify the quantity and types of waste produced by households in the area, and propose recommendations and practical solutions for its proper management. The study covered 14 municipalities in El Salvador and Honduras, for a total of 166.091 inhabitants according to recent surveys.

The characterization of solid waste was carried out according to the methodology of the Pan- American Center for Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences (CEPIS) of the Pan- American Health Organization (PAHO). Following this methodology, 17 households were randomly asked to collect, weigh and classify their solid waste during one week (7 days). The table below shows the average quantity of solid waste per capita produced in the study area compared to national averages15.

Quantity of households’ solid waste per capita Country Kg/day/person in study area Kg/day/person at national level El Salvador 0.59 0.77 Honduras 1.22 0.65

Projections based on the study’s data show that 36,387kg/day is produced on the Honduran side of the study area, against 79,213kg/day in El Salvador.

The collected data shows that food amounts to 45.2% of households’ solid waste, against 22.1% for plastic. The rest is composed of paper and cardboard (11.3%), aluminum (7.3%), glass (5.6%), among others, as show in the table below.

Households’ solid waste composition Type of waste Average % in study area Average % in Latin America and Caribbean’s16 Food 45.2 52 Plastic 22.1 12 Paper and cardboard 11.3 13 Aluminum 7.3 4 Glass 5.6 4 Metals 1.9 3 Other 6.4 15

In El Salvador, waste collected by municipalities is brought to the Santa Rosa de Lima landfill, which is managed by the Inter-Municipal Association of the North of La Unión (ASINORLU). According to ASINORLU’s data, 33,390kg of waste is deposited into the landfill every day, which means another 45,823kg/day are not collected and deposited in illegal dumps, empty fields, ravines or rivers.

In Honduras, on the other hand, the study’s municipalities do not have access to a proper landfill. Waste collected in urban areas thus is deposited in municipal dumpsters without any kind of treatment. These dumpsters do not allow treating leachate, which leak into soil and subterranean water, while gases emitted by organic waste decomposition contribute to climate

14 These activities were carried out with the support of consultants Bernardo Mora and Freddy Miranda. 15 Kasa, S., Yao, L., Bhada-Tata, P., Van Woerden, F. 2018. WHAT A WASTE 2.0 A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050. World Bank Group. Washington, DC. USA. 16 Kasa, S., Yao, L., Bhada-Tata, P., Van Woerden, F. 2018

25 ICWL Final Report change and air pollution. Although no data is available on the actual proportion, it is clear that a significant amount of waste is also not collected in rural areas and improperly disposed of in the environment.

In both countries, plastics waste, which is hardly degradable and very light, is easily lifted by wind and water over great distances, eventually accumulating the Goascorán River and the Gulf of Fonseca. As previously shown, plastic waste amounts to 22% of household’s waste in the study area. This is twice the Latin American and Caribbean’s average.

The study’s findings therefore call for urgent action to improve waste collection and treatment. Municipalities’ financial and technical capacities are insufficient to address the challenge on their own. They should thus associate and negotiate solutions with national institutions and the private sector to ensure a more effective waste management, in particular for plastics.

Fires often occur in municipal dumpsters of the Goascorán watershed as decomposing organic matter release gases. These gases, especially methane, also contribute to climate change.

Strengthening local monitoring capacities

Before camera trap training, we didn’t know how to operate them. Now we see species that we didn’t see before because you can’t see them without camera traps.

Jose Santos Alvarez, park ranger, MARN, El Salvador

Before, we didn’t know flora and fauna species. We only saw birds like anything else. Now we can identify them, which one is migratory, which one is from El Salvador.

Herbert Álvarez, park ranger, FUNSALPRODESE, El Salvador

All biological monitoring activities lead by IUCN involved local park rangers and implementing partners technical staff. In total, the ICWL project trained nine professional and 25 volunteer park rangers in La Unión and Chismuyo bays (of which 6 women and over 25 youth). Cameras, camera traps, GPSs, binoculars and UAVs were purchased to strengthen local monitoring capacities. Park rangers also participated in SMART software training to improve data collection, storing and analysis.

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As a result, FUNSALPRODESE has coordinated with MARN park rangers to follow up on birds, mammals, crocodiles, mollusks and crustaceans, and water physical-chemical parameters monitoring in La Unión Bay. These coordinated efforts fed a database and maps informing on the state of ecosystems and key species, such as jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi), anteaters (Tamandua mexicana), white tailed deers (Odocoileus virginianus) and crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) and over 160 different bird species. To ensure local empowerment, water quality monitoring was supported by students of MEGATEC La Unión, while mollusks and crustaceans monitoring involved local fishermen. Dry forest (morrales in Spanish) areas of Pasaquina were also studied to establish its flora and fauna, remaining cover and connectivity with mangrove ecosystems.

In addition to biological monitoring activities, MARN park rangers have carried out an average of 8 monthly monitoring routes along 25-30km to identify illegal activities and raise possible offenders’ awareness of environmental laws, thus ensuring a more effective protection of natural resources in La Unión Bay.

A flock of 80 black skimmers (Rhynchops niger) was spotted in Punta Pecho, El Salvador. Photos: Herbert Álvarez

The ICWL project also supported the Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area Local Environmental Observers Network (ROLA) capacity building. The network includes voluntary community leaders that commit to reporting environmental issues to local authorities. 32 ROLA members (including 6 women) were involved in several training session on leadership, organizational processes, environmental alerts and climate information tools, and experience exchange with other ROLAs in the country. ROLAs are part of MARN’s strategy to promote public participation and leadership in environmental protection and are financed by FIAES, FONAES and MARN projects.

In Honduras, ICWL biological monitoring training supported CODDEFFAGOLF in the design of the first SAPZsurH Scientific Research Program. As previously mentioned, the Program includes a series of protocols on wildlife, mangrove, mollusks and crustaceans, water and climate. CODDEFFAGOLF will ensure its continuous implementation in coordination with other co-management organizations.

Remarkably, the ICWL project created and strengthened a group of voluntary park rangers in Playa Grande, Nacaome. 25 people17, mostly under 30 year old contributed to mangrove restoration and monitoring, camera traps operation, climate monitoring, clean-up and other project activities, which was fundamental in achieving project goals. They are now recognized as effective and knowledgeable contributors to the conservation and protection of the area by local communities and institutions such as the Task Force and COCOCOs.

17 Including 5 women and 21 youths

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Because ecosystems and wildlife know no political borders, Honduran and Salvadoran park rangers were gathered at CODDEFFAGOLF’s marine research center on El Pacar Island, Amapala in March 2019. MARN park rangers and FUNSALPRODESE’s staff exchanged experiences, challenges and lessons learned with professional and voluntary park rangers of Chismuyo Bay. Several commitments were made during the event to keep exchanging and collaborating, in particular concerning the management of the recurrent “waste dam” in the Goascorán River.

On March 8 2019, IUCN, FUNSALPRODESE and CODDEFFAGOLF handed diplomas to Chismuyo and La Unión park rangers to acknowledge their contribution to the protection of the Gulf of Fonseca

Mangrove restoration

At the beginning only 19 of us were planting mangrove catkins. But with CODDEFFAGOLF’s support, we have learned how to do it well, how to monitor mangrove growth and take care of the 50 hectares we have reforested in this area.

Maria Santiago Martínez, Campaign Coordinator of Playa Grande, Honduras

As previously mentioned, healthy mangrove ecosystems have the capacity to sequester up to four times more carbon than other types of forest. In both La Unión and Chismuyo Bay, shrimp farming, salt production and other activities have caused the loss and fragmentation of these important ecosystems. Mangrove restoration is a costly and arduous enterprise, which requires manpower to gather catkins and plant them over large, sometimes hardly accessible muddy areas. It also requires rehabilitating fresh and salty water access, to recuperate natural hydrological processes.

The ICWL project contributed to the recuperation of mangrove by reforesting 129.5 hectares of degraded mangrove area in the Gulf of Fonseca, thus contributing to climate change mitigation. If the restored areas are consistently monitored and preserved during the next 2-5 years, these parcels may capture 8806tCO2eq18 by 2020 and 22,015tCO2eq by 2023. This important mitigation potential calls for continued support from government institutions and local organizations to ensure their longer-term protection.

18 Equivalent of CO2 sequestered or avoided in metric tons

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In La Unión Bay, several sites were identified in consultation with MARN for mangrove restoration: 11ha in San Ramón, San Alejo and 4ha in San Felipe, Pasaquina. Both sites were abandoned salt farms that showed the necessary conditions to be restored, as some natural regenerative processes could already be observed. Other areas with lower mangrove density were identified in El Lodazal, San Alejo and El Rico, Pasaquina. FUNSALPRODESE Fisherman participating in mangrove reforestation and local communities planted a total of 34,000 in La Union Bay catkins harvested in the estuary and 5100 mangrove plants (Rhizophora mangle and racemosa) grown in nurseries over 19.5ha. Monitoring showed that, plant survival rate is only 50% to 70% in San Ramón, while it reaches 80% to 99% in other sites. The difference is probably due to the type of soil and initial conditions of the parcel.

FUNSALPRODESE had previously begun the restoration of an 8-ha abandoned salt production site in El Limón, Pasaquina by opening drainage channels to allow for natural mangrove regeneration, still with the approval of MARN. Unfortunately, it later appeared that this site was subject to a salt exploitation permit, which prevented FUNSALPRODESE from proceeding with restoration activities. In 2019, another challenge occurred when unknown individuals destroyed one hectare of reforested mangrove in San Felipe. These events are symptomatic of ongoing conflicts between conservation and economic exploitation of natural resources in the area. In order to prevent further damage, signs were posted at each site to remind passers-by that mangrove is protected by environmental legislations.

Despite setbacks, these efforts contributed to reducing mangrove forest fragmentation in the area and restore ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and livelihoods for local fishermen. They were included in MARN’s online forest restoration map: http://apps3.marn.gob.sv/geocumplimiento/restauracion/mapa.php.

In Chismuyo Bay, COCOCOs, voluntary park rangers, ICF, municipalities and CODDEFFAGOLF reforested 110 hectares of mangrove in Nacaome and Alianza between 2017 and 2018. Each reforestation campaign involved over 100 people, mostly youth (74% in 2018) and with strong women leadership (45% women). Reforested parcels are continuously monitored according to the Methodology for the monitoring and restoration of mangrove in the SAPZsurH, which defines restoration strategies using either direct planting of mangrove catkins or after their nursing in greenhouses, as well as measurement protocols for physical- chemical, biological and meteorological parameter. Mangrove plants have grown 85-100cm on average per year (7.1-8.3cm/month), with a 60-62% plant survival rate. As for El Salvador, drones were used to complement monitoring data with imagery. CODDEFFAGOLF will complement these activities with other funds, ensuring that each reforested area is registered and certified by ICF.

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II. Sustainability of Rural Livelihood Systems Improved Through Climate- Smart Approaches (ER2)

As long as they do not have food in their stomach, people won’t care about the environment.

Ever Mauricio Funes, Municipal Environmental Unit of La Unión, El Salvador

We do not have stable employment; we have the sea, agriculture, for our own consumption, just the basics. With some help maybe we could work more.

Carlos Alexander Rodriguez Zetino, Bocana El Rico Cooperative, San Alejo, El Salvador

Farmers and fishermen of the lower watershed and costal zones of the Goascorán River typically have between 2 and 5 children (over 46%), usually with a low level of formal education (66% state primary level or lower), while 40% declare having no access to any kind of sanitary infrastructure19. With very scarce access to formal employment, their livelihoods and subsistence depend directly on natural resources. Yet their economic precariousness and low access to information often lead them to implement environmentally harmful productive or extractive practices. Some people (especially the younger ones) sometimes look to emigrate in hope of a better situation.

Under ER 2, the ICWL project supported 716 farmers and fishermen in increasing their income, while adopting a more environmentally friendly behavior. This was achieved by harnessing a powerful financial incentive scheme, coupled with technical assistance and environmental education, in order increase communities’ awareness of the importance of biodiversity and ecosystems for their wellbeing, while promoting better productive practices and alternative livelihoods.

Community microfinance associations

Community microfinance associations (cajas rurales in Spanish) are a time-tested savings and credit model that has been promoted by FUNDER for over 20 years in Honduras. These associations foster savings habits and provide better access to credit to rural communities who have no access to the formal banking system. The ICWL project harnessed this effective rural development model to enhance biodiversity conservation and foster environmental awareness, an innovative strategy that allowed boosting investment in best practices and alternative livelihoods, while strengthening rural communities’ economic self-reliance.

The ICWL project supported 31 groups, for a total of 71620 members (44% women and 17% youth) and 494 clients (i.e. community members who benefit from financial services without being members of the microfinance association). In Honduras, 10 groups were created thanks to the ICWL project, while 13 others were pre-existing associations. In El Salvador, the ICWL project reactivated pre-existing cooperatives and included a savings and credit mechanisms into their internal regulations. FUNDER has a robust system in place to support legal procedures, which ensured that all groups function with an up-to-date legal status.

19 Baseline data was obtained by interviewing 370 community microfinance associations’ members in 2017. 20 It is worth stressing that this number is based on the official associations’ membership by May 15, 2019. However, membership fluctuates as new members join associations and others leave.

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Number of microfinance associations and members per municipality Number of # members Total # Location Clients21 Total groups M W members Honduras Alianza 3 36 26 62 11 73 Amapala (Bahía de Chismuyo) 4 45 53 98 112 210 Aramecina 3 46 56 102 189 291 Goascorán 7 116 83 199 99 298 Nacaome (Bahía de Chismuyo) 6 65 43 108 64 172 Total Honduras 23 308 261 569 475 1044 El Salvador La Unión 4 35 31 66 19 85 San Alejo 4 56 25 81 - 81 Total El Salvador 8 91 56 147 19 166 Total 31 399 317 716 494 1210

FUNDER’s methodology is based on a series of training modules that cover organizational, financial and entrepreneurship topics. It should be stressed that an effective capacity building process depends on beneficiaries’ commitment and assistance to monthly or bi-monthly reunions. This engagement is only possible if they are convinced by the model and trust is built among members and with the technical assistant. Only a continued accompaniment through frequent visits to each community will guarantee that microfinance associations are built on solid basis.

In total, 361 individuals (44% women and 19% youths) were involved in training sessions. 234 community microfinance association members (93 women, 43 under 30 years old) received at least 75% of the first three training modules, which is necessary to be able to properly manage the association and maintain proper records. These members usually take on leading roles such as president, secretary and treasurer. 76 members (27 women, 18 under 30 years old) received special training on financial management.

Module II Module I Module III Module IV Interest Module V New Module Organization Loan and Investment calculation Financial Environmental and payment plans and savings statements Education governance management management management

FUNDER's community microfinance associations’ training modules

In 2018, the ICWL project supported FUNDER with the design of an environmental education manual adapted to community microfinance associations. It includes several lessons on basic

21 Community members who benefit from financial services without being members of the microfinance association

31 ICWL Final Report environmental concepts and a simple methodology to assess the communities’ production practices impact and how to improve it. A total of 336 people (23% under 30 years old, 45% women) participated in environmental education sessions. It is worth mentioning that this number includes community members that are not microfinance associations’ members but were interested in the subject. Each group received a copy of the manual as a reference and to allow for knowledge replication.

Community microfinance group members learn to manage savings and act as a self-managed community bank. Photo: Oscar Leiva for USAID

FUNDER closely monitored community microfinance associations’ capital, savings and loan portfolio on a quarterly basis. The 13 pre-existing Honduran groups entered the project with a total capital of USD 346,242 (initial capital). The other 18 groups had no monetary capital at the beginning of the process. As shown in the table below, rural microfinance associations’ increase in capital - without ICWL seed funding - amounted to USD 227,227 by May, 15 2019. This includes members’ savings, members’ fees, interests generated by loans, monetary value of physical assets (depreciated on a yearly basis), income generated by sales performed by the association (if any) and donations by other organizations (if any). It does not include non- reimbursable funds awarded by the ICWL project. This increase in capital is the direct outcome of FUNDER’s support with organizational processes, promoting savings habits and improving productive practices and access to market. The total increase in capital, including ICWL seed funding reaches USD 305,027.

27 groups received ICWL non-reimbursable seed funding (in cash)22 for a total of USD 77,800. All of them signed a performance agreement by which they commit to implementing best productive practices and protect natural resources. At least 5% of their capital will be invested in environmental protection actions, such as clean-up or reforestation campaigns. These agreements ensure that no loan will be granted to invest in illegal or unsustainable production

22 In order to receive seed funding, groups had to complete all three training modules designed by FUNDER and sign business performance agreements that include natural resources conservation commitments. Seed funding was also awarded depending on each group’s needs and potential influence on coastal-zone ecosystems.

