This project focused on the protection and sustainable use of the Selva Maya, the tropical forest shared by Belize, Guatemala and Mexico. The project’s goal was that government and civil society may implement concerted measures to protect and sustainably use biodiversity and natural resources in the Selva Maya region.

The Project implemented activities in four thematic areas:

• Conservation of Protected Areas and biodiversity
• Land use planning, taking environmental protection into consideration
• Sustainable income generating alternatives
• Strengthening environmental governance in the Selva Maya region

The official program partner at the regional level was the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD). Nationally, the program worked with the institutions responsible for the protection and conservation of protected areas, the Forest Department (FD) of the “Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management (MSDCCDRM) in Belize, the National Protected Areas Council (CONAP) in Guatemala and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) in Mexico. The project also collaborated with NGOs and members of civil society that pursue the same objective: to contribute to the protection and sustainable management of the Selva Maya.

• Management plans and various instruments for the conservation of protected areas and biological diversity were developed or updated, such as the Forest Law and the National Protected Areas System Plan of Belize, the Management Plan for the Buffer Zone of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala (Spanish version), and the Visionary Development Plan (Spanish version) for Calakmul, Mexico as well as the strategic planning for Bala’an K’aax Protection Area
• In the area of land use planning, capacity was strengthened in planning methods and instruments through pilot participatory Community Land Use Plans
• To promote sustainable alternatives for increasing income the program promoted: Ramon seed and honey production through strengthening of the value chain, the establishment of productive committees and technical and institutional training, as well as sustainable agroecological and silvopastoral practices
• To strengthen environmental governance in the Selva Maya, the program promoted the establishment of the Strategic Coordination Group (GEC) of the Selva Maya, integrated by representatives from the MAFFESDI Belize, CONAP Guatemala, and CONANP Mexico. In the same way, the program supported the creation of the Operative Coordination Group (GOC) of the Selva Maya, a network of protected area managers. Other activities included cross-border exchanges, trinational park ranger exchanges and cross-border cooperation initiatives

For more information, see the Systematization of processes developed in the framework of the project.

Selva Maya Programme

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