Forest Landscape Restoration in Central America and the Caribbean and implementation of the Green Development Fund for Central America (REDD Landscape)

Around 8% of all known species worldwide live in the relatively small area of Central America. Through deforestation, soil degradation and agricultural use, however, forests can no longer fulfil their water management, soil protection and biodiversity functions. The project supports at least four countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) in establishing, developing and carrying out implementation and financing mechanisms for FLR. National strategies, instruments and regulations are introduced, enshrined in law and implemented to this end. The Green Development Fund, which is integrated into the programme, provides project funding and finances FLR pilot projects at landscape level. The project also mobilises public and private investment and supports the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) in its efforts to disseminate the Bonn Challenge Initiative in the Caribbean region.

Project data

Countries: Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico
IKI funding: 13,120,000.00 €
Duration: 08/2017 till 11/2027
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Central American Integration System (SICA)
Implementing Partner: Regional International Organization for Plant Protection and Animal Health

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

Central American Agricultural Council

Central American Commission for Environment and Development

Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources

FUNBAM Fundación Banco Ambiental
Online: https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/79241.html

Skip to Project data

State of implementation/results

In September 2023, the Project began its third implementation phase, focused on “Forest Landscapes and Sustainable Trade,” with a special emphasis on deforestation-free supply chains in the Great Forests of Mesoamerica and in the coffee-growing regions of Central America. Relevant results achieved so far are:
- First agreements were established with CCAD and CAC. By end of June 2024, consultation sessions had been held in Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Basic information (actors, contacts, existing initiatives), national needs and priorities in relation to the Great Forests of Mesoamerica, coffee-growing regions and the response to the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR) were gathered.
- The agreements with the Regional Cooperative Program for Technological Development and Modernization of Coffee Growing (PROMECAFE) are particularly noteworthy. This is a research and cooperation network made up of coffee institutions in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. The agreements are aimed at strengthening national coffee institutes and the regional competitiveness of the sector, incorporating good practices such as no deforestation, which contribute to sustainability and access to markets such as the European market, which applies the EUDR.
- As joint learning and exchange of experiences are of great relevance, the Early Learning and Action Community was launched. The Action and Learning Initiative (EAI), which currently brings together more than 100 private sector institutions, civil society organizations and government institutions linked to the coffee sector in Central America and Europe.
- To strengthen local digital capacities, the “Latin American and Caribbean Coordinator of Small Producers and Fair-Trade Workers” (CLAC) was supported in carrying out two courses on georeferencing of production areas with cooperatives in Marcala, La Paz and La Labor, Ocotepeque, in the Republic of Honduras.
- Within the framework of coordination with the EUreCA initiative, support was provided for training on the use of satellite data for mapping and monitoring forests and other land uses, for national technicians of the AFOLU Cluster in the countries of the SICA region, by teaching a module on the use of satellite data for mapping and monitoring forest cover and other land uses.
The Green Development Fund projects for the SICA region for the restoration of ecosystems with a total funding volume of EUR 13 million were successfully completed by mid-2023 in all eight SICA countries (Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Panama).
Those measures led to the restoration and protection of forests and ecosystems at a large scale:
- 7,240.89 ha of agroforestry systems
- 7,061.63 ha of silvopastoral systems
- 5,416.73 ha of reforestation
- 4,753.87 ha mangrove restoration
- 812.69 ha natural regeneration
- 32,559.43 ha forest protection
- 794.44 ha soil protection
Altogether these measures increased the availability of ecosystem services over an area of 138,539 ha. Specifically, carbon sequestration increased by 25%, ecological connectivity by 19% and water infiltration by 10%.
11,143 rural producers (29% women) have benefited from financial incentives, in-kind contributions, cash-for-work, capacity building and/or additional production areas and crop diversification and have established 14,303 ha of additional resilient production systems.
2622 people (38% women) were trained in various aspects of ecosystem and landscape restoration and related financing mechanisms.
Additional funding of EUR 4.2 million was provided for ecosystem and landscape restoration activities in the program's pilot areas in 5 countries. 7% of the investment (EUR 310,404.00) was contributed by private stakeholders through four public-private partnerships in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala.