Side Event
Guatemala Immortal: The decade of life and development 2012-2022
Organizer
National Council of Protected Areas
Date and Time
14 October 2014 13:15 - 14:45
Meeting
Twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
The side-event aims to present: i) the challenges and lessons learned after three years of approval of our National Policy on Biological Diversity and updated NBSAP 2012-2022; ii) present the potential of our biological diversity for sustainable development goals and it´s contributions to the Gross Domestic Product, based on our experience on the development of national accounting; and iii) present to the International Community, the guidelines of the National Strategy for Resource Mobilizationand National, Programs Proposals to implement NBSAP with multiple benefits for all the sectors and social groups, especially for indigenous and rural communities. The balance and combination of conservation, governance, sustainable biodiversity use, and poverty reduction, takes time, effort and regional consensus. Every step ahead means a complex management of the social, environmental, political and economic variables. An example of this process, The Mayan Biosphere Reserve (MBR) established in 1990 and covering 19% of the national territory, is a place where sustainable use of biological diversity is the basis of livelihood for local populations. They are involved in tourism, sustainable extraction of timber and non-timber products, hunting, fishing and other activities which have generated multiple benefits for the Guatemalan society. As an example regarding economic issues, about 88% of exports of precious woods in the last 10 years (mainly mahogany Swietenia macrophylla King, cedar Cedrela odorata L, and rosewood Dalbergia stevensonii Standl) come directly from forest concessions managed by local communities in the MBR, with an average of 5,950 cubic meters of timber exported at a value of USD 7,600,00.00 pear year. It is also worth mentioning that the MBR is one of the main tourist destinations in Guatemala, for its perfect combination of nature and archeological beauty, center of the Mayan civilization. In previous years, the Guatemalan State has developed the project “Guatecarbon ” which is a REDD+ project that aims to strengthen the Mayan Biosphere Reserve management, through diversification and maintenance of livelihoods, as well as improving the governance of the area. This experience represents a pilot project in Guatemala, and seeks synergies between REDD+ projects and the implementation of our updated Biodiversity Strategy, showing the potential of mutual support between both processes. A panel of guests with representation from CBD-Lifeweb, UNDP, the GEF, BID, Guatemalan Government and indigenous people are expected to be in this side-event, in order to have short interventions and to deliver the programs/projects to the International Community under the guidelines of the National Strategy for Resource Mobilization in support of the Achievement of the three Objectives of the Convention (Decision IX/11 and decision X/3). Before the end, the side event will use a short time for special recognitions to the bilateral and multilateral cooperation that have supported the conservation and sustainable management of biological diversity in Guatemala.