1. CRC Report of Activities
2012-2013
UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE
DE GUATEMALA
SESYNC, Annapolis, Maryland
Edwin Castellanos, Co-Director
Centro de Estudios Ambientales y de Biodiversidad,
October 28, 2013

2. Research Team
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7. Alma Quilo, forester,
1. Edwin Castellanos,
carbon sequestration.
forest ecology, GIS/remote
sensing.
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8. Laura Saenz, biologist,
biodiversity assessment.
2. Gaby Alfaro, biologist, data
entry.
3. Margarita Vides, forester, GIS. Technical support:
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4. Danai Fernandez,
Lourdes Figueroa,
geographer, remote sensing.
administration
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5. Omar Regalado, forester,
Jorge Roldán, computer
policy analyst.
tech.
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6. Lucia Solano, forester,
Oscar Gonzalez, GIS
CRC Report Universidad delspecialist.
Valle de
climate change adaptation.
Guatemala

3. IFRI Completed sites in
Guatemala
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

4. Recent projects:
Forest Cover Monitoring.
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We continue to work on forest cover monitoring.
The dataset now includes nation-level maps from
1991 to 2010 with a total of 5 maps with 5-year
intervals.
These maps were based on LANDSAT images and
they were completed at the scale of 1:50,000.
Currently, we are working in the 2012 map which
should be ready by mid 2014. This work is done
with various government offices and two other
universities.
The new map is based on Rapid Eye images (5 m.
resolution) and will include 10 different land use
categories.
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

5. The forest cover continues to
decrease in Guatemala.
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

6. Deforestation rates:
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The net deforestation rate has been decreasing
from 1.7% to 1.4% to 1%.
This is the result of more regeneration and
reforestation as the gross deforestation is still
high.
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

7. Causes of Deforestation:
Migration and Land Use
Change a joint effort with the
 This was
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University of Oslo, ECOSUR in Mexico
and the University of Denver.
The objective was to explore the effect
of international migration and
remittances on land use changes in the
areas of origin of migrants.
We wanted to test if these factors were
influencing the way people use their
land.
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

8. Migration and Land Use:
8 study sites completed.
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Data collected included socio-economic
information from the communities (survey),
vegetation plots and land use change analysis
using remote sensors.
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

9. REDD+ Initiatives
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This year, we started a large initiative
funded by USAID: Climate, Nature and
Communities.
Joint effort with Rainforest Alliance,
TNC, WWF, Defensores de la
Naturaleza, and AGEXPORT.
There are 5 objectives in this 5-year
project: commercialization of forest
products, REDD+, adaptation, LEDS.
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

10. REDD+
readiness
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UVG is developing a Monitoring, Reporting
and Verification system at the national level
to be used with REDD+ initiatives.
We are also developing one of the
sub-national base lines for REDD projects.
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

11. Other initiatives
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We continue to work with coffee growers in
Mesoamerica to study their adaptation
strategies to climate change.
We are participating in the Mountain Research
Initiative.
E.C. Is one of the lead authors for the Central
and South America chapter on vulnerability
and adaptation in the 5th Climate Change
report from the IPCC.
We continue working with indigenous groups
in Guatemala to evaluate the biodiversity in
their natural areas.
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

12. Upcoming training events
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Professional Development Seminar on
Modeling Strategies and
Decision-Support Tools for Management
of Complex Socio-Ecological Systems
Antigua, Guatemala – 23-28 March, 2014 and
Panama City, Panama – 17-22 August 2014
Application deadline: November 8th.
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala

13. Thank you
CRC Report Universidad del Valle de
Guatemala