This presentation by Andrea Nájera from INAB shows how Guatemala's forests can be restored, which economic incentives were used, what the criteria for a map of potential areas for restoration were and what the conclusion and challenges for Guatemala are.

1. Potential for restoration of
forest landscapes in Guatemala
and its impacts on national and
regional policy
Andrea Nájera
National Forests Institute, INAB
Guatemala

2. Guatemala
• 34% of the country
has forest cover (3.7
million
hectares,
2010)
• More than 146,000
hectares of forest
were lost between
2006-2010 (38,500 ha
per year ).

3. Guatemala
• The country has great potential for
restoration
• International conventions include
restoration targets that should be met
– Bonn Challenge
• National policies also make it mandatory
–
–
–
–
Constitution
Forestry Law
Law on protected areas
Biodiversity Policy

4. Efforts and achievements
Interest in recovering degraded areas
1. Economic incentives for reforestation
2. Map of potential areas for restoration
3. National Strategy for Forest Landscape
Restoration (in process)

5. 1. Economic Incentives
for reforestation
PINFOR: Forestry Incentives Program:
• More than 112 thousand hectares have
been reforested in 15 years (1998-2012)
• US$ 149.2 million : amount of the
incentives
• Reforestation
• Natural regeneration
• 335,290 recipients

6. 1. Economic Incentives
for reforestation
PINPEP: Incentives program for small landholders
• 2,792.3 hectares were reforested in 6 years
(2007-2012)
• US$2.08 million: amount of the incentives
• Reforestation
• Agroforestry
• 18,043 recipients

7. 1. Economic Incentives
for reforestation
PINFOR
Reforested area
(hectares)
+
115,134.24
Incentive
US$ 151.28
million
Beneficiaries
353,333
PINPEP

8. 2. Map of potential areas for restoration,
criteria used:
1. Areas without forest (excluding intensive
agriculture)
– Agroforestry
– Forest landscapes for production
– Forest landscapes for conservation (e.g. Protected
Areas)
– Silvopastoral systems
2. Riparian forests (50-100m in rivers and lakes)
3. Mangrove: areas deforested between 2008-2012

10. Proposed areas for restoration
Category
Area to restore (ha)
% of total
Riparian forests
335,690
9.4%
Mangrove
10,132
0.3%
1,040,300
29.2%
Silvopastoral systems
597,340
16.8%
Agroforestry with permanent crops
432,490
12.1%
Forests for production
937,870
26.3%
Forests for conservation
211,980
5.9%
3,565,802
100.0%
Agroforestry with annual crops
Total

11. 3. National FLR Strategy
• Participatory process including
–
–
–
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National institutions
NGOs
International cooperation agencies
Municpalities
Civil society
Academy
• Strategy should be finished by 2014

12. Impacts on national and
regional policy
• National interest- one of the working spheres of national government
• Recovery of degraded ecosystems
– Environmental goods and services
– Protection of biological diversity
– Carbon capture
• Poverty reduction
• Improvement of food security
• Mitigation of climate change
• Incentives for investments
• Community participation
• Information for decision making

13. Conclusion and
Challenges for Guatemala
•
•
•
•
•
•
3.5 million hectares available for restoration
Many of them in poverty zones or vulnerable areas of
the country
How will we pay restoration actions in Guatemala?
Create sustainable business models: restoration
should become a benefit (ecosystems goods and
services) for the communities and the government,
not a cost
Private investments are possible
National commitment and External Cooperation are
necessary

14. Thank you
andrea.najera@inab.gob.gt