From August 23 to 26th of 2016, the experiences exchange was carried out in Guatemala between social actors from Mexico, Belize and Guatemala developing tourism projects and managing protected areas at the community or government level, in a sustainable way. The objective was to promote a better use of land planning instruments in their respective countries, taking into account the experiences of others.

The visited communities in this exchange are part of the working area of ​​the Program for Protection and Sustainable Use of the Selva Maya.

Plan of Finca El Capulinar

In this community, it was shown the integral management that a group of families make of their farms to improve the agricultural production, to obtain products for own consumption and local trade. The GIZ has provided technical assistance through the development of a model based on agroecological techniques, which includes inputs for agriculture, livestock and aquaculture. For the mexican participants, originally from the municipality of Calakmul, it was an experience never seen before in their communities and they expressed that the success factors of these practices are the working spirit of families, their simplicity and their appreciation for the land.

Uaxactun

The Management and Conservation Organization (OMYC), which handle and manages a forestry concession in the community of Uaxactun, held a presentation of his history, activities and challenges to maintain the management of the concession area, which reaches more than 80 thousand hectares and has more than 50 years of existence. The hosts explained how they use their forest, archaeological and cultural resources, through concession management; also, they shared a gastronomic sample, local dances and a visit to an archaeological site. For the Mexican delegation, it was a tremendous learning process to learn about a comprehensive community project, where a combination of forest management activity for timber, non-timber, tourism, archeology and culture can generate resources for community development. An element of great interest was the model of property management through concessions, which in Mexico is different, since there is an ejidal property regime with the possibility of exploitation under the authority of the State.

Course: Instruments for Municipal Land Planning, linked to national regulations

The Mexican delegation participated with several presentations in the Course on Land Planning. The mayor of Calakmul thanked the invitation and pointed out the importance of knowing the reality of the other side of the Selva Maya. He emphasized that Calakmul is seeking to strengthen the tourism subject as one of the elements of municipal development, but conserving and taking advantage of natural, cultural and archaeological resources. Likewise, it was exposed the project of Areas Willingly Destined for Conservation, by the Technical Services “Selvas de Calakmul”, as well as the efforts made by the federal government to orient the rural development in a sustainable manner in this municipality that has large extensions of territory declared as a natural protected area.

Yaxha

Finally, the Association of Organizations of the Yaxhá Region (ASODESTY) made a tour at the facilities and attractions of the national park, in which they shared the great efforts they had to make to form a second level organization, which could manage the different providers of touristic services around the park. One of the most important lessons for the mexican delegation was how they could achieve internal agreements to share a single vision of local development, a condition without which it would not have been possible to obtain the benefits they now receive for the management of tourist activity.