FDV Closure Phase 2 They restore more than 1,000 hectares in the province of Veraguas, economically benefiting more than 600 families

Representatives of the Ministry of Environment of Panama (MiAmbiente), Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources (Fundación NATURA), the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) and the German Technical Cooperation, GIZ met with participants of the Fund project of Green Development in the province of Veraguas to share the experiences and achievements achieved in the project “Integration of a Biological Corridor between the Protected Areas of the Alto Guarumo Forest Reserve and the La Yeguada Forest Reserve, Province of Veraguas, Republic of Panama” .

The executive secretary of the CCAD, Jair Urriola, participated in the activity; the executive director of Fundación NATURA, Rosa Montañez; the regional director of MiAmbiente in Veraguas, Julieta Fernández, the director of the Green Development Fund for the SICA region by the German Technical Development Cooperation, GIZ Jan Bock; as well as the technical teams of MiAmbiente, Fundación NATURA, GIZ and representatives of the municipalities of the Santa Fe, San Francisco and Calobre districts in the Province of Veraguas, Republic of Panama.

During the 18 months, work was done on restoration and recovery to Integrate a Biological Corridor between the Protected Areas of the Alto Guarumo Forest Reserve and the La Yeguada Forest Reserve, directly benefiting more than 600 people from 26 rural communities, in extreme poverty and difficult access, from the districts of San Francisco, Santa Fe and Calobre in the province of Veraguas received payment for carrying out different environmental actions through the economic incentive model of “Green Days or Cash for Work”.

With this project, 614 producers were included in the different restoration activities, of which 185 were women (30%) and 429 men (70%), exceeding the proposed goal of 360 beneficiaries, providing economic relief to their families. energizing the local economy while establishing a biological corridor between the Alto Guarumo and La Yeguada Forest Reserves, in more than 1,050 hectares in key sites of the upper basin of the Santamaría River.

In addition, sustainable productive systems were implemented in more than 100 hectares and 11 hectares of silvopastoral systems with living fences, cutting grasses, and improved pastures, with the support of agroforestry organizations and Rural Aqueduct Administration Boards (JAAR), in the area.

To carry out the restoration actions, more than 290 thousand plates were produced through the establishment of MiAMBIENTE nurseries in the communities of Los Valles, Alto Guarumo, La Yeguada and El Bongo de Montijo; In addition, to purchase more than 185 thousand seedlings in 3 local nurseries to complete the amount necessary to restore the defined areas.

With the project, more than 100 people were trained and strengthened through 4 training workshops for the brigades for the use of equipment and tools to open firebreaks and defense lines and it was able to provide equipment and tools to five (5 ) brigade in each reforestation area.

Indirectly, the benefits of this project have permeated the entire area of incidence, where gender equality of opportunity, 30% of women have benefited directly, adults, youth and special attention to women who are mothers. Singles, people with disabilities and older adults were prioritized so that someone in the family could participate with priority.

Additionally, work was done to improve the sustainability of management of more than 1,400 hectares of degraded public lands, through the preparation of the process for their inclusion in the list of properties guarded by MiAmbiente to follow up on the restoration efforts already carried out.

The project was financed by the European Union, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), within the framework of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). ) implemented at the regional level by the German Technical Development Cooperation, GIZ in coordination with the CCAD and at the national level implemented by the Ministry of the Environment of Panama through the NATURA Foundation.