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Friends and colleagues,

These months have delivered important results in favor of species and ecosystems conservation in our region. In addition, Latin America participated actively in the COP24 climate talks, proving to be a region that provides solutions and is committed to the fight against climate change.

In Climate and Energy, WWF-Brazil implemented the Resex Solar project to provide solar panels to the communities in the south of Brazilian Amazon. In Bolivia, the Río Blanco community received support for clean energy to monitor their forest, furthering its certification process.

With respect to Wildlife, after several years of hard work, Peru approved the National Action Plan for the Conservation of Amazonian manatee and pink and gray river dolphins.

In relation to Oceans, Guatemala continues working to conserve the Mesoamerican Reef, which has the second largest barrier reef in the world. WWF-Chile provided an advanced Electronic Logbook to the National Fisheries Service, to combat illegal fishing. Another highlight was that Argentina tripled its marine protected area with the creation of two new reserves.

In Forests, Colombia declared a new protected area in the Amazon, the Miraflores and Picachos Regional Natural Park. Bolivia, on another note, made a regional call for the conservation of the Southwestern Amazon Landscape (SWA), gaining cooperation from Brazil, Bolivia and Peru.

With respect to Markets, WWF-Ecuador launched a new line of products in partnership with Pacari Chocolates, and a percentage of sales will be destined for conservation projects in the country. WWF-Brazil launched an interactive multimedia platform, the Soybean Saga, which explains its origins of production, the environmental damage caused in the Cerrado region and its destination in the global market. And Paraguay and its Roundtable for Sustainable Beef aim to become a global reference thanks to the support of WWF.

Finally, in Governance, Paraguay trained more than 30 people of different ages and occupations to be environmental leaders.

Enjoy this new edition,

Roberto Troya

Vice president & Regional Director

WWF-LAC

WWF-LAC present at the UN climate talks

Latin America and the Caribbean participated actively in the last United Nations Climate Change Conference as a region of solutions. The region led several events in WWF’s PandaHub at COP24, such as Indigenous Governance, Latin American Cities aiming for 1.5°C, Amazon Indigenous peoples walk the talk into the Talanoa Dialogue, Alliances for Climate Action and the 30x30 Challenge, a discussion on soybean focusing on El Cerrado in Brazil, and the Resex Solar project in the Brazilian Amazon. Some of the most important advances include the involvement of indigenous representatives on the development of a platform to strengthen synergies with traditional knowledge and combat climate change, and WWF called for Latin America and the Caribbean cities to join the global efforts to stop global warming from exceeding 1.5 °C.

Resex Solar, solar cells in the Brazilian Amazon

Resex Solar is a collaboration between WWF-Brazil, the Chico Mendes Institute for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ICMBio) of Brazil and other partners, which began in 2016. This was created to bring solar energy to extractive reserve communities in the southern Brazilian Amazon. The project also trains community members to install and provide maintenance for solar energy systems. The energy generated supports local production, improves the quality of life for the community and helps fight deforestation.

The Río Blanco Community takes steps for its forest certification

Under the Responsible Production and Markets program, a solar panel and its accessories were installed in the Río Blanco community, located in the Chiquitano Dry Forest in the Department of Santa Cruz. These resources will help operate some basic equipment such as a computer and a printer, thus supporting producer families to improve their performance in forestry operations, in order to meet the National Certification and Incentive System of the Forest and Land Authority requirements.

Amazon river dolphins and manatees protected in Peru

After several years of an arduous work involving stakeholders throughout the Peruvian Amazon, the Ministry of Production (Produce) approved the National Action Plan for the Conservation of River Dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) and (Sotalia fluviatilis) and the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) in Peru. WWF and Prodelphinus have supported the process for the construction of this plan for over five years, alongside other allies such as the Omacha Foundation.

