Gulf of Honduras (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras,
Mexico)
In the Gulf
of Honduras region, as in other parts of Latin America
and the Caribbean, conservation leaders face
extraordinary challenges. Among these are the growing
pressures on the region’s natural resources and
biodiversity. For example, deforestation for farming and
timber extraction threatens wildlife and watersheds.
Degradation of watersheds affects available water supply
as well as coastal resources. Poorly sited tourism and
second home development in coastal areas threatens
fragile coastal habitats, and in many cases has an impact
on the culture and way of life of traditional
communities. While Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico
have established impressive systems of national parks and
other protected areas, the responsibility for management
of these areas rests largely with NGOs, many of which are
working with limited financial resources and staff
capacity.
In the face
of these challenges, conservation practitioners in the
region are leading many impressive and innovative
initiatives in areas such as “ridge-to-reef”
conservation, protection of micro-watersheds,
community-based natural resources management, and private
land conservation. Our experience in the region, and
guidance from our cadre of alumni and partners in the
Gulf of Honduras, have highlighted several areas where
exchange and capacity-building would be particularly
useful.
These include:
• Supporting emerging private
land conservation efforts,
• Reinforcing regional cooperation within the Gulf of
Honduras,
• Supporting networks of community leaders, and
• Fostering an inter-regional exchange of experience with
innovative conservation approaches.