32 ICWL Final Report practices or equipment, such as illegal fishing nets or expanding salt production sites. Seed funding is a powerful incentive, especially for new rural microfinance associations which would not be able to grant loans without financial leverage.

Rural microfinance mechanisms’ capital increase (in USD) by May 15, 2019 Capital Number Number increase ICWL Total Capital by Type of Initial Country of of (without seed increase May 15, group Capital groups members ICWL funding in capital 2019 funds) Pre- HN 13 400 346,242 88,362 18,600 106,962 453,204 existing HN New 10 169 0 19,735 29,200 48,935 48,935 SV Coops 8 147 0 119,130 30,000 145,530 149,130 Total 31 716 346,242 227,227 77,800 305,027 651,269

In Honduras, groups supported by the ICWL project were incorporated into FINRURAL, which is a second-level organization that provides community microfinance association with further technical assistance and other services such as low-interests loans and insurance. FUNDER will also look to strengthen the most recent groups by including them in other projects.

In El Salvador, all cooperatives are well known by FUNSALPRODESE, which will remain active in the area and provide support depending on needs and available funds. FUNDER has also established contact between cooperatives and the Center for the Development of Micro and Small Enterprises (CDMYPE) in La Unión. CDMYPE offers technical assistance for bookkeeping and access to financial services, among others. Cooperatives can also seek support from MAG’s National Center for Agricultural, Livestock and Forest Technology (CENTA), which has participated in several project activities.

Monitoring and evaluation visits to rural microfinance associations have shown that, beyond the promotion of savings, loans and best productive practices, organizing rural microfinance mechanisms allowed fostering leaderships within communities and create platforms to replicate knowledge and behavior change. Rural microfinance associations include strong leaders that are more aware of issues affecting their village and grow used to exert positive influence in the community. If properly harnessed, such leaderships become vectors of positive change in environmental protection, especially when combined with the participation of youth.

We’ve learned how to help the community […]. We organized a clean-up campaign; we celebrated Children’s Day. We involve the whole community. We also help when a member’s relative passes, we support them with cash, although it isn’t much, but it helps. We didn’t use to do any of this before.

Fausto Antonio Molina Reyes, La Galera Cooperative, San Cayetano, La Unión, El Salvador

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Better productive practices and improved rural value chains

What I used to do before was to spread chemicals onto the crops. […]. It seems to be good for us because we are able to send our product out for sale, but we are harming people, damaging them with so many chemicals in the product. The way we are doing it now, though, using organic preparations, it makes me feel we are doing something very well. The product is the same, but you feel more confident to eat it; one feels it is not going to harm you that much. […]Several men here in La Guacamayera have seen me spreading the organic fertilizer on the plants; quite a few of them are doing the same and they are now farming using organic products.

René García, 22 year-old farmer, San Alejo, El Salvador

Excessive use of agrochemicals, agricultural burns, fishing with explosives or venom and extracting marine species of juvenile size are all common practices that threaten coastal-marine biodiversity and ecosystems in the Gulf of Fonseca. Throughout its livelihoods development work, the ICWL project strived to change such habits and promote better productive practices that ensure access to market and better income without damaging the environment. Farmers and fishermen also learned to maintain sales registers, in order to have a clearer idea of their income. The ICWL focused on local value chains, including agriculture, fishing, salt production and apiculture. The table below shows the total income generated by sales supported by the ICWL project, which reached USD

René García prepares organic 807,783.76. pest control product

Value chains accumulated income (in USD) as of May 15, 2019 Product 2017 2018 2019 Total Pumpkin 15,535.18 49,784.28 5,273.24 70,592.70 Plantain 301,483.61 233,403.69 534,887.30

HN Fish 15,417.26 80,968.67 26,486.85 122,872.78 Sweet potato 6,460.91 6,460.91

Sal 2,970.00 2,970.00

Subtotal HN 737,783.69 Vegetables 16,935.72 6,650 23,585.66

SV Fish 29,400.22 22,746 52,146.07

Corn 1,600.00 12,600 14,200.00

Subtotal SV 89,931.73 Total 827,715.42

Horticultural crops (pumpkin, plantain, sweet pepper, sweet potato, melon) and staple grains

The ICWL project supports the sustainable production and collective sales of horticultural crops. Farmers committed to improved practices such as reducing agrochemical use and avoiding agricultural burns in their performance agreement. In communities located near the estuary, growing horticultural crops allow diverting farmers from more extensive cultures that put pressure on mangrove areas. Horticultural crops also have a greater value on the market than staple grain, thus providing higher income, including jobs for women specifically. Plantain,

34 ICWL Final Report pumpkin and sweet potato sales in Honduras generated USD 611,940.91 between 2017 and 2019. In El Salvador, horticultural crop sales (mostly sweet pepper) were sold for a total of USD 23,585.66.

In Costa de los Amates, Alianza, Honduras, pumpkins were planted on 31.75 manzanas23 (22.22 ha), which allowed employing temporary workers for a total of 11 full-time jobs equivalent during the season, while plantain crops employ 18 families on 51.75 manzanas (36.22 ha - 23 full-time jobs equivalent). In of Agua Fría, Nacaome, farmers planted 18.5 manzanas (12.95 ha) of pumpkin. Pumpkin farms will receive further support through the SURCOMPITE project implemented by FUNDER.

The associations Productores de Llano de Jesus and Los Luchadores, both in Goascorán, Honduras received training on organic sweet potato production, which they cultivate on 20 manzanas (14 ha). The first sale in 2018 generated an income of USD 6,460.91.

In El Salvador, two cooperatives where trained and equipped to grow sweet pepper in La Guacamayera (San Alejo) and San Cayetano (La Unión) in mesh houses that were repaired with project funds. Both groups use wood stakes (500 3-meter stakes annually each) to support tomato and sweet pepper crops. FUNSALPRODESE purchased bamboo stakes to support new crops, thus avoiding the extraction of about 3,000 meters of mangrove wood, which was used before project intervention. Bamboo nurseries were set up in order to make this improved practice sustainable.

Another Salvadoran group in La Galilea, La Unión planted melon over half 0.5 manzanas (0.35 ha), with the support of the Amanecer Rural program. It also received support from MAG to set up a drip irrigation system. These investments allowed diverting their production from fields that were located much closer to the mangrove forest.

Member of the La Galera Cooperative in San Cayetano, La Unión pose among sweet pepper crops supported by bamboo stakes in their refurbished mesh house

23 1 manzana = 0.7 hectares

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Apiculture

The associations Costa Verde in Alianza and Santa Inés in Goascorán, both in Honduras, received training on apiculture, to learn basic skills, techniques and use of equipment, types and behavior of bees and beehive handling. They also purchased equipment to start honey production and visited the COAPICH cooperative in Choluteca, in view of joining the association.

Salt production

Two community microfinance associations involved in the ICWL project include members working in salt production in Nacaome, Honduras. In both cases, ICWL‘s support aimed to promote eco-responsible behavior at salt production sites (avoid deforestation, wildlife killing and littering) and promote alternative or complementary activities, such as salt processing.

The ICWL project set up a salt packaging line, thus creating local jobs especially for youths and women. An abandoned storage facility was rehabilitated, in order to store and process salt. As foreseen by the investment plan, 1,000 quintals of raw product was bought, 20% of which was processed and sold to generate income to be reinvested during the next season. The improved facilities have a capacity for 20,000 quintals, but specialized equipment is required to upscale the process. Therefore, a salt mill is being fixed and quotes were requested for other equipment. During the last quarter, members (12 men, 11 women) of both groups visited the Honduras Salt Producers Association (ASOPROSALH) in El Caimito, San Lorenzo. The objective of the visit is to pave the way for a commercial alliance between the Association and salt producers supported by the ICWL project.

Fisheries

Fish in the sea depends on mangrove. If there is no mangrove, there is no fish.

