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Dear friends and colleagues,

The forests, wetlands, reefs and species of our region are in the spotlight of conservation. Mexico presented the book "The Great White Shark", the first in Latin America dedicated exclusively to this species. Good news in Belize: a permanent moratorium was declared on oil activity in and around the Barrier Reef. Colombia has taken firm steps towards a commitment to strengthen its national system of protected areas. In Ecuador, the Cuyabeno-Lagartococha-Yasuní wetland complex was declared as a Ramsar site. Peru signed a cooperation agreement to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation by 2020. Bolivia inaugurated an innovative RAMSAR site interpretation center. WWF-Chile renewed the Agreement with the Patagonia Mar y Tierra Group for the conservation and sustainable use in the Chilean Patagonia. In Paraguay, the EXPO Rodeo Trebol promoted strategic alliances for the promotion of Chaco beef. In Argentina, Fundación Vida Silvestre donated a forest reserve for the National Park Administration of Argentina. In Brazil, the mobilization #TodosPelaAmazonia achieved a significant victory with the suspension of the Renca decree. The work of WWF-Guatemala and other allies provided results with the protection of more than 260 hectares of forest. The Atlas on Amazonia and Climate Change was a winner in the 'Map Series or Atlas' category during the ESRI Map Gallery. At the international scope, August 2 represented the date on which we’ve officially depleted all of Earth’s resources for the entire year.

Enjoy the reading,

Roberto Troya

Vice President & Regional Director

WWF-LAC

A real commitment with national protected areas of Colombia

Colombia has a crucial environmental challenge: to reinforce its National System of Protected Areas (SINAP). In fact, this is the aim of the GEF-IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) Project that started last tuesday in Bogota with a workshop led by WWF and the Ministry of environment and Sustainable Development. This project is focused on three major components: first, to consolidate this system at national and regional levels; second, to create at least 550.000 hectares of new national, regional and local areas, besides strategic biological corridors. And third, to strengthen SIRAP’s (Regional System of Protected Areas) managment and concentrate the efforts in Orinoquia and the northeastern Andean regions. The long- term purpose is to enhance SINAP’s management effectiveness in order to increase ecosystem representativeness and strengthen the participation of regional stakeholders.

WWF-Chile and Los Fiordos renew MOU

Fifty per cent of the salmon farms of Los Fiordos and its process plant, have been certified under the international seal ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council), within the framework of the first cooperation agreement between this company and WWF Chile. The new agreement maintains the promotion of ASC certification as a backbone, but also addresses issues and initiatives relevant to the development of public policies aimed at more sustainable aquaculture in areas such as the reduction of antibiotic use in Chile, the protection of lakes And estuaries and participatory monitoring of the social and environmental impacts of salmon production in Chile.

The book “The Great White Shark, protector of the Oceans” was present by WWF in the CDMX

The Mexican biologist Mauricio Hoyos presented on August 15th his book “El Gran Tiburón Blanco, protector de los océanos” (“The Great white Shark, protector of theOceans”). It is the first book in Latin America to treat this species exclusively. It concentrates the results of 14 years of scientific research in the Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, Baja California. This mexican island of the Pacific Ocean is recognized by the scientific community as the best destination on the world for the observation of the White shark.

The Conservation Message in the book reached about five million impacts during the week of its presentation. Published photographs and research were supported by the aliance WWF-TELMEX TELCEL foundation as part of the Sea of Cortez “Priority Marine Species Program”.

Belize declares moratorium on offshore oil activity

The Belize government’s decision taken several days ago, to establish a permanent moratorium on offshore oil activity in and around the Belize Barrier Reef has been a great achievement for the protection of this important ecosystem. This is a big win for the “Saving our Shared Heritage” campaign, promoted by WWF and supported by several partner organizations.

The move to stop damaging oil exploration in Belize’s territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone, expected to be adopted in the country’s next parliamentary session in November 2017.

Ecuador’s largest wetland is now part of the List of Wetlands of International Importance

The wetland complex of Cuyabeno-Lagartococha- Yasuní in the Ecuadorian amazon, has just been officially included on Ramsar Convention’s List of Wetlands of International Importance. A large portion of Cuyabeno’s Wildlife Production Reserve and of Yasuní National Park, comprise the 770,000 hectares within this complex, creating an important connectivity corridor for conservation, and becoming the biggest Ramsar site in the country. WWF-Ecuador, together with Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, and with support from WWF-Germany and the local communities in the area, have been working closely towards this goal since 2014, and on August 24th, the declaration was finally official. 

Reducing Deforestation in the Peruvian Forests

The change in land use in Peru is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In September 2014, the governments of Peru, Norway and Germany signed a cooperation agreement aimed at reducing these emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation by 2020. WWF-Peru, together with other partners, implemented the Support Project to the Joint Declaration of Intent, which seeks to contribute to the implementation of the goals of the Declaration of Intent between these governments, and thus protect the forests of our Amazon.

In the Bolivian Amazon, the municipal government of Trinidad and WWF Bolivia join forces to promote the value of the wetlands of Bolivia

On August 15th, in the city of Trinidad, an innovative environmental interpretation center focused on Ramsar and wetlands was inaugurated. Ramsar sites are wetlands with representative, rare and unique features found within a specific biogeographic region, which need to be conserved to ensure the biological diversity and ecosystem functions of the region. This center is the first of its kind in the country.

Strategic alliances for the promotion of Chaco´s sustainable beef

During the Expo Rodeo Trébol, the second largest fair in Paraguay that shows the productive potential of the Chaco, the Alliance for Sustainable Development, with the support of USAID, made a presentation on the importance of strategic alliances for the promotion of the Chaco's sustainable beef, along with local producers. There were also a planning meeting with Alliance partners to establish strategies for 2018 to promote the adoption of best management practices for beef and soy production, allowing them to access to international markets focused on sustainable consumption. In addition, the Alliance has opened an office in the city of Philadelphia (Boquerón Department) to host activities, meetings and training sessions with local partners, in order to increase the presence of the project in the implementation area.

Vida Silvestre has donated a new natural reserve for Argentina

Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina donated 78 hectares to the National Parks Administration, aimed to create a natural reserve. The lands were adquired thanks to the contribution of Martijn Witteveen and WWF Netherlands. The area is in an excellent state of conservation, corresponding to the Atlantic Forest, in the argentinian province of Misiones.

The Argentinian province of Misiones has the largest portion of continued forest that is still standing, as much as 50% of the superfice of the province. The Atlantic Forest is present in Brazil and Paraguay as well, home of large predators as the jaguar or the harpy eagle.

#TodosPelaAmazonia

After a week of national and international upheaval to preserve the Amazon, on August 31st the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy retreated and announced the suspension of the decree that extinguished the National Reserve of Copper and Associates (Renca) and allowed mining in the area. Within 120 days, the government should hold a debate with society and present conclusions on sustainable development in the region. WWF-Brazil considers a victory for the socio-environmental movement but warns that there is no time to rest: the threats to protected areas and native communities are present in bills that will be voted on Congress in the coming weeks. 

More than 260 hectares of forests have been protected in the Pasabien Sub-watershed

The work developed by WWF /Guatemala Mesoamerica and its allied Fundación Defensores de La Naturaleza (FDN), with support from Coca-Cola has given results for the conservation of hydrographic watersheds. To date, in the Pasabien Sub-watershed, located in the Río Hondo municipality, Zacapa in Guatemala 260 forest hectares have been protected, surpassing the projected goal for 2017.

This number of protected hectares will continue increasing in this sub-watershed due to the continued work that is being jointly developed.

We are living on credit with the planet

There is a debt for which all human beings must respond. It is the resources that since August 2, Earth Overdraft Day, we borrowed the planet to survive. This month we officially depleted the reserves that the earth provides us for the whole year, is met earlier and earlier.