Mesoamerican Reef conservation

The first meeting of the Technical Working Committee of the “Integrated Watershed Management of the Mesoamerican Reef System (MAR2R)” was recently held in San Salvador. In April 2018, GEF approved this project that is being carried out by the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD), with WWF Guatemala / Mesoamerica as the implementing agency. This is an achievement for the conservation of this transboundary system that is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world.   

WWF-Chile implements Electronic Logbook to combat illegal fishing

WWF-Chile delivered an advanced fishery registration system called Electronic Fishing Logbook to the National Fisheries Service (Sernapesca). Its objective is to contribute to the sustainable fishery resource management, as well as preventing and discouraging illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The tool will allow the digital monitoring of the vessels and obtain information in real time regarding fishing operations. 

The Argentine Sea has tripled its protection

The Argentine Congress passed a bill that established two new marine protected areas (MPAs). Yaganes, south of Tierra del Fuego, and Namuncurá-Burdwood Bank II, in the south Atlantic. Both marine areas encompass more than 84,000 square kilometers of protected ocean, roughly the size of Portugal or Hungary. With this milestone, the country reaches the protection of around 7.8% of its EEZ. The MPAs are home to a variety of vulnerable and threatened species such as the black-browed albatrosses and South American fur seals.

Paramos and high Andean forests of the Colombian Amazon have more protection

The Colombian Amazon has a new protected area: The Miraflores and Picachos Natural Regional Park. Through this decloration, 94% of the paramo ecosystems of the region are protected. WWF supported Corpoamazonía, the regional environmental authority, to the declaration process, the public dialogue and the development of technical input processes for this new protected area.

A new eco-regional challenge in the southwestern Amazon

WWF-Brazil, Bolivia and Peru have come together to jointly promote the Southwestern Amazon, which includes the regions of Acre, Madre de Dios and Pando and Iturralde. The aim is to protect ecological attributes and the local communities’ sources of income, by promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, especially those that contribute significantly to the regional economy and the family livelihoods, such as Brazil nuts, acai, rubber and fishing, amongst others.

The WWF-Pacari Alliance brings in a new line of chocolates for conservation

The alliance between WWF-Ecuador and Pacari is finally a reality. Six products are now available in supermarkets all over the country, and Pacari will donate a share of its sales to WWF-Ecuador. This is a great example of a corporate partnership, which, in this case, has been formed with the company that produces the best chocolate in the world, with whom we share the same principles and values.

The Soybean Saga

An event at the COP24 PandaHub that focused on the Cerrado launched an interactive multimedia platform to explain the complex process of soy production in Brazil. The platform includes information on the soy’s arrival and expansion across the Brazilian territory, the characteristics of this crop, the volumes produced by each state, the destination of this product around the world and the main actors involved in the process.

This material shows the impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems, and seeks to send the message that stopping the reduction of natural vegetation caused by the cultivation of soy in fundamental and endangered biomes such as the Cerrado, is both urgent and possible.

Paraguayan Roundtable for Sustainable Beef aims to become a global example 

The Paraguayan Roundtable for Sustainable Beef presented its objectives and work plan during a press conference. This platform brings together all the sectors within the beef value chain, aiming to convert Paraguay into a global example for sustainability on beef production. WWF-Paraguay participated actively, being part of the steering committee and various working groups.

This material shows the impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems, and seeks to send the message that stopping the reduction of natural vegetation caused by the cultivation of soy in fundamental and endangered biomes such as the Cerrado, is both urgent and possible.

WWF-Paraguay trained environmental leaders

The consequences of climate change, development, markets and sustainable finance, and other related topics were imparted during the five modules of the "Training Environmental Leaders" course, organized by WWF-Paraguay, from August to December 2018. Thirty people from different backgrounds and ages attended this training course. They were selected for their leadership, interest and previous participation on environment and sustainability topics and activities.

This material shows the impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems, and seeks to send the message that stopping the reduction of natural vegetation caused by the cultivation of soy in fundamental and endangered biomes such as the Cerrado, is both urgent and possible.