Mesoamerican Reef Conservation
Supporting marine and coastal protected areas in Central America
The Project
The objective of the Mesoamerican Reef Conservation project is to contribute to the consolidation of marine and coastal protected areas, the protection of biological diversity, and the sustainable use of their resources, in addition to promoting the economic well-being and improving the quality of life of the resident populations of the reef system shared by Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Context
The lines of work that guide the actions of the Mesoamerican Reef Conservation project are:
- Consolidation of marine protected areas (MPAs) to ensure the use of marine resources in the medium term.
- Promoting the economic well-being and improving the quality of life of local populations.
The Mesoamerican Reef Conservation project is focused on the reef shared by Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Achievements
Since 2015, 37 projects have been approved that have strengthened local MPA communities in monitoring, coral restoration, good practices in tourism, solid and liquid waste management, climate change, and participatory MPA management, among others.
Three new subprojects corresponding to the 14th call of the MAR Fund Small Grants Program began in the second half of 2022. Centro Ecológico Akumal and Fundación Comunitaria Cozumel, in alliance with Conanp and local stakeholders, will implement coral restoration actions in the Akumal Bay Aquatic Species Protection Refuge Area (ARPEA, Acronym in Spanish) and the North Cozumel Island Flora and Fauna Protection Area, respectively. In turn, Centinelas del Agua will analyze the economic value of the hydrological and ecological services of the Holbox fracture and the Yalahau lagoon as a tool for integrated water management within the APFF Yum Balam.
Allies
Donors:
- Fonds Français pour l'Environnement Mondial
- KfW Development Bank
- The Summit Foundation
Partners:
- Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas
- Mesoamerican Reef Fund