Roman Burgos Calix, fisherman from Playa Grande, Nacaome, Honduras

In order to maximize impacts in terms of mangrove and fisheries conservation, ICWL put a specific emphasis on improving practices among fishermen, a sector traditionally poorly organized and highly informal. Fishermen who joined rural microfinance associations committed to using legal fishing gear only and reduce littering in a performance agreement. They also participated in mangrove reforestation campaigns and, in some cases, mollusks and crustaceans biological monitoring. Fishermen also learned to register their production (species, weight) and sales (clients, amount sold). For most, it is the first time they have a clear idea of their income, which is a powerful motivational factor for them to save money. In total, fishermen involved in 12 microfinance groups reported sales amounting to USD 175,018.85.

In la Unión Bay, artificial reefs were installed to support species recuperation and promote more selective fishing practices. MARN issued a permit install eight sets of eight 1m3 artificial reefs each over 1000 m2 between the estuaries of El Conchal estuary and Chapernalito in the Manzanillo Canal in San Alejo.

The Bocana El Rico Cooperative is the official manager of the infrastructure. Its members were trained and equipped to monitor and maintain the artificial reefs. The also visited the Arrecifes Cooperative in Jiquilisco Bay, to understand how artificial reefs can increase the presence of species in a low-impact and safe way when combined with sustainable artisanal fishing practices, such as fishing with fishhooks.

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III. Effectiveness and Integration of “Source-to-sea” Watershed Governance Improved (ER3)

I got interested because I live close to the river. […] Alonso24 took us on a tour and it motivated me. I tell my neighbors and my friends not to throw plastics; that they won’t disintegrate. I showed them pictures. Look, what comes from here goes all the way to the river and down to the sea. They got concerned. I told them to put everything in the waste collection truck. They no longer throw waste into the river. […] We hope for a change in society, it cannot go on like this.

Maria Elisabeth Bonilla, Community leader, El Sauce, El Salvador

Under ER3, the ICWL project promoted the source-to-sea approach as an integrated watershed governance best-practice. A survey carried out in 2017 showed that the watershed concept was poorly understood by local communities and government officers. For this reason, the ICWL implemented a series of activities to increase the understanding of the watershed concept and the source-to-sea approach, stressing the interrelations between the upper, middle, lower and coastal zone of the Goascorán watershed and the importance of good governance to ensure natural resource sustainable use.

The ICWL project also streamlined water and waste management, biodiversity conservation and other environmental priorities into governance instruments, such as municipal ordinances and community governance structures status. In total, 14 legal instruments were proposed, of which 3 were adopted and 6 implemented to improve environmental governance in the project area.

ICWL project beneficiaries learned how actions carried out at one level affect other parts of the Goascorán watershed

24 FUNSALPRODESE’s governance specialist Alonso Gomez organized several field trips to the higher, middle and lower Goascorán watershed to raise awareness of water conservation issues.

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Waste management: a cross-border challenge

Wood, sediments and solid waste accumulate in the area known as “the dam” (el tapón) in the Goascorán River. Photo: Carlos Palma for IUCN

The ICWL project carried out an assessment of existing governance structures at various levels in the Goascorán lower basin and coastal zones in Honduras and El Salvador to identify issues of common interest in both countries. The assessment showed that solid waste management is a general concern in the project area, due to the weak waste collection capacity in rural areas, inadequate waste disposal in dumps, absence of recycling facilities and little awareness among the general population. The issue is particularly visible when precipitations drag solid waste, especially plastics, and organic material downstream, eventually forming a dam and blocking the Goascorán River’s flow. Solid waste management was thus prioritized as a pressing cross-border challenge.

On the one hand, the ICWL project financed a solid waste study in the middle and lower Goascorán watershed to map landfills and dumps in the area, identify the quantity and type of waste produced by households, and propose recommendations for its proper management (main findings are described under ER1). The study was implemented with the active participation of environmental units of 14 municipalities. The results were later presented to these municipalities, as well as community-based governance structures such as COCOCOs and ADESCOs. The presentation stressed the urgency to create alliances with national institutions and the private sector to tackle solid waste production at its root, and to promote more responsible behaviors among the general population.

On the other hand, the ICWL project allowed local stakeholders of both countries to learn about existing best practices through a bi-national experience exchange held in collaboration with Fundación Vida. On that occasion, ASINORLU presented their experience with the construction and management of a landfill and the design of efficient waste collection routes in urban areas of Santa Rosa de Lima, El Salvador. During the exchange participants also learned about different associative options at municipal level to pool resources and coordinate actions to improve environmental management. The workshop was followed by a field visit to the Santa Rosa de Lima landfill, where all participants signed a bi-national declaration of intention to improve solid waste management.

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In order to raise public awareness of the solid waste crisis and foster a change in behavior, the ICWL project promoted clean-up campaigns engaging all types of beneficiaries, including rural microfinance associations, COCOCOs and ADESCOs. In Amapala for instance, three communities organize quarterly clean-up campaigns in Punta Novillo, Puerto Grande and Los Huatales, with the support of microfinance associations’ members and pupils of the local schools. Another clean-up campaign was organized by La Chácara Cooperative in La Unión in 2018. In 2019, CODDEFFAGOLF coordinated a large-scale clean-up campaign with COCOCOs and municipalities of Chismuyo Bay. The intervention covered 10 hectares of mangrove and beaches in 8 communities of Alianza, Amapala and Nacaome. About 1 ton of solid waste was removed from habitats and brought to municipal dumpsters. In total, the ICWL project25 allowed to divert over 8000 kg of solid waste from the environment in coastal zones of the Gulf of Fonseca in El Salvador and Honduras.

COCOCOs of Chismuyo Bay lead a broad clean-up campaign which allowed to diver 1 ton of solid waste from coastal zone habitats

Private sector agreements on best management practices

Proper disposal of agrochemical containers is paramount to avoid soil and water contamination. If they are left in the environment, they pose a direct threat to human health, wildlife and ecosystem. Moreover, these containers cannot be treated like other types of plastic waste, because they are impregnated with toxic substances. They must be incinerated at very high temperature in ovens equipped with filters to avoid releasing gases into the atmosphere that could trigger acid rain.

As a result of a past project, FUNDER counted on an alliance with Bayer, a member of the CropLife consortium in Honduras26 to improve agrochemical sustainable use and containers disposal in Chismuyo Bay. In 2018, a series of training sessions was delivered for farmers of Chismuyo Bay as part of the CAMPO LIMPIO program to promote best practices such as

25 This includes campaigns coordinated by FUNDER. We are making efforts to obtain data from other implementing partners. 26 In El Salvador, agrochemical plastic containers collected by farmers in La Unión Cooperatives are collected by MAG.

39 ICWL Final Report pesticide reduction, the use of green-label products, the use of personal protection gear while applying agrochemicals and containers perforation and triple-washing.

Additionally, three collection centers were set up in Agua Fria (Nacaome), Ojusta Costa de los Amates and Llano de Jesus (Goascorán), benefitting at least 120 farmers and fishermen. Agro- chemicals containers were washed, perforated and deposited in collection centers, to be later transported to the CropLife center in Comayagua to be shredded and incinerated. Unfortunately, it later came to light that the CropLife center had been shut down. IUCN and FUNDER then looked for a contingency plan to dispose of the collected containers, which proved challenging since there was no alternative in place to dispose of agrochemical containers in the country.

After many interactions with government and private entities, an agreement was reached with the cement plant ARGOS in Comayagua to incinerate the 200kg of agrochemical containers the project had collected. This first experience established a communication canal between FUNDER and ARGOS, which will hopefully give rise to a longer-term alliance for agrochemical containers disposal.

Agrochemical containers were triple-washed and perforated before they were deposited in collection centers set up by the ICWL project in Chismuyo Bay

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Local authorities and community-based governance mechanisms

Before we didn’t even know what an ADESCO was. How were we going to go to the municipality? Now we demand that the Mayor takes care of the river.

Wendy Acosta, Community leader, Concepción de Oriente, El Salvador

Community leaders of Concepción de Oriente expressed their gratitude to FUNSALPRODESE for their continued support through the ICWL project. Located by the Goascorán River, two hours away from San Miguel and La Unión, this fairly remote municipality rarely receive support from local and international NGOs

Government institutions often lack resources and manpower to ensure effective presence throughout the national territory. It is even more so in the southern part of Honduras and the eastern part of El Salvador, which are relatively far away from the capitals. The ICWL project thus focused on local authorities and community governance structures to enhance governance and empowerment at local level in the project area. In total, over 120 community leaders (40 women, 40 youth) and over 70 municipal officials (30 women, 10 youth) were involved in capacity building activities to strengthen local governance.

Municipal environmental units (UMAs in Honduras, UAMs in El Salvador) were involved in a comprehensive capacity building program, including training sessions on strategic planning, environmental legislation, environmental monitoring, among others, and the revision or elaboration of municipal environmental management instruments, including ordinances and management and action plans. UAMs/UMAS were consistently involved in project events and activities, which also enhanced coordination with government institutions and community organizations.

In Honduras, Amapala, Goascorán and Alianza UMAs have included environmental activities into their operative plans, such as mangrove reforestation, dry forest restoration, environmental education campaigns in schools, clean-up activities and waste separation. The ICWL project also allowed them to establish their municipal environmental plans. All these actions enhance municipalities’ effective contribution to the implementation of the Chismuyo Bay Biennial Operative Plan, thus contributing to the enhanced management of AMH/E

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Chismuyo. The ICWL also organized an event to present the results achieved in Chismuyo Bay to UMAs of other municipalities of the SAPZsurH, in order to promote their replication in other protected areas.

In El Salvador, FUNSALPRODESE has been working with UAMs of El Sauce, San Alejo, Concepción de Oriente and Pasaquina in order to promote the inclusion of biodiversity concerns into their work plans. This intervention strengthened the local basis supporting efforts made at a higher level with the Gulf of Fonseca Conservation Area Local Sustainable Development Plan (PDLS).

In both countries, the ICWL project supported the revision of municipal ordinances related to environmental protection and conservation, which usually only cover waste management. Seven municipal ordinances were revised to include key issues, such as watershed integrated management, biodiversity conservation, livelihood sustainability and social inclusion. Three ordinances were approved in Nacaome, Honduras and Concepción de Oriente and El Sauce in El Salvador27. The other four were submitted for approval, but did not give rise to much political interest in the municipalities, despite CODDEFFAGOLF and FUNSALPRODESE’s best efforts. Yet COCOCOs in Honduras and ADESCOs in El Salvador actively participated to the revision process, so their content is known to communities, which paves the way for their implementation, even if they remain unofficial.

Municipal environmental ordinances’ title and status for each municipality Municipality Title Status Municipal Ordinance on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of El Sauce Approved Natural Resources of the El Sauce Municipality, La Unión Concepción de Ordinance Regulating the Environment and Natural Resources Approved Oriente Protection Municipal Ordinance on Integral Measures for the Protection of SV Submitted for Pasaquina the Environment and Social Resilience for the Adaptation to approval Climate Change in the Pasaquina Municipality, La Unión Municipal Ordinance on Integral Measures for the Protection of Submitted for San Alejo the Environment and Social Resilience for the Adaptation to approval Climate Change in the San Alejo Municipality, La Unión Municipal Ordinance on the Protection of Natural Resources y Submitted for Goascorán Protected Areas Management in the Goascorán Municipality approval Municipal Ordinance on the Protection of Natural Resources y HN Nacaome Approved Protected Areas Management in the Nacaome Municipality Municipal Ordinance on the Protection of Natural Resources y Submitted for Alianza Protected Areas Management in the Alianza Municipality approval

Capacity building efforts for improved community-based governance in the ICWL project intervention area was tailored for local contexts. In Honduras, it focused on public participation to the Chismuyo Bay protected area management through the strengthening of COCOCOs (reported under ERI).

In El Salvador, the approach was based on ADESCOs, focusing on community associations that showed interest in the process. Over ten ADESCOs and water boards (Juntas de agua) were initially identified in the four project municipalities. A series of workshops and field activities were organized to strengthen awareness of environmental legislation, promote the source-to-

27 In Salvadoran municipalities, ordinances may not be officially adopted during the project’s lifetime. However they were presented to citizens at public events supported by local authorities in May 2019.

42 ICWL Final Report sea approach and stress the importance of biodiversity conservation, as well as livelihood sustainability and gender considerations. As the process evolved, only 5 ADESCOs remained interested. Two of them were fully restructured and now function with an up-to-date legal status and a newly reelected gender-balanced management board. Specific environmental protection objectives and gender considerations were also included their bylaws and action plans.

The following table summarizes local governance results for each Salvadoran municipality.

Local governance results in El Salvador Municipality Results Concepción de 2 ADESCOs’ internal regulation revised : Carbones and Cueva Oriente UAM annual environmental work plan revised Municipal Women Unit annual work plan revised Municipal environmental ordinance approved El Sauce 1 ADESCO’s internal regulation revised: El Talpetate UAM annual environmental work plan revised Municipal environmental ordinance approved Pasaquina 1 ADESCO’s internal regulations revised: El Amatillo UAM annual environmental work plan Municipal environmental ordinance revised San Alejo 1 ADESCO’s internal regulation revised: Los Jiotes UAM annual environmental work plan revised Municipal environmental ordinance revised

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IV. Crosscutting Issues

Teaching young people, changing their mindset is easier than changing an adult who has been dragging habits for years. With youth we can try new experiences to set what we have learned into action.

Fatima Dalila Rubí, former ICF park ranger, Honduras

We wanted to see what men were doing, and then we stayed. We like to be there, we entertain ourselves. Before we wouldn’t do anything.

Flor Idalia Rodriguez, La Galera Cooperative, San Cayetano, El Salvador

ER4 Climate vulnerability of coastal and watershed communities reduced through adaptation-based mitigation approach

Coastal-zone communities are particularly vulnerable to climate change, since they are strongly affected by floods, tropical storms and sea level rise. In the Goascorán watershed, this vulnerability is increased by recurrent droughts that threaten farmer’s harvests and water supply. Climate-change adaptation was thus streamlined throughout the ICWL project as a crosscutting issue to support local communities’ adaptation to new climate challenges, through activities reported under ER 1, 2 and 3. Improved agricultural practices such as banning burns and installing irrigation systems for instance make for more resilient farms. Restoring mangrove forests also provides communities with a natural barrier against coastal erosion and high tides. Thanks to the implementation of a coastal blue carbon methodology, carbon stocks contained in mangrove ecosystems of the Gulf of Fonseca were measured, demonstrating their great climate change mitigation capacity, in addition to adaptation opportunities, thus advocating for their reinforced protection.

Gender and youth

Women lead the Chismuyo Bay mangrove reforestation campaigns

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Biodiversity conservation depends on the commitment of both men and women from local communities to the highest institutional level. Yet women are often excluded from decision making and management process. Youth also plays a crucial role in societal change, by adopting new attitudes and habits. The ICWL project promoted the effective integration of gender issues and youth inclusion across project activities to bridge the gender gap and promote behavioral change.

In community microfinance, women and youth are encouraged to participate in the association’s decision-making, as well as in productive activities. Although male membership remained slightly dominant (56%), 7 associations include 50% or more female members. Additionally, 43% of executive positions have been attributed to women overall. On the other hand, youth membership increased from 12% at the end of October 2018 to 17% in May 2019.

The ICWL project also strived to create economic opportunities for women. Success stories include a group of four women who used seed funding awarded to the microfinance mechanism Pescadores Bendición de Dios in Playa Grande, Nacaome to set up a small grocery store. Value chains such as vegetable production and salt processing allowed creating jobs specifically for women. Another example of gender inclusion was achieved in Los Jiotes, where 50% of the workers involved in the elevated trail’s rehabilitation were young Woman harvesting sweet pepper in San Cayetano, El women, who were taught construction Salvador techniques rarely practiced by women in the area.

Women and youth participation was promoted in mangrove reforestation activities in Honduras and El Salvador. In Chismuyo Bay, 45% of participants were women and 74% youths. Although men still were a majority, 60% of about ten reforesting teams were led by women. The campaign, as well as most biological monitoring activities in Chismuyo Bay, were also supported by a group of 25 voluntary park rangers from Playa Grande, of which 20 are under 30 year old.

Women are encouraged to take a leadership role in municipal and community-based governance activities as well. In El Salvador, Municipal Gender Units were invited to join training sessions along with Environmental Units. In Barrancones, six women are involved in the PLAS Committee. Their perspective as sea shells extractors and key contribution to fish processing and sales is taken into account to improve the plan. Overall, the female participation target that was set for governance activities was reached with 30% women.

Specific activities are implemented to raise children and youths awareness of the importance of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. In 2018, 80 boys and girls participated to the elaboration of wall paintings depicting wetlands biodiversity in El Conchal community center in Honduras and Los Jiotes interpretation center in El Salvador to celebrate World Wetlands Day, the 25th anniversary of the Convention on Biological biodiversity and World Oceans Day in 2018.

Two environmental festivals were organized in Cubulero, Honduras and Pasaquina, El Salvador in 2018. In both locations, educative games and cultural performance s were organized to explain concepts such as watershed, biodiversity and protected areas. 750 children and 250

45 ICWL Final Report adults were involved in total, with the support of municipal authorities and implementing partners.

FUNSALPRODESE’s environmental education campaign in 11 schools of El Sauce, Concepción de Oriente, Pasaquina and San Alejo taught 231 boys and girls about the watershed, its various components and the importance of the Goascorán River for local communities’ livelihoods, using an environmental education specifically designed within the ICWL project.

In total, over at least 286 children (139 girls) and 23 students (8 women) were involved in classes and training in the ICWL project in Honduras and El Salvador. Another 35 teachers (mostly women, only 5 men) were also trained in environmental education, thus allowing for further replication.

Pupils of the El Molino School receive environmental education in Concepción de Oriente, El Salvador

Knowledge management

The ICWL project promoted knowledge and experience exchange among beneficiaries and implementing partners in all project components. Exchanges were held with park rangers, rural microfinance associations, governance structures and local authorities within and beyond the project area. Community Learning Activities (CLA) were also carried out to strengthen implementing partners’ project management capacity and their understanding of key environmental and social inclusion concepts. CLA covered the following topics: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning; Theory of change; Protected Area and Genetic Resources Legislation; Biological Monitoring; Documentary photography; Source-to-sea Watershed management; Women’s Leadership and New Masculinity.

In total, 1463 people were trained within the ICWL project, including microfinance associations, governance structures, municipalities and national institutions, local NGOs, children, students, park rangers, among others. Women represent 41% of these trained beneficiaries, and youth 38%.

Communication and outreach

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The ICWL Project also participated in large public events in Honduras and El Salvador to promote biodiversity conservation, such as the IV edition of the Agromarket Convention in San Pedro Sula which involved over 3,000 people, the Honduras Megadiversa event held in Tegucigalpa to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Convention on Biological biodiversity and USAID’s ESaccion campaign in San Salvador.

IUCN published a voluntary contribution on the Oceans Conference website to showcase the ICWL project’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 14 and included the Gulf of Fonseca in the Plastic Forest interactive online map, which is meant to document and raise awareness of plastic waste affecting mangrove worldwide.

The ICWL project raised awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems at USAID's ESaccion campaign in San Salvador in December 2018

Project activities were published on social networks to reach out to the broader public. The ICWL Facebook page received over 1800 likes, mostly by young adults between 25 and 31 years old (49% women overall). Each post was seen between 300 and 400 times on average, with a record 39,000 people for a story published on World Women Day in March 2019.

A series of educational tools were designed and distributed to raise awareness and environmental issues and promote responsible behaviors, including:

Educational materials to disseminate key concepts and information  A short educative story presenting the source-to-sea approach  A vulgarized version of the SAPZsurH management plan  Three posters presenting the main findings of biological monitoring activities

Four animations on the ICWL project objectives and main activities:  Goascorán Watershed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRh7II_6TqE

47 ICWL Final Report

 Livelihoods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poiNbMRm5gk  Source-to-sea approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47d56VDN3AY  Protected areas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCcbVWBHYsM

Seven videos on rural microfinance mechanisms:  FUNDER staff Kenia Cruz’ interview on rural microfinance mechanisms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rO7gXRYwLw  Fishing alternatives in Bahía de Chismuyo, Honduras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n0Yxt1HytU  Sustainable farming in La Unión, El Salvador: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbmwB5Tlr7g  La Chácara fishing group in La Unión Bay, El Salvador: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBgmbw3yqWQ  Women of the salt producers group in La Brea, Honduras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo8Dz-o7SGE&t=1s  Sustainable farming in El Cubulero, Honduras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwxSpzFJe-c  Community microfinance associations in the ICWL project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8b_26Nncl8

Three videos on biological monitoring:  Mangrove Forest: Crocodile Habitat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0-ogTSwk_s  Mangrove Forest: Crocodile Habitat (long version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DneLmuvJrU  Getting to know the Gulf of Fonseca: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kUSJRQgvuk

Two story maps:  Bird monitoring: http://iucn.cr/arcgis/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=22c92b85de3d4b118742320e6c 33b5e1  Crocodile monitoring: http://iucn.cr/arcgis/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=3b3584d3f50844ca92707973089f2 b76

One success story and two learning stories (see Annexes):  “Production diversification as a commitment for livelihood and environmental improvement”, on Will Cárcamo’s experience as a member of a microfinance mechanism in Alianza, Honduras  “Field School, schools of life”, on René Garcia’s experience with improved agricultural practices in San Alejo, El Salvador  “Friends of the Mangrove: Good governance for the conservation and co-management of protected areas”, on Chismuyo Bay mangrove reforestation campaign

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4. INDICATORS

Cumulative by May Indicator LOP Target Means of verification 2019 Indicator 1: EG.10.2-2 Number of hectares of 37,000 (About Reports on Management Effectiveness Assessment of Chismuyo and La biologically significant areas under improved natural 37,00028ha 17,000 ha of Unión bays resource management as a result of USG assistance mangrove) Indicator 2: EG 10.2-3 Number of people with improved economic benefits derived from 300 people (40% 716 people (44% 716 members of 31 community microfinance associations. Their economic sustainable natural resource management and/or women) woman) benefit is measured on the basis of association’s increase in capital. biodiversity conservation as a result of USG assistance 1 co-management agreement implemented for AMH/E Chismuyo Indicator 3: EG 10.2-5 Number of laws, policies, or 14 documents 1 AMH/E Chismuyo biennial operative plan for 2018-2019 implemented regulations that addresses biodiversity conservation 1 COAL legally established to implement the Gulf of Fonseca PDLS and/or other environmental themes officially 14 documents (5 proposed, 3 3 COCOCOs certificates of incorporation proposed, adopted, or implemented as a result of adopted, 6 1 PLAS revised for the Barrancones community USG assistance implemented) 7 environmental municipal ordinances updated, (of which three adopted) 31 Microfinance associations’ business performance agreements Indicator 4: Number of organizations implementing 4 COCOCOs and 5 ADESCOs legal status plans, agreements, strategies to improve sustainable 7 municipal environmental units work plans 55 organizations 51 organizations management of natural resources and protection of I COAL certificate of incorporation biodiversity I AGRACC Roundtable and I Task Force strategic plan I PLAS committee with revised plan in Barrancones ICWL database of trained beneficiaries , including: -Microfinance associations members (361) Indicator 5: EG.10.2-4 Number of people trained in -Community governance structures members (over 120) 500 people (30% 1463 people (604 sustainable natural resources management and/or -Municipalities officials (over 70) women) women, 557 youths) biodiversity conservation. -National institutions officials (about 60) -Universities and schools students (over 300) -Others (local NGOs and other stakeholders) 3 park rangers employed by MARN, 1 employed by ICF Indicator 6: EG.10.2-6 Number of people that apply 34 people (6 1 employed by FUNSALPRODESE, 2 employed by CODDEFFAGOLF improved conservation law enforcement practices 29 people women) 2 employed by Alianza municipality as a result of USG assistance 25 voluntary park rangers in Playa Grande, Nacaome. Indicator 7: Estimated of CO2 reduced, Estimation carried out by UICN on the basis of the number of 129.5 sequestered, or avoided in metric tons through the tCO2eq: 6732 8806 tCO2eq hectares of reforested mangrove areas restoration of mangrove

28 The ICWL project established the extension of the project intervention area according to a study carried out by ICMARES in 2016, which states that mangrove cover amounts to 6,029.25 ha in La Unión Bay, which were roughly added to the extension of the Chismuyo Bay Protected Area (i.e. 31,616.20 Ha) stated in its management plan. 49 ICWL Final Report

5. ANNEXES: SUCCESS AND LEARNING STORIES

I. “Friends of the Mangrove: Good governance for the conservation and co-management of protected areas”, on Chismuyo Bay mangrove reforestation campaign

II. “Production diversification as a commitment for livelihood and environmental improvement”, on Will Cárcamo’s experience as a member of a microfinance mechanism in Alianza, Honduras

III. “Field School, schools of life”, on René Garcia’s experience with improved agricultural practices in San Alejo, El Salvador

50 SUCCESS STORY IMPROVED COASTAL WATERSHEDS AND LIVELIHOODS PROJECT Friends of the Mangrove: Good governance for conservation and co-management of protected areas

DE LA CUENCA A LA COSTA Planting catkin and creating red mangrove A group of 101 people from 4 communities in Bahia de Chismuyo nurseries joins women, men and youth (La Brea, Playa Grande, Estero and Llano Largo) acknowledged the importance of the mangrove as a unique and complex ecosystem together in Nacaome and Alianza to that is a source of life, protection and livelihoods for their reforest and restore Bahia de Chismuyo in communities, and joined the “Friends of the Mangrove” initiative to put their efforts at the service of the mangrove conservation and Honduras. co-management of protected areas.

“I joined a reforestation campaign because of the conditions of the mangrove; it has been totally deforested by people who cut down trees and use timber as a business and seashore owners who are Their goal: to take advantage of the catkin’s sprouting period (red expanding and chopping them down. We are mangrove seed, Rhizophora mangle), collect it, and embark into a fishermen and our families depend on it, on the reforestation campaign that involves women, men and youth from mangrove; that is where we get our daily food from. the communities to assure mangrove conservation. Rhizophora mangle was the species selected, as it is the most devastated The mangrove provides us with oxygen and food, and because of its great value for construction and firewood uses. it shelters all types of species: birds, raccoons, oysters and fish. The mangrove has always been The training process for the communities is led by the Committee there, it has always existed, if the mangrove is in good for Defense and Development of Flora and Fauna in the Gulf of shape, we people are fine. If we join efforts, the three Fonseca (CODDEFFAGOLF) with the support from the Forest communities together may restore it, we can work hard Conservation Institute in Honduras (ICF), as part of the actions of to completely restore the mangrove. It is so beautiful to the Improved Coastal Watershed and Livelihoods Project. see the enthusiasm and happiness of people when planting, becoming aware of the damage that the The first step is to make use of governance spaces to strengthen mangrove is bearing, and doing something about it. capacities in the communities, encouraging their leadership, and Same as we need the mangrove, the mangrove needs aiming community management focused on resource conservation us; it is our way of survival.” José and co-management of protected areas. Thus, three (3) forest MendozaMatamoros, president of the Community Community Consultative Committees (COCOCOS) have been Consultative Committee (COCOCO) in Playa Grande, reinforced: "El Conchal", with 23 leaders from the communities in La Brea and Agua Fria, and reforestation campaign coordinator Photos:: Wanda Villeda / UICN Calicanto, Muruhuaca, La Ceiba, Llano Largo, El Conchal Playa Grande “We work happy and pleased, with people we had and Valle Nuevo; "El Estero", with 26 leaders from the communities in never spoken to in our communities before. Now we San Pedro Calero, El Estero, El Cubulero and Aceituno; and "Chismuyo", spend time together and they ask us: ´When are we with 28 leaders from the communities Playa Grande, Agua Fria and La going back? We´re looking forward to it, we are going Brea. The members of these structures receive training and begin to devote more of our work days to take care of planning actions to help them become stronger as a community and to reforesting because it´s a benefit for all of us who make them able to recover the mangrove. This is how the “Friends of the need it.” María Santiago Martínez, restoration Mangrove” campaign originated. activities coordinator in the community at Playa Grande. Training and preparation actions are carried out to be ready for the season in August and September, which is when the catkins come to During the reforestation campaign, 283,140 catkins their peak; and once mature, they can be collected to begin the were planted, and 3 nurseries were set up, with 8,200 reforestation effort. Participants receive training on reforestation catkins that are to be planted next year. According to techniques, they define spaces to work on, using geo-referenced data data provided by the Forest Conservation Institute, 44.2 from the Forest Conservation Institute, and they begin to get prepared hectares were planted during the activity at the for the work season, which lasts about a month. Groups of catkin mangrove, which encloses the communities La Brea, collectors and planters are organized, and group coordinators are Playa Grande, El Estero, and Llano Largo. Active appointed to define routes and working schedules. participation of 101 people, 42 men, 23 women and 33 youth during the activity, and strengthening governance structures and environmental education activities make up the first integration effort of the governance instances that contribute to the mangrove restoration for the Project, strengthening bonds among people and communities to preserve the mangrove and protected areas.

“We used to be only nineteen people at the beginning. We were already using the catkin, but with the training from CODDEFFAGOLF we started to learn better ways to do it, how to follow up our work, and how to take care of those fifty hectares we have reforested in this “I joined this reforestation campaign because it is sector. I’m a member of the Consultative Committee, we know the important for our communities to reforest the areas mangrove, we know we have craw fish, fish, and that these activities that are more seriously damaged, and it sets an we are carrying out protect the environment, the air we get is more example for us to continue teaching our children the pure, cleaner, and that is why we get organized as a COCOCO to importance of taking care of Bahia de Chismuyo. I take care of reforestation. How could we get food for our families if love my place, it is important to nurture our area and the mangrove were deforested? We depend on it, it’s a source of keep it beautiful. This action makes us all winners: labor for our communities.” María Santiago Martínez, reforestation we take care of the mangrove, we get jobs for campaign coordinator at the community in Playa Grande. people in the area and we help them by providing them with income, and we teach the communities the importance of reforestation and care of Bahia de There is a close link between livelihoods and the mangrove in Bahia de Chismuyo. Being a member of the Consultative Chismuyo. Fishermen are very much aware of this since they directly Committee is one of the nicest experiences we could depend on the mangrove’s health to survive and obtain goods and have, because we were actually able to see the services from it. communities working on their own for the same purpose.” Dalila Rubí, park ranger, Bahia de Chismuyo. A LEARNING STORY IMPROVED COASTAL WATERSHEDS AND LIVELIHOODS PROJECT Diversification of production as an effort to improve livelihoods, environmental conservation and biodiversity in the Goascorán Lower Watershed

DE LA CUENCA A LA COSTA Will Cárcamo is a farmer in Alianza, Valle, Community micro-finance groups are community-based financial who works 2 km away from the mangroves mechanisms aimed to foster community savings and credit to improve livelihoods among families. They have been promoted by in Bahía de Chismuyo in Honduras, and the co-implementing organization FUNDER around the country, about 400 meters afar several creeks. Even through the Improved Coastal Watershed and Livelihoods Project. though he has been familiar with the For the first time, it is working on including an environmental responsibility component into its bylaws, with environmental mangrove all his life, it is not until now with activities contributing to preserve biodiversity defined by its own the intervention of the Improved Coastal members. The project currently has 592 members (342 men, 250 women, and 85 youth) from the various community micro-finance Watershed and Livelihoods Project that he groups and agribusinesses in El Salvador and Honduras. has recognized the importance of the mangroves and the damage that farming without taking the environment into consideration may cause to them and to the people directly depending on them.

This has been accomplished by providing a series of training courses on administration and community micro-finance mechanisms management, good agricultural practices, such as appropriate handling of empty plastic containers, diversification of agricultural products, eliminating the use of red-label chemical products, collecting and taking advantage of recyclable materials, and, above all, generating employment for young people who “Our experience with the Project has been good, have been involved in logging the mangroves, and inserting them because it has made our mind sets change on issues into the farming activities generated by agribusinesses. such as preserving natural resources. Now I know how “We have improved the environment by collecting trash and to contribute to avoid harming animals, trees, and empty chemical containers. This is somehow helping us water that runs to the river.” prevent polluting the water that goes to the Goascoran River. Now that I know about the damage that can be caused to the mangrove, I am helping by not buying wood from the youth that make a living from that, and I have employed several of them to grow pumpkin and plantain. At the beginning it was difficult to find workers for farming activities; but now that the Project is in our communities, we do find them.” “My experience has been good because we young people are having the opportunity to get trained and participate in several activities such as handling trash and empty chemical product containers. We have received training on good agricultural practices, and we have learned how to take care of activities without causing problems to nature. Now that more jobs have been created in the area, I have decided to stay and not to get employed on board of a ship; several young people like me have joined honest work activities, such as agriculture and livestock farming”. Kevin Cárcamo, Mr. Will Cárcamo’s son. This has become a learning experience for FUNDER itself, and it has challenged this organization to include and develop more strategies as part of their training courses and follow up activities to continue strengthening the links between livelihoods and There is no doubt that the Project has begun positioning the topic of biodiversity. A proof of this is that they are already biodiversity conservation as an important matter for the population, planning an activity with the communities to collect all and it has contributed to teach this, particularly to those that do not empty containers from chemical farming products directly depend on the mangrove. The department of Valle in used near the mangroves in Honduras, and to donate Honduras is one of the poorest in the country, where the main issue for them to the Campo Limpio program at the CropLife those living there is to find economic activities to survive. Migration company to be recycled. rates are high, and so is vulnerability. Logging the mangrove for self The challenge continues to be developing mechanisms consumption and profit is a reality, and this is also true for overfishing, to help create closer links between production, which affects breeding, and results in inappropriate exploitation of livelihoods and mangrove conservation, and to make fishing in the mangrove. them sustainable beyond the Project intervention. This is why Funder has included awareness creating and training spaces for its members, so that they can understand it is possible to decrease pressure generated on ecosystems by using good agricultural practices and implementing actions that foster their conservation. Such is the case of initiatives like agribusiness and crop diversification, which are an opportunity to call the attention of the population and to offer them a choice to improve their livelihoods and link them closer to ecosystem conservation.

“Taking care of the mangrove is very important, and it is good to learn what the mangrove gives to us, which is what makes us protect it.” Will Carcamo

Photos: FUNDER Carlos Palma y Wanda Villeda / UICN A LEARNING STORY IMPROVED COASTAL WATERSHEDS AND LIVELIHOODS PROJECT A field school becomes a life-changing experience to generate income and preserve biodiversity and the environment

Using environmentally friendly best “Farming has always beenDE LA CUENCA part A ofLA COSTAmy life since I was little, growing maize with my grandfather, growing beans,and agricultural practices has been the first step watermelons; so far, we have always been cultivating. Thank for René García, a 22 year old from San God, we have done quite well, so there we are, always farming. Alejo, El Salvador, to change his life and his Things go well because if we plant maize, we get a very good yield, same is for watermelons. We sort of do well with way of farming, as a result of his learning watermelons because when the price is good we make a good process in field schools. sale, and we get back the good little money we invested, so we are able to make some profit.”

“I like everything, especially learning how to prepare organic products against insects, because when you Several months ago, René joined the field school in Chicaguito, an eat a product, it is healthy, and you’re not using too environmental friendly production learning space promoted by the many chemicals; when you use a chemical you may organization Funsalprodeseco, an executing partner for the feel it doesn’t harm you, but at the end, you are being Improved Coastal Watershed and Livelihoods Project, where harmed, and if you make organic preparations, like, if members of the communities are able to put ecological methods I toss it today, I can cut and eat the produce I’m into practice using demonstrative parcels to learn techniques that cultivating as early as the next day, or even today. benefit the environment and improve their productivity. Over They have taught me how to cultivate tilapia, which different working sessions, trainees start learning skills, including was null in my mind; we have learned quite a lot. What correct ways to use soil, techniques to avoid erosion and overuse, I would mostly like would be to see people changing, improvement of productivity, use of good agricultural practices, seeing farmers stop applying so many chemicals. It and other measures related to decreasing the use of chemicals on would be more than good: not applying so many crops. There are currently 37 people in two field schools located at chemicals, not burning the parcels; because we are Chicaguito in San Alejo, and Ojos de Agua in Concepción de causing problems to the environment. That´s why I Oriente. René has been one of the trainees applying all his learning think so much water pours around here lately.” in his own lands, and improving the way to manage his crops and wisely using all the resources around him. And though he has had René is an example of a dedicated and hard work person, challenges, which have even made him think about leaving his who has depended on farming to survive since he was very country, he has found support in Funsalprodese and the project to little. Together with his grandfather and grandmother, they continue working. have cultivated their own lands for a lifetime. “About two years ago I tried to travel to the States, looking for the American dream, to see if my family’s economy could change a little; but it is a harsh trip to be done, so we decided to stay farming here. Last year I had a problem with the greenhouse tarp; I had the greenhouse, but I did not have the original tarp. Anyway, I grew chili peppers, but by this season (October), the greenhouse fell apart, half of the plants got dry, 250 plants dried out; I probably sew the tarp at least 5 times, we struggled with that, but we made our way out, and even when I recovered the money I had invested, it was not that big of a profit; last year, things went bad. But now that I got a donated tarp, things are different. It’s necessary to work hard, not many plants fit inside, but the production I get, I mean, we’re talking about 25 sacs every 8 days when the plant is going through good production; and the squash orchard, we have been cultivating 7 pails of squash, 2 of beans, 2 of small pumpkins; so a family may sustain quite well with that. I also received help to get a fish tank and we are cultivating fresh water tilapia, an organic watermelon orchard, and things went well growing it; we have done well in everything that has to do with the project. They are helping me and we are making very good improvements, and we are also making our part of the effort as a family.”

René´s parcel is now an example for the community because it promotes productive diversification (with 3 different crops: squash, small pumpkin and beans), making better use of soil, providing options for livelihoods –should one of the crops failed–, and promoting the use of organic repellents that do not affect the environment.

In addition to René’s insertion to the education process in the field schools, he also received a donation of a tarp for the green house to replace the one he had lost as a result of bad weather, and he received help to build a fish tank to breed tilapia, where he’s learning appropriate growth and feeding techniques. Waste water from the tanks is used to “What I used to do before was to toss chemicals on irrigate the crops, enhancing efficient use of rain water. Thinking about the crops. I used strong venoms, and I used to the future and based on possible climate changes and the possibility of harvest and send the produce to the market in the tough rainy seasons like the one he went through last year, he has afternoon or the morning after. It seems to be good decided to try creating a wind barrier with bamboo, which besides for us because we are able to send our produce out protecting his harvest, will help him fix organic matter in the soil that is for sale, but one is harming people, damaging them otherwise washed away by the rain. This will also improve water filtration with so many chemicals in the produce. The way we capabilities, because of the bamboo root system, and it will permanently are doing it now, though, using organic mixtures, provide wood to be used in their wooden structures and constructions, makes me feel we are doing something very well. while avoiding deforestation of native trees in the area. The product is the same, but you feel more confident to eat it; one feels it is not going to harm you that much.” According to data René has collected himself, now that he has moved away from using chemicals, organic repellents have been a success because of their contribution to the environment and his economic investment. In the past, he used to apply a gallon and a half of pure chemicals on a 3 month harvest, representing an expense of 155 dollars. Now, using sulpho-calcium (a natural repellent made of sulphur, lime, and water), even when he needs to use 3 gallons and a half for the harvest, he only spends about 10 dollars, which reduces his expenditures by 80%. Even his wife has now joined the business, and she’s in charge of selling the products in downtown La Unión, which has made them decrease their costs of having middlemen buy their produce; the product of their parcel goes directly to the market now. In addition, this natural repellent helps preserve ecological balance of populations since it does not “I was cleaning the small pumpkin orchard with a kill insects; it only drives them off, while it doesn’t repel beneficial fellow, and he asked me: “What do you keep those insects, such as bees. sick plants for?” (I had about 500 holes and around 60 sick plants). So I told him: “Let’s leave them there because we’re going to try a preparation they just taught me how to make and we´ll see how it works. I applied it and I went back a few days later with this guy, who had told me to draw out the plants. He was surprised! So he told me: “Do you have any more of that?” And I answered I did, but it was still raw, we needed to cook it before we could apply it. We kept on observing and we saw things were improving. Several guys here in Guacamayera have seen me tossing the organic fertilizer on the plants; quite a few of them are doing the same and they are now farming using organic products; everything is good. After Funsal taught me, I have taught around 15 young men how to make the preparations, and how to make foliar products, and if they continued applying them, if everyone growing vegetables did the same, everything we harvested would be organic and it would be better for us and for the planet. We must do it wholeheartedly!”

So it is not only the productive part which has improved for René, but its relationship with the environment and biodiversity that surrounds him, which is much better; and so it is his knowledge on the risks of pesticides for humans. He also shares his knowledge with the people around him and, thus, he becomes a multiplicative agent among other young farmers. Photos: Ramiro Vásquez / FUNSALPRODESE Carlos Palma y Wanda Villeda / UICN