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Friends and colleagues,

Last month we connected to Earth. With a record participation of 188 countries and territories from around the world, Earth Hour took over Latin America and the Caribbean with campaigns for our valuable biodiversity and the ecosystems of the region.

In Suriname, 500 Scouts and participants culminated the March 24 celebration on the streets of Paramaribo. Colombia made their voice heard for the country’s forests in Earth Hour. And in Peru, millions joined the global movement in all the regions of the country.

Regarding Oceans and Forests, Chile set up as a conservation world leader with the creation of a series of protected areas. WWF-Ecuador signed an agreement to promote the sustainable management of fisheries.

In Freshwater, Mexican model of water reserves for the environment went beyond borders. In Honduras, the San Pedro Sula Water Alliance presented its latest outcomes.

In relation to Wildlife, eleven American organizations came together to preserve the jaguar, and Fundación Vida Silvestre issued an statement about a pregnant jaguar that was run over in Argentina. Internationally, a recent WWF report warned that half of the plant and animal species are at risk from climate change in the world’s most important natural places.

Regarding Climate Change, WWF-Bolivia and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency agreed to execute the project "Urban Solutions with Citizen Action". Finally, in relation to Governance, WWF-Paraguay promoted a commitment for the environment with electoral candidates.

Enjoy this new edition,

Roberto Troya

Vice president & Regional Director

WWF-LAC

Boy Scouts for the planet

With more than 500 Scouts and other participants, the Earth Hour celebration paraded through the streets of Paramaribo, Suriname. The Scouts carried a giant globe and were cheered on by many passers-by. Two weeks prior to the 24th, The Back Lot organization implemented a new school education program that involves more than 3,000 children and teachers of 20 schools, who attended Nature lectures and used recycled material to make products in support of the #connect2earth slogan. Finally, the Minister of Education kicked off the Earth Hour 2018 festivities.

Colombians show their support for their forest

In Colombia, more than 9,000 citizens took part in the Earth Hour 2018 celebration in 25 towns and cities throughout the country.  The festivities included bicycle rides, concerts, theater performances and hikes, among other activities. More than 50 emblematic buildings and monuments switched off their lights, while Colombians showed their support to the National Movement for Forests Preservation, this year’s cause. More than 20,000 people signed in for the movement in the conectadosporlosbosques.com  website, where they took a series of symbolic commitments to preserve Colombia's green treasure.

On the coast, the mountains and in the jungle

Millions of Peruvians joined Earth Hour all over the Pacific coast, the Andes and the Amazon. Iconic buildings turned off their lights as part of the celebration that included solar energy activations over the highlands, the largest ever beach clean-up along the coast, and 1,000 trees were planted in the Amazon, in an effort to reforest and restore the land degraded by illegal mining.

WWF-Chile celebrated the country's new world milestone in nature preservation

WWF-Chile celebrated the official establishment of a series of new protected areas signed by President Michelle Bachelet, placing the country as world leaders with the protection of 42.4% of their exclusive economic zone. The new preserved area includes the Parque Nacional Pumalín Douglas Tompkins that completes the 