Spanish

Dear friends and colleagues,

Last month, Latin American ecosystems and the search for a more sustainable and climate-friendly society were the faces of our conservation work. WWF-Mexico presented an analyses of the greenhouse gas emissions in relation with the Paris agreement and Mexico’s commitments. WWF participated in the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, where a decision on Belize represents a call for public support. In Colombia, indigenous and peasant leaders met with government entities to discuss 24 agreements related to the sustainable use of the Inírida River Star. WWF-Peru promoted a project to reduce sea turtles bycatch in the Eastern Pacific. WWF-Chile integrated a platform for the conservation of the ecosystems of Patagonia. WWF-Bolivia and the Municipality of La Paz collaborated to promote a more sustainable city. WWF-Brazil developed environmental conservation initiatives and supported the organization of actions to monitor wildlife in the Cerrado. In Paraguay, a WWF technical team traveled to the Paraguayan Chaco with representatives of McDonald's Corporation and other partners, to learn about the different meat production systems and business opportunities in the region. The team of WWF-Guatemala/Mesoamerica began a scientific study in the Manchaguala watershed to determine the provenance of water in certain areas. Researchers from Bolivia, Peru and Colombia completed a series of trips to gather information on the river dolphins in the Amazon. Internationally, WWF calls on governments to agree on long-term conservation and management measures for the eastern Pacific tuna fishery. Enjoy the reading,

Roberto Troya

Vice President & Regional Director

WWF-LAC

WWF-Mexico brought together sectors to present an analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions in the light of the mitigation commitments established by Mexico under the Paris Agreement

WWF-Mexico presented the results of the study "Nationally Determined Contributions" (NDC) of the expected mitigation component in the electricity generation sector and established in the national planning exercise. The results of the work done by an expert consultant show that reduction goals were met. However, the trajectory of emissions does not seem to reach a peak of emissions in the committed period. The electricity sector accounts for 19% of national greenhouse gas emissions, second only to the transport sector. The Ministry of the Environment pledged to work closely with the Energy Ministry and this in turn committed to analyze the emissions of the electricity sector in line with the NDC. This has already been reflected in the new sector planning. With these results, Mexico shows what can be achieved when efforts are joined across sectors. This could motivate Latin America to carry out similar research and interministerial collaboration exercises.

Public support is highly needed after UNESCO’s decision on Belize

The 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee took place from July 2 to July 12 in Krakow, Poland. A delegation from WWF, including the Mesoamerican Reef Scientist Nadia Bood, participated in the event. Her role was important to advocate for the strong draft decision that was upheld and the rapid progress needed to be made in the next year. In the second day of these meetings, the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System was maintained on the ‘in danger’ list.

Communities preserve the Inírida Fluvial Star (EFI)

For the first time, indigenous communities and peasants from at least 17 communities living in the Inírida Fluvial Star (EFI) met with government organizations and other institutions, in order to discuss 24 agreements related to the sustainable use of EFI. Some of the topics debated at this meeting were fisheries management and means of production with low impact on the environment such as food security, ecotourism and sustainable livestock. An aspect to highlight is that all the agreements have binding force. During a year and a half, WWF worked alongside communities and carried out a Citizen Group Discussion (CAC). This mechanism allowed to strengthen their capacities of citizen participation, conflict resolution skills and to learn the importance of good use of natural resources. This workshops came after EFI was declared a Ramsar site in 2014, which was a historic achievement because it is the first time that an area of wetlands (253,000 hectares) located between the Orinoquia and the Colombian Amazon regions enters into a conservation process.

WWF-Peru promotes sea turtle bycatch reduction project along the Eastern Pacific.

Peru is one of the countries with the highest rate of sea turtle bycatch due mainly to bad fishing practices and a lack of constant monitoring of artisan boats. To date, it is estimated that more than 15,000 artisan fishing boats are present in the Peruvian seas and many of them put this great heritage at risk. In response to this situation, WWF Peru has implemented the project "Reducing sea turtle by-catch in the Eastern Pacific", with emphasis on the spinel and gillnet fishing.

WWF-Chile integrates platform for the conservation of the ecosystems of Patagonia

WWF Chile is part of the Patagonia Mar y Tierra Group, which seeks contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of the terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems of the Chilean Patagonia.

The group will work on three main lines: increase the management and legal status of parks & reserves to guarantee their future, create a network of public marine protected areas; and promote public-private cooperation for comprehensive conservation that will fill the gaps in representativeness, ecological functionality, resilience and management of the National State Protected Areas Service.

Seven other organizations are participating in the initiative: Aumen, Centro Ballena Azul (CBA), Melimoyu Foundation, Omora Foundation, Terram Foundation, Tompkins Conservation and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

WWF-Bolivia and the Municipality of La Paz collaborate to promote a more sustainable city

The Wak'a Quta-Ecolab implemented by WWF Bolivia, in coordination with the Secretariats of Environment, Education and Culture of the Municipality of La Paz, fosters teaching and learning on the impacts of climate change in cities and promotes adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience through eco-efficient practices. The overall goal of this ecolab is to promote a culture and citizenship that enables La Paz to be a more sustainable city.

Where are the animals of the Cerrado?

A recent study shows that endangered species may also be in areas of the biome that are in regeneration, demonstrating the importance of preservation and recovery of already degraded areas. The research was developed by the Biotropics Institute, which, through automatic cameras, captured images of mammals transiting in two distinct environments .

Among the registered species, the maned wolf and the anteater were seen in a regenerating area located within the Veredas State Park of Peruaçu, in the north state of Minas Gerais, where WWF-Brazil develops environmental conservation initiatives and supports the organization in actions of monitoring of fauna. Kolbe Soares, conservation analyst of Cerrado Pantanal Programo f WWF-Brazil, evaluates that this finding is very important, since the recovery of Cerrado areas tends to intensify with the implementation of the National Plan for the Recovery of Native Vegetation - PLANAVEG (Decree 8972/17). According to Soares, "the big farmers in the biome present a high passive of areas to be recovered, providing environments that can form ecological corridors and extensive connected Cerrado strips, increasing the diversity of fauna and flora and, consequently, the richness of Biodiversity ".

McDonald´s and WWF meet with meat chain actors in the Chaco

As part of the Collaboration for Forests and Agriculture -CFA projects, funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Alliance for Sustainable Development, supported by USAID / Paraguay, a WWF-Paraguay technical team traveled to the Paraguayan Chaco with representatives of McDonald's Corporation, McDonald's Paraguay and Frigorífico Guaraní to learn about the different meat production systems and business opportunities in the region, as well as to promote sustainable production that helps to conserve the local forests. The trip included a visit to the Neuland Cooperative to learn about their sustainability initiatives, and to do some on-site resources management observations in two of its establishments. These kind of trips help to better understanding of the innovations already adopted or in process of being adopted by some meat chain actors, and thus demonstrate that there can be produced more and better commodities preserving the environment.

Isotopes study begins in Honduras

After the experience obtained in Guatemala, the WWF Guatemala / Mesoamerica team began a scientific study in the Manchaguala watershed to determine the provenance of water in certain areas.

This study establishes the charge of isotopes, from rainwater samples, surface runoff and groundwater aquifers. With this field research, it is possible to know from which part of a watershed comes the water used in a company, community or a city. From this, the users of a watershed -in this case, Manchaguala- may be certain that, by conserving the watershed, they are protecting their own source of water for the future.

Journey in search of the river dolphins

Researchers from Bolivia, Peru and Colombia have just completed a journey that will shed light on the river dolphins in the Amazon. Three teams, led by WWF, traveled about 2200 kilometers along the most important rivers in the Amazon basin in search of this species and the presurres that threaten its conservation. The three expeditions, one in each country, recorded 882 individuals from three different species: Inia geoffrensis, Sotalia fluviatilis, Inia boliviensis. An important contribution to the expeditions was the collaboration from WWF's local partners: Fundación Omacha from Colombia; Pro Delphinus from Peru and Faunagua from Bolivia. Click on the following links to find out about the results in each country:

Long-term conservation commitments are crucial to rescue Eastern Pacific tunas

WWF calls on governments to agree on long-term conservation and management measures for the eastern Pacific tuna fishery, which has a high commercial value. WWF also announced its support for a measure to provide observers working on board tuna vessels, which is consistent with one already approved in 2015 by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.