GUATEMALA-HONDURAS MERENDON CORRIDOR: A STRATEGY TO PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND IMPROVE LIVELIHOODS

THE MERENDON MOUNTAIN RANGE BETWEEN HONDURAS AND GUATEMALA REPRESENTS A BINATIONAL AREA WITH HIGH BIODIVERSITY, KEY CONNECTIVITY FOR JAGUARS AND CRUCIAL SOCIOECONOMIC VALUE FOR THE LOCAL PEOPLE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE AREA IS ALSO THREATENED BY DEFORESTATION AND POACHING.

PANTHERA HAS BEEN WORKING OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS TO SECURE CRITICAL HABITAT, SUPPORT LOCAL PARTNERS AND COMMUNITIES AND IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE APPROACHES SUCH AS SMART, AN OPEN-ACCESS CONTROL AND PROTECTION REPORTING TOOL, AND ACOUSTIC MONITORING TO DETECT HUNTING ACTIVITY.

HEREIN WE PROPOSE A PROJECT BASED ON SOCIALIZATIONS AND CONSULTATION WE CARRIED OUT WITH THE LOCAL PEOPLE OF THE AREA IN 2023.

THE PROJECT WILL TARGET THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: STRENGTHEN LOCAL WATER COMMUNITIES THROUGH LEGAL SUPPORT, CONTINUE TO MONITOR BIODIVERSITY, KEY SPECIES AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IN CUSUCO NATIONAL PARK AND SIERRA CARAL WATER AND FOREST RESERVE AND EXPAND TO NEW AREAS, SUPPORT LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS IN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND SECURING ECONOMIC BENEFITS THROUGH THE FOREST INCENTIVE PROGRAM.

THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PROTECT THE CLEAN WATER SOURCE OF OVER 60,000 PEOPLE IN HONDURAS AND GUATEMALA, WHILE PROTECTING KEY HABITAT FOR OVER 49 ENDEMIC AND CRITICALLY ENDANGERED OR ENDANGERED IUCN SPECIES KNOWN TO EXIST IN THIS AREA. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO GENERAT