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Conservation Projects In Guatemala And Nepal Win UN Environment Prize
UN NEWS Service
February 23, 2011: A forest conservation initiative in Guatemala and a sustainable development project in Nepal are the recipients of this year’s Sasakawa Prize, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has announced today.
The UNEP Sasakawa Prize is of $200,000, and recognizes the most innovative, groundbreaking and sustainable grassroots environmental initiatives in developing countries.
The Asociación Forestal Integral San Andrés, Petén (AFISAP) in Guatemala and the Manahari Development Institute in Nepal (MDI-Nepal) are awarded for working on the theme titled “Forests for People, Forests for Green Growth” in support of the 2011 International Year of Forests.
The UNEP press release has stated that the theme highlights the central role forests play in a global ‘green economy’ as the key economic resources whose real value has all too often been excluded in national accounts of profit and loss.
Estimates from ‘The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity’ (TEEB) indicate that deforestation and forest degradation have likely been costing the global economy between $2.5 and $4.5 trillion a year, more than the losses caused by the recent and ongoing financial crisis.
AFISAP founded in 1999 focuses on preserving the forests on a 52,000-hectare concession within the Mayan Biosphere Reserve in the San Andres area in Guatemala, which plays a critical role in regional conservation. According to an AFISAP study, the Mayan Reserve has the highest-density of jaguars ever reported in the world.
The organization distinguished itself as one of the most successful community groups in Guatemala has also introduced projects to extract the lucrative xate, the popular foliage used for floral arrangements worldwide. Xate has been used for 40 years and is exported, has brought enormous economic benefits for the rural communities in the area.
A non-governmental organization called MDI-Nepal founded in 2001 has introduced agro-forestry to help improve crop productivity and water irrigation systems as well as reduce soil erosion on the forested hills and mountainous areas.
Apart from making up most of the country’s landmass, the slopes are also home to 18 million people. Introduction of the agro-forestry has significantly improved food security and living standards of the rural communities living on the steep slopes of Nepal, said UNEP.
