Guía ambiental centroamericana para el sector de desarrollo de infraestructura urbana

The project of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) titled “Promoting Sustainable and Resilient Territories in Landscapes of the Central Volcanic Chain in Guatemala,” funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through technical assistance, helped establish Payment for Environmental Services (PES) mechanisms in Concepción Chiquirichapa, Quetzaltenango, and Esquipulas Palo Gordo, San Marcos, in Guatemala, aimed at protecting water resources and forests. These mechanisms combine compensation and payments linked to water use, with the active participation of local stakeholders, especially women. Technical Advisory Committees were formed to oversee implementation, and technical and financial guidelines as well as community agreements were established. The process included capacity building, outreach, and monitoring. Currently, the initiative benefits more than 38,000 people through 216 conservation agreements.

Guatemala is considered as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, facing threats to water and food security as well as livelihoods. Despite this, climate action has received insufficient consideration in the country’s development agenda and local planning. 

To address these issues, the EbA-LAC program has collaborated with relevant institutional teams to establish a joint approach towards guiding municipalities in the incorporation of climate considerations into their planning and budgeting processes. Through advocacy actions, key  actors have updated the public investment system to include adaptation products, providing a procedural framework for municipalities to access funding and include adaptation measures in municipal budgets. In addition, by improving inter-institutional coordination, facilitating joint municipal planning tools, as well as strengthening municipalitechnical capacities, EbA-LAC has succeeded in paving the way for municipalities to leverage synergies towards an increased resilience.

Promoting fishing, responsible tourism, and marine-coastal conservation through the use of low-impact fishing gear and activities are the pillars of FEPACOIBA’s good management practices. This is complemented by the support and coordination of partners for training, research, and data generation for decision-making, both by authorities and internally within organizations, for the management of marine and coastal resources. Also, within the framework of technological innovation and with the support of regional organizations such as MarViva, satellite monitoring is implemented to prevent illegal fishing and ensure the safety of local actors when navigating the coasts. Likewise, tourist activities are carried out with respect for the natural environment.

In Panama’s western highlands, small coffee farmers face growing pressures from pests, plant diseases and climate change. Heavy reliance on chemical pesticides has harmed biodiversity, degraded soils and threatened pollinators. This solution shows how endophytic fungi, microorganisms that live naturally inside plants, can serve as effective biological pest control adapted to local conditions. Fungal strains were identified and transformed into low-cost formulations that were tested on coffee farms, where they significantly reduced the need for chemical inputs. The initiative brings together scientists, government institutions and local communities, with a strong focus on training and empowering women farmers. By addressing biodiversity loss, land degradation and gaps in technical capacity, the project strengthens sustainable livelihoods and climate resilience. Farmers benefit through higher yields, lower costs and healthier ecosystems, creating a scalable model for sustainable coffee production in Panama and beyond.

«Unidos por la naturaleza en el camino hacia 2045: una visión estratégica de 20 años para la Unión» articula el compromiso de la UICN con «un mundo justo que valora y conserva la naturaleza» y establece una dirección clara para las próximas dos décadas. Orienta los esfuerzos colectivos para salvaguardar la biodiversidad, inspirar el compromiso social e impulsar un cambio transformador hacia un futuro sostenible.

Un objetivo clave de esta guía es replantear la EIA para ayudar a apoyar la conservación de la biodiversidad y el logro de los objetivos globales relacionados (junto con los objetivos climáticos y otros objetivos de desarrollo social). Esta guía se centra en la biodiversidad y el desarrollo eólico y solar, y está dirigida principalmente a planificadores gubernamentales y promotores de proyectos. Sin embargo, dado que está diseñada para ayudar a abordar algunos de los desafíos existentes en la EIA, su aplicabilidad es potencialmente más amplia.