Dear friends and colleagues,

This month's achievements in Latin America and the Caribbean demonstrated the region's leadership in the world of conservation.

In relation to Wildlife, WWF placed the jaguar on its priority species list. In Brazil, the jaguar population increased in the Iguaçu National Park.

In Oceans, a project to improve coastal fishery management and governance was launched in Ecuador. Chile made a call to move forward with the pending tasks in fishery and aquaculture.

One of the highlights in Forests is that the Colombian Orinoquia declared a new protected area. WWF-Bolivia released 17 publications as a part of the "Children’s Forests" project.

Regarding Climate and Energy, the Mexican city of Guadalajara created an Alliance for Climate Action (ACA), while Pachalum was the winner of the One Planet City Challenge in Guatemala.

In Markets, livestock breeders in Paraguay are taking actions to become pioneers in sustainable livestock production.

In relation to Governance, in Argentina, Vida Silvestre signed an agreement with WCS and the province of Mendoza to increase the area of public lands for conservation.

Lastly, WWF presented its new director in Peru.

Enjoy this new edition,

Roberto Troya

Vice President
US Country Offices and LAC Secretariat
WWF

Jaguar: priority species for WWF

The Wildlife Practice has placed the jaguar under the priority species list. This feline species is present in 18 of the 22 Latin American countries. This is the first terrestrial species of the continent to be registered in the priority list, which includes tigers and snow leopards, among others. Since last year, countries around the region have developed an interinstitutional strategic framework for the largest feline in the Americas, have brought collaborations with the Food and Governance Practices, and have increased capacities and representation at all levels. Conservation actions for the jaguar can serve to help countries meet international conservation and sustainable development goals. This would not be possible without the support and strong leadership from the LAC offices.

New jaguar cubs in Iguaçu National Park

The trinational Atlantic Forest program recently celebrated a 30% rise in the jaguar population in the Iguaçu National Park, which coincided with the birth of three new cubs in August. In 2014, the number of jaguars in the region was estimated to be between 51 and 84 individuals. Now, a new study from 2017 estimates between 71 and 107. The monitoring was based on photographic analysis from camera trap images collected in the forest during 2016.

The Coastal Fisheries Initiative Project launched in Ecuador

On the 24th of July, in Manta-Ecuador, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and WWF signed an agreement to carry out activities for the Coastal Fisheries Initiative Project (CFI) funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The objective of the CFI is to demonstrate ecosystem management and improve coastal fishery governance. In Ecuador, the fisheries prioritized for governmental pilot programs are those that work with mahi mahi, black ark, red crab, pomada shrimp and tuna caught with pole and line.

Sustainable Fisheries for Chile and the World

WWF-Chile made a call to move forward with the pending tasks the country has in fisheries and aquaculture. The latest study on fisheries and aquaculture carried out by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showed a global rise in the percentage of overexploited fisheries. One third of the fisheries in the world are now classified as overexploited, up from one quarter in the previous decade. In Chile, 61% of the fisheries are currently in a state overexploitation or depletion.

The Colombian Orinoco region has a new protected area

Cinaruco is located in the eastern part of the Arauca province under the jurisdiction of the municipalities of Arauca and Cravo Norte. The newly protected area, that is now considered as an Integrated Management District, covers 332,000 hectares of floodable grasslands, gallery and riparian forests (which protect riverbanks), and is larger than countries like Luxembourg. This territory is also an important biodiversity refuge in the Orinoco region and is home to more than 68 different species of mammals, 178 species of birds, 176 species of fish, 670 species of plants, and 74 species of reptiles. Protecting Cinaruco contributes to maintaining the natural dynamics of the floodable ecosystems and bodies of water such as torrents, lakes and rivers that are shared by Colombia and Venezuela.

Let's give Earth its color back

WWF-Bolivia, in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden in La Paz and UNICEF, participated with a stand at the XXIII International Book Fair of La Paz 2018. With the aim of promoting environmental preservation, this event’s message was shared on social media platforms with the hashtag "Let's give Earth its color back" (#devolvamoselcoloralatierra). They used this event to release seventeen publications that WWF produced as a part of the "Children’s Forests" project, sixteen booklets on endangered species in Bolivia, and a children’s story designed to encourage environmental conservation titled “The Mission of the Forest.” These were all made available to the public through a QR code. If you are interested in these publications, you can access them by scanning the QR code.

Guadalajara: Leading the charge in climate action

Guadalajara, the second largest metropolitan area in Mexico with a population of 5 million people, created an Alliance for Climate Action (ACA), a model developed by WWF to allow local measures adopted by various sectors can have a global impact. Japan and Guadalajara are the only places in the world that have developed ACAs so far. Government officials, business leaders, academics and NGOs announced this collective effort in an event that also announced Guadalajara as the winner of the City Challenge in Mexico due to their sustainable mobility plans.

Pachalum, Quiché, was the winner of the One Planet City Challenge

Pachalum, Quiché was selected as the winner of the One Planet City Challenge in Guatemala for the 2017-2018 edition. The announcement was shared with the public in Guatemala City in front of representatives from other municipalities and key stakeholders that work on sustainable urban development. This is the first time the country participates in the challenge, which included four Guatemalan municipalities. The mobile app “Citizen Challenge” (“Reto Ciudadano” in Spanish) was also introduced during this event. This app was developed by WWF-Guatemala / Mesoamerica to promote responsible consumption habits.

Livestock breeders stand out as pioneers in sustainable farming

The Forest Conservation Agriculture Alliance initiative granted the recognition "Allies for a Sustainable Chaco" to 11 livestock producers for their work in incorporating Good Practices for Sustainable Development on their properties located in the Alto Paraguay and Boquerón Departments. The Alliance also recognized the efforts of the partners that are working on the project: the Municipality of Filadelfia, Minerva Foods and the Neuland Cooperative. These organizations have bet on innovation and inter-institutional collaboration to develop sustainable production models, which can be replicated throughout every ranching region in our country, thus promoting a multiplier effect. This event was called “The Night of the Alliance” (“La Noche de la Alianza” in Spanish).

More Protection for the Payunia

Vida Silvestre signed a tripartite collaboration agreement with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the province of Mendoza, with the aim of increasing the surface of public lands destined to the conservation of the natural heritage in the La Payunia Natural Protected Area in Mendoza, Argentina. This agreement will add tools for the management of the Provincial System of Protected Natural Areas, for the maintenance of flora and fauna, the natural and cultural heritage and the landscape features of the region. With more than 800 volcanoes, this is one of the most dense and diverse volcanic parks on the planet, which is also a candidate to become an UNESCO Natural World Heritage site.

WWF presents its new Country Representative in Peru

WWF named a new Country Representative in Peru in August. Now led by Kurt Holle, a highly regarded conservationist and prominent entrepreneur, the global conservation organization seeks to scale up its contribution to the country's transition towards a climate change resilient and sustainable future.