At the end of 2019, the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Selva Maya Project will complete its activities. For the protection of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources, capacities of various stakeholders and groups have been strengthened and participation platforms have established and consolidated. The Project was implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). On a national level the project was implemented with the entities responsible for protected areas in the three countries that share the Selva Maya: the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) in Guatemala, the Forest Department (FD) in Belize and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) in Mexico.
The regional impacts of the Project include the development and implementation of tools and instruments for land use planning, fire prevention and control and protected area managemen. More than 700 people improved their capacity in using and processing non-timber forest products (honey and Ramón nut), and more than 3,000 families benefit from the strengtheninged these value chains. Likewise, at least 30 groups have greater technical, organizational and managerial capacities. Regarding environmental governance, today there are two working platforms, the Strategic Coordination Group (GEC) and the Operational Coordination Group (GOC) of the Selva Maya, which seek to cooperate and influence at the political and technical-operational level respectively.
The messages shared during the closing events, held in Flores, Guatemala, Belmopan, Belize and Calakmul, Mexico, agreed on the importance of protecting and conserving the most extensive tropical forest in Mesoamerica. The story continues as well as the conviction that safeguarding the Selva Maya is a constant task and requires the commitment of all actors.
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