Tropical forest protection and sustainable community development in the Sierra del Lacandón National Park in Guatemala

Every year, some 1,240 hectares of forest are cleared in the 202,865 ha Sierra del Lacandón National Park. The purpose of the project was to reduce deforestation by means of a REDD+ project and to support the development of national and international guidelines for better integration of biodiversity protection and poverty reduction in REDD+ mechanisms. To this end, a project was implemented at local level with active involvement of the population. At the national level, the Guatemalan Government was advised in connection with national legislation. In addition, the experience gained from the project was introduced into the debate at the international level. The project made concrete contributions both to climate protection through reduced emissions from avoided deforestation and reforestation and to international climate policy through the development of detailed criteria for the implementation of REDD+ projects.

Project data

Countries: Guatemala
IKI funding: 874,712.80 €
Duration: 01/2011 till 12/2015
Status: completed
Implementing organisation: OroVerde - Die Tropenwaldstiftung
Political Partner: Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde - HNEE) - Germany

Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza - Guatemala

National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) - Guatemala
Implementing Partner: Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde - HNEE) - Germany

Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza - Guatemala

National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) - Guatemala
Online: http://www.bosques-lacandon.org/de/das-pilotprojekt-in-guatemala.html

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State of implementation/results

Project completed
An inter-institutional group (protected area authority, church organisations, local administrations) and local project cooperation committees have been set up
Regulations on reforestation were agreed at an expert meeting (including protected area authority, forestry authority, regional organisations)
Areas have been mapped and plans for enrichment planting schemes completed; afforestation work
Studies have been carried out on the more detailed design of a fund to finance the project activities
Alternative sources of income have been identified (arts and crafts, use of wood); regulations for environmental services have been developed as part of a government compensation programme for local people; gaps in legislation have been identified, on the basis of which options for incorporating environmental services into national legislation have been developed
Patrols founded for inspecting/monitoring areas of primary forest
Experience gained in the REDD+ pilot project has been processed; workshop on risks in the project area were held
Communication with other international REDD+ projects has been promoted; a database of REDD+ projects was set up
A communications strategy has been developed to make information material accessible for national decision-makers; a project newsletter has been compiled and a project launch event held
A national REDD promotion group to implement REDD+ projects has been set up

Latest Update:
03/2025