Latin America & the Caribbean: CAFTA - Dominican Republic Central America - Mundo Maya Sustainable Tourism Central America - Regional Fire Program Guatemala Guatemala - Mirador-Rio Azul Honduras - Rio Platano Biosphere Jamaica Return to 'Where We Work' Page CAFTA - Dominican Republic Protected Area Law Enforcement: With funding from the State Department, DOI-ITAP is working under the Central America/Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) to support resource law enforcement efforts in the region. This program is involving and benefiting the following six (6) countries: Dominican Republic El Salvador Honduras Guatemala Nicaragua Costa Rica The DOI-ITAP staff is working closely with USAID, the State Department, and in-country contacts to conduct on-site consultations with selected law enforcement officials in each country and to conduct law enforcement workshops and field training in topics identified as priorities. Funding: State Department For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Central America - Active Sustainable Tourism at Mayan Archeological Sites: The Mundo Maya (i.e., “Mayan World”) region, encompasses approximately 500,000 square kilometers in Honduras El Salvador Guatemala Belize, and Mexico (southern) and connects these countries through their shared common Mayan heritage. This area, containing magnificent archaeological sites and large swaths of intact tropical forests, is facing development pressures from the more than five million Mayan descendants and others who currently reside there. Other ecological and cultural pressures include poaching of both archeological artifacts and natural resources, and the growing numbers of tourists. In 1993, the Tourism Ministries of each of these five countries created the Mundo Maya Organization (MMO) in an effort to develop a coordinated regional strategy to promote sustainable tourism at the Mayan archeological sites. The goal of the MMO, using both internal and external funding (e.g., from the InterAmerican Development Bank [IDB]), is to contribute to the sustainable economic and social development of the Mayan region through the establishment of regional circuits that offer cultural, ecological and adventure tourism. DOI-ITAP has signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the MMO to provide technical assistance and training to any of the MMO countries. DOI-ITAP has provided technical assistance to 12 selected Mayan sites in the areas of: protection and maintenance of the natural and cultural resources; visitor infrastructure, services, and education; capacity-building; and community participation. The DOI-ITAP staff is working closely with in-country archeologists, park managers, engineers, economists, and the local communities. Funding: InterAmerican Development Bank For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Central America - Active Regional Fire Program: At the request of the U.S. Agency for International Development/Guatemala – Central American Programs (US AID/G-CAP), DOI-ITAP is providing technical assistance focused on fire management and forest pest control throughout Mesoamerica. This Program is to involve and benefit the following eight (8) countries: Panama Costa Rica Nicaragua El Salvador Honduras Guatemala Belize Mexico The points of contact for these countries are each country’s Forest and Pest Committee members under the Commission on Central American Environment and Development (CCAD), an organization consisting of the Ministries of the Environment for each of these countries. Due to Mexico’s extensive experience and capabilities with forest fires and forest pest management, DOI is working closely with its Mexican counterparts on increasing the coordination, prevention, and response capabilities of the other seven countries as well as within Mexico. Under this program, DOI-ITAP is delivering its assistance through: Technical assistance, training, and workshops Small grants Economic valuation Training and outreach material Funding: USAID/Central American Regional Programs & USAID/Guatemala For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Guatemala - Completed Mayan Biosphere Reserve: The 1.5 million hectare Mayan Biosphere Reserve, located in the northern Department (state) of El Petén, forms the core of the largest tract of intact tropical forests remaining in Meso-America. DOI-ITAP worked closely with the USAID/Guatemala office and the Guatemalan protected area management agency, Consejo Nacional de Areas Protegidas (CONAP), to strengthen protected area management in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve. DOI technical assistance in the Reserve was designed to promote and enhance coordination among managing entities within the Reserve and enhance coordination, interaction, and cooperation between U.S. and Guatemalan protected area staff. DOI technical assistance was also provided in other geographic areas of the country, including the Volcanoes of Atitlán, located in the western highlands, the Polochíc-Motagua wildlife area in the eastern lowlands, and the Chisec area in northern Alta Verapaz. Some key results of DOI-ITAP’s work in Guatemala included an evaluation of the management of archaeological resources, the improvement of trails for tourists in Lake Atitlán, as well as the provision of a radio system and weather stations to enhance fire response, law enforcement, and search and rescue missions. DOI-ITAP also provided technical training related to law enforcement, fire prevention and park management. Funding: USAID/Guatemala For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Guatemala - Mirador-Rio Azul - Active Sustainable Tourism Development: DOI-ITAP is providing technical assistance on multiple aspects of park and visitor management at the Mirador-Río Azul Natural and Cultural Zone (MRA Zone) located within the Maya Biosphere Reserve in northern Guatemala. El Mirador, the central archaeological site in the western portion of this Zone, has been identified as one of the oldest and largest Maya archeological sites in Mesoamerica. For this project, DOI-ITAP is working as a direct advisor to the Government of Guatemala (GOG) to specifically (1) strengthen the management and protection of the MRA Zone and (2) build the capacity of the Carmelita community to provide visitor guide and other services—ensuring that the tourism is economically beneficial. DOI will direct its initial assistance on the following main components: park planning and administration; visitor education and orientation; visitor and park guard infrastructure design and construction; strengthening of gateway communities in the area; and resource and visitor protection. Significant results to date include the signing of a MOU between the GOG and the Secretary of the Interior; the signing of a Declaration of Good Intentions by Interior, GOG, community groups, and non-governmental organizations; the completion of a law enforcement assessment for the Zone; the nomination of the site to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and drafting and presentation of an inter-disciplinary team’s work plan and timeline. Future plans will be focused on the work of the inter-disciplinary team in the five areas listed above. Funding: Global Heritage Fund (GHF) and Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES) For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Honduras - Completed Rio Platano Biosphere: Part of the largest contiguous rain forest in Central America, the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve is a World Heritage Site and the first and largest UNESCO-designated Man and the Biosphere Reserve (1980) in Central America. DOI-ITAP worked to protect the indigenous peoples and the biological diversity of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, one of twenty-two international sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The main threats to the Reserve are illegal human intrusions and settlement across its western and southern boundaries. DOI-ITAP worked to promote the conservation of biological diversity by direct actions in the Reserve and by helping the Government of Honduras to establish administrative controls throughout the Reserve. The key areas of DOI-ITAP’s work in Honduras dealt with economic development, tourism, community participation and local capacity building. Key results included assisting the establishment of the first two lending banks in the Reserve, helping to create some initial infrastructure in the Reserve including food, lodging, and restroom facilities as well as developing promotional materials to attract tourists. DOI-ITAP also provided training in endangered species conservation, strategic planning, decision-making, negotiation, conflict resolution, communication and uses of technology to a variety of local community, educational, political and trade organizations in the Reserve. Funding: PROARCA/CAPAS & USAID/Washington For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Jamaica - Completed Ministry of Land and Environment – Mines and Geology Division: DOI-ITAP partnered with Jamaica’s Ministry of Land and Environment, Mines and Geology Division to provide training to mining inspectors. The Mines and Geology Division functions to license, monitor and regulate all mining and quarrying activities on the island as well as map the country’s geological resources. During the one-week training, the twenty participants were instructed about quarry safety, sedimentation of stream channels, environmental best practices and visual impact. Funding: USAID/Jamaica For a more detailed understanding of this program, please refer to the DOI-ITAP Quarterly Report. Return to Top