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Dear friends and colleagues,

This month our work covered several Practices, highlighting the research for jaguar conservation, which is a priority species for the region.

In Wildlife, a population of 2,000 jaguars was estimated in the Napo-Putumayo Corridor, on the border between Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, during the first tri-national monitoring of this feline.

As for Forests, the WWF-Telmex Telcel Foundation Alliance organized more than 1,000 people to plant 15,000 new trees in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, which will serve as a home for the butterflies that migrate from Canada and the United States to the temperate forests of Mexico to hibernate each fall.

With regards to Freshwater, WWF-Bolivia submitted technical documents on fishery resource management and aquatic species conservation. On another note, in Oceans, the Colombian Alliance for Conservation, which WWF-Colombia is a member of, was recognized internationally with an Ocean Award thanks to its commitment to ocean protection.

In Climate and Energy, WWF-Chile recognized and approved the Decarbonization Plan presented by the government, but urged to expedite its execution in order to confront climate change.

In our Finance work, 18 banks signed a Sustainable Finance Protocol in Argentina that aims to support business models from a social, environmental and economic impacts perspective.

In relation to Markets, a community in the Ecuadorian Amazon obtained the organic certification for its cocoa grown in agroforestry systems. In addition, Paraguay will host the Global Sustainable Meat Conference in 2020.

Lastly, WWF-Mesoamerica launched the Certificate in Cleaner Production for Integrated Watershed Management. And the WWF-Colombia’s Director of Conservation was elected as a member of the Colombian Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences.

Enjoy this new edition,

Roberto Troya

Vice president & Regional Director

WWF-LAC

Napo-Putumayo Corridor is estimated to have 2,000 jaguars

Thanks to a joint effort by Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, it has been estimated that about 2,000 jaguars inhabit the Napo-Putumayo Corridor, at a density of 1.5 jaguars per 100 km². WWF installed 129 camera traps, throughout 2018 and 2019, in order to determine the occupation and amount of this species and its prey in 3 areas of the Corridor: Cuyabeno Faunistic Production Reserve (Ecuador), Gueppi-Sekime National Park (Peru) and Putumayo Indigenous Reserve (Colombia).

More Trees for the Monarch Butterfly

More than 500 people from rural communities, and another 1,000 people from six Mexican states planted 15,000 trees last July in the temperate forests of the El Rosario ejido, located in the central state of Michoacán. This community of 5,000 inhabitants is part of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. During the winter, these forests are home to the Monarch butterfly that migrates every fall from Canada and United States, on a three-month journey that spans more than 4.000 kilometers.

The reforestation activity, which involved children, youth and adults, was organized by the WWF-Telmex Telcel Foundation Alliance. 

WWF-Bolivia submits technical documents for conservation work

The documents are focused on the impact of hydroelectric dams on migratory fish, the recommendations for actions to conserve dorado and the analysis for the recategorization of the species nationwide. The documents have become technical arguments that guide the dialogue with key actors in the Bolivian Amazon.

The Colombian Alliance for Conservation received an Ocean Award

The public-private Alliance for Biodiversity, Territorial and Cultural Conservation, led by the National Parks Authority and supported by WWF-Colombia, received a Ocean Award 2019. This initiative has reached the protection of more than four million hectares of marine and coastal ecosystems since 2016.

WWF calls for the rapid closure of coal-fired plants

President Sebastián Piñera presented the Decarbonization Plan in Chile’s Energy Matrix (Zero Coal Energy). Among its main points, the plan establishes the closure of eight coal-fired power plants in the next five years and of all of them by 2040, as well as converting Chile into a "carbon neutral" country by 2050.

This announcement was approved by WWF-Chile, which described it as a step in the right direction. However, the organization emphasized the need to advance the closure of coal-fired power plants in order to act urgently on climate change.

The Sustainable Finance Protocol was launched in Argentina

Eighteen banks signed a Sustainable Finance Protocol in Argentina, with the aim to facilitate and encourage financial institutions to implement best practices and international policies that promote integration of economic, social and environmental elements, towards a sustainable development in the financial industry. This agreement represents a starting point for the creation of triple impact business models, seeking not only to be profitable, but also to generate social impact, taking care of the environment, and to guarantee long-term sustainability.

Zancudo Cocha cocoa gets an organic certification

The Zancudo Cocha community within the Cuyabeno Reserve, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, grows some of the best cocoa in the world, while protecting the tropical forest and its biodiversity, thanks to the support of WWF and Pacari Chocolates. The community recently received the organic certification for its cocoa, which will allow them to reach new markets and offer more competitive prices. This recognition supports wildlife conservation work and reinforces sustainable development processes in rural communities. 

Paraguay reinforces itself as a reference model in sustainable beef production

Paraguay will host the next Global Conference of the Round Table for Sustainable Beef in October 2020, which will be organized by the Paraguayan Round Table for Sustainable Beef that WWF is a part of. 300 representatives from every country and entity in the world will meet to address the challenges of promoting sustainability in the beef value chain.

New training program for integrated watersheds management

A training program on Cleaner Production for Integrated Watersheds Management was launched as part of the Cleaner Production and Private Sector Alliance program, which is financed by the United States Department of State and implemented by WWF Guatemala / Mesoamerica. This training program was created through an agreement with the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA) and intends to strengthen the relevant competencies for environmental management, through collaborative work between universities and the private sector.

WWF-Colombia’s Conservation Director elected as member of the Colombian Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences

Being an honorary member of the Colombian Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences is the greatest distinction for Colombian scientists. To be elected, you must go through a rigorous process. Luis Germán Naranjo Henao, Conservation Director at WWF-Colombia, received this important distinction in a ceremony recognizing his research and contributions to scientific knowledge and the academic training of other researchers.