Collaborative Conservation: Mexico and Central American Nations Band Together to Safeguard Essential Forest Eco-systems with a Significant US$65 Million GEF Finance Contribution
Spicing Up Conservation: The Colorful Story Behind the Mesoamerica Forest Restoration Program
📸 Thanks to our website
📸 Thanks to our website
Meet the movers and shakers:- Lucrecia Rodriguez, boss lady of the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC)- Jorge Salaverry, Viceminister of Environment of Honduras, and Orlando Habet, Minister of Environment of Belize- Pedro Álvarez Icaza, National Commissioner of Protected Areas of Mexico- Patricia Orantes, Minister of Environment of Guatemala- Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, GEF CEO- Ursula Parrilla, our website ORMACC Regional Director
📸 Thanks to our website
Stepping up in Pétén, Guatemala (June, 25th, 2025) (our website/MARN): A tropical dance between environment ministers from Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC), the Trinational Commission of the Trifinio Plan, Mexico's National Commission for Protected Areas (CONANP), the Mexican States of Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo, and Mexico's National Forest Commission (CONAFOR).
📸 Thanks to our website
The main act: Launching the Mesoamerica Critical Forest Biomes Integrated Program - a nose-thumbing move against the alarming destruction of primary forests across the region. Between 2000 and 2020, approximately 1.4 million hectares vanished, representing a 23% reduction in forested areas. Key drivers? Unsustainable agricultural expansion, illegal logging, urban and infrastructure development, wildfires, and climate change.
Through a mix of governance strengthening, national and regional policy adoption, World Heritage site protection, financing mobilization, and improved regional coordination, the Program aims to:- Boost management effectiveness by 5 million hectares in protected areas- Improve landscape management by 1.3 million hectares- Restore 61,000 hectares prioritized for primary forest connectivity- Benefit 176,500 people, including 79,500 women, while mitigating an estimated 58 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)
💬 Dr. Grethel Aguilar, our website Director General: "We're not just saving trees, we're fighting for the survival of the world's third-largest biodiversity hotspot, crucial for clean water, soil stability, carbon absorption, and the cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples and local communities. Something's got to give. Let this be the turning point, where people and nature coexist."
💬 Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, GEF CEO: "This mammoth regional initiative showcases our commitment to tackling the complex challenges threatening Mesoamerica's precious forests. Bringing together countries for a common goal – a greener world. And, hey, might as well tackle the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework while we're at it."
📝 Breaking it Down:- The Program: A collaboration between the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF)- The Mission: To reverse forest loss in Mexico and Central America and foster regional cooperation for the conservation of critical forest ecosystems- The Save Our Forest Army: International organizations (IUCN, FAO), government authorities, local communities, civil society, NGOs, and funding agencies (GEF)- The Objectives: Conserve and restore primary forests, promote sustainable use and management, strengthen regional collaboration, and ensure the long-term well-being of biodiversity and ecosystem services
Oh, and did we mention the star-studded cast at the Program Inception Workshop?- Carlos Manuel Rodríguez- Marisol Castillo, Executive Secretary of the CCAD- Lucrecia Rodríguez, Executive Secretary of the CAC- Patricia Orantes, Minister of Environment of Guatemala- Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management of Belize- Jorge Salaverri, Vice Minister of Natural Resources of Honduras- Pedro Álvarez Icaza, National Commissioner of Protected Areas of Mexico- Ursula Parrilla, Regional Director for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean of our website- Ramiro Batzin, Indigenous Councillor of our website, and others
(Fun fact: The Mesoamerican region harbors half of the region's carbon sinks and supports millions of people through essential ecosystem services. Time to save the day, y'all!)
- The Mesoamerica Critical Forest Biomes Integrated Program, launched to combat the alarming destruction of primary forests across the region, aims to boost management effectiveness by 5 million hectares in protected areas, improve landscape management by 1.3 million hectares, and restore 61,000 hectares prioritized for primary forest connectivity.
- Through a mix of governance strengthening, national and regional policy adoption, World Heritage site protection, financing mobilization, and improved regional coordination, the Program seeks to benefit 176,500 people, including 79,500 women, while mitigating an estimated 58 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
- The Program is a collaboration between the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and its mission is to reverse forest loss in Mexico and Central America, foster regional cooperation, and conserve critical forest ecosystems.
- The Save Our Forest Army consists of international organizations (IUCN, FAO), government authorities, local communities, civil society, NGOs, and funding agencies (GEF), all working together for the objectives of conserving and restoring primary forests, promoting sustainable use and management, strengthening regional collaboration, and ensuring the long-term well-being of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- The star-studded cast at the Program Inception Workshop includes Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Marisol Castillo, Lucrecia Rodríguez, Patricia Orantes, Orlando Habet, Jorge Salaverri, Pedro Álvarez Icaza, Ursula Parrilla, Ramiro Batzin, and others, all committed to the conservation and restoration of the Mesoamerican region's precious forests and critical biodiversity hotspots.
