WWF's work in Central America - Freshwater
WWF started freshwater conservation work within the boundaries of the Mesoamerican Reef ecoregion, specifically in the Polochic River, the Izabal Lake and the Rio Dulce systems in Guatemala, which serves as important refuge for threatened species, such as the manatee (trichechus manatus).
The Water Fund
After winning the RE-Source Award for Sustainable Watershed Management given by the world's leading re-insurer Swiss Re, most progress has been made in the design of the Water Fund's organizational and legal structure and in generating buy-in from downstream industrial water users to pay for upstream forest conservation and sustainable water management practices.
The Water Fund is an independent and financially self-sufficient institution that responds with flexibility and effectiveness to ensure biodiversity conservation, threats mitigation and sustainable water use in the Motagua-Polochic System.
Working on multiple levels
Water Fund proceeds go towards supporting protected area management, promoting sustainable river basin management and best water and land use practices among local resource users, raising awareness among target groups, undertaking conservation science and designing and implementing local and national water policy.
Ultimately these actions are anticipated to safeguard forest, freshwater and downstream coastal marine resources and ecosystems within Guatemala's Caribbean drainage system and to promote the social welfare of local human populations.
As an example of the kind of activities done by WWF Central America to support freshwater conservation, several capacity building workshops can be mentioned. In June 2003, WWF provided financial assistance to support a one-week Central American workshop in Guatemala on Environmental Service Valuation Methodologies.
In September 2003, with the support of local partners in Guatemala, WWF conducted a workshop for Central American journalists on freshwater. Both workshops included a field trip to the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve.
Working with the media
Training journalists has proven to be a sound investment with broad and far-reaching educational impact in the general public. Concrete results are more frequent in-depth and substantive articles on key environmental issues in newspapers, TV programmes and radio.
