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Guatemala Biodiversity and Tropical Forest Assessment

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Guatemala Biodiversity and Tropical Forest Assessment GUATEMALA BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FOREST ASSESSMENT May 2010 This report was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was prepared by International Resources Group (IRG) in collaboration with Abt Associates. GUATEMALA BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FOREST ASSESSMENT Consultants: James Tolisano, Biodiversity Specialist/Team Leader María Mercedes López – Selva, Conservation Biologist May 2010 DISCLAIMER The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ······················································································································IX EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ································································································ 1 PURPOSE OF THE ASSESSMENT................................................................................1 BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS IN GUATEMALA .......................................1 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN GUATEMALA .....................................1 THREATS TO THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS IN GUATEMALA............................3 OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE OR MITIGATE THREATS............................................4 1. USAID’S ROLE IN PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS IN GUATEMALA ················································································ 5 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE ASSESSMENT.....................................................................5 1.2 METHODS USED TO CARRY OUT THE ASSESSMENT....................................5 2. BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS IN GUATEMALA·························· 7 2.1 GUATEMALA’S NATURAL FEATURES...............................................................7 2.2 ECOREGIONAL DIVERSITY................................................................................9 2.3 ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY .................................................................................11 2.4 FRESH AND BRACKISH WATER RESOURCES...............................................14 2.5 CHANGES IN FOREST COVER ........................................................................16 2.6 RARE AND UNIQUE ECOSYSTEMS.................................................................17 2.7 FOREST TYPES AND FOREST COVER...........................................................18 2.8 SPECIES DIVERSITY .......................................................................................22 2.9 GENETIC DIVERSITY........................................................................................23 3. BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN GUATEMALA ······················ 24 3.1 NATIONAL INITIATIVES ....................................................................................24 3.2 LOCAL INITIATIVES – MUNICIPALITIES And indigenous communities ............33 3.3 FINANCIAL MECHANISMS FOR CONSERVATION ..........................................34 3.4 OTHER STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS............................................................36 4. THREATS TO THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS IN GUATEMALA····································································································· 38 GUATEMALA BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FOREST ASSESSMENT III 4.1 HABITAT LOSS, DEGRADATION, AND FRAGMENTATION .............................39 4.2 OVER-EXPLOITATION OF RESOURCES.........................................................43 4.3 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND DEGRADATION...........................45 4.4 CLIMATE CHANGE............................................................................................46 4.5 Core FACTORS DRIVING THE THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS .......................................................................................47 4.6 PRIORITIZATION OF THREATS: TIMING, INTENSITY AND FEASIBILITY OF INTERVENTIONS..................................................................49 5. OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE OR MITIGATE THREATS······························ 51 5.1 MARKET-DRIVEN SERVICE AND PRODUCT OPPORTUNITIES.....................51 5.2 STRENGTHENED APPLICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES ...............58 5.3 STRENGTHENED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT INSTITUTIONS...........61 5.4 REDUCED POVERTY AND IMPROVED LAND USE THROUGH GREATER ENGAGEMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN BIODIVERSITY AND FOREST CONSERVATION...............................................................................67 6. USAID OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN THE CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS IN GUATEMALA························ 71 6.1 USAID INTERVENTIONS IN BIODIVERSITY AND FOREST CONSERVATION ..............................................................................................71 6.2 INTERVENTION OPPORTUNITIES..................................................................74 REFERENCES·············································································································· 81 ANNEX I. SECTIONS 117, 118 AND 119 OF THE U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT ···························································································· 85 ANNEX II. ASSESSMENT TEAM BIOGRAPHIES······················································· 92 ANNEX III. STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)································································ 93 ANNEX IV. LIST OF PERSONS / INSTITUTIONS CONTACTED······························· 99 ANNEX V. LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP·················· 100 ANNEX VI. ANTHROPOGENIC THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY AND FORESTS IN GUATEMALA- A PRIORITIZATION OF THE INTENSITY AND DURATION OF THREATS AND THE FEASIBILITY OF INTERVENTION. ···· 105 iv GUATEMALA BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FOREST ASSESSMENT ACRONYMS A/R Afforestation or Reforestation of deforested areas ACARPET Asociación de Carpinteros de Petén ACOFOP Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén ADISO Association for the Integrated Sustainable Development of the East AMSCLAE The Authority for the Sustainable Management of the Atitlán Watershed and it Tributaries ANACAFE Guatemalan National Coffee Association ANAM National Association of Municipalities ARNPG Association of Private Natural Reserves of Guatemala ASAECO Association of Ecological Agriculturists of Lake Chicabal ASOREMA National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations Natural Resources and Environment consortium BFD Belize Forest Department CAFTA Central American Free Trade Agreement CAM Central America and Mexico CATHALAC Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CBOs Community-based organizations CCAD Central American Commission for the Environment and Development CDM Clean Development Mechanism CECON Center for Conservation Studies CEMEC-CONAP Centro de Monitoreo y Evaluacion del Consejo Nacional de Areas Protegidas CI Conservation International CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora CONAP National Council for Protected Areas CONCAUSA Joint Declaration Central America and United States of America (). CPI Counterpart International DANIDA Danish International Development Assistance DIPRONA Directorate of Nature Protection DR Dominican Republic EGAT Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade ( EIAs Environmental impact assessments FAA Foreign Assistance Act GUATEMALA BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FOREST ASSESSMENT v FCA Forest Conservation Agreement FCD Friends for Conservation and Development in Belize FCER Forest-based carbon emission reduction project FCG The Guatemala Conservation Trust Fund FCPF Forest Carbon Partnership Facility FDN Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza FEDECOVERA Federación de Cooperativas de las Verapaces FOGUAMA The Guatemalan Environment Fund FONACON National Conservation Fund FSC Forest Stewardship Council FUNDAECO Fundación para el Desarrollo y la Conservación FUNDARY Fundación Mario Dary GEF Global Environment Facility GGEs Greenhouse gas emissions GIS geographic information system GNP gross domestic product GoG Government of Guatemala GTZ German Technical Development ICDPs Integrated Conservation and Development Initiatives IDB Inter-American Development Bank IETA International Emissions Trading Association INAB The National Forest Institute INGUAT Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IR Intermediate Result IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature JAPOE Council for Administration of Water and Sewage Disposal (Jesús de Otoro, Honduras) JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency LKS lesser-known species mm meters MAGA Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food MAREA Management of Aquatic Resources and Economic Alternatives Program MARN Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources MBC Meso-American Biological Corridor vi GUATEMALA BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FOREST ASSESSMENT MBR Maya Biosphere Reserve MMCBR Maya Mountains–Chiquibul Biosphere Reserve MRV Measurement, reporting and verification MTPA Montecristo Trinational Protected Area MUZ Multiple Use Zone NFP National Forest Program NGOs Non-governmental organizations NGS National Geographic Society NISP National Implementation Sustainable Partnership NORAD Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation NRM Natural resource management NTFPs Non-timber Forest Products ODK (Google Android) Open Data Kit OETE Office of Enterprise, Trade and the Environment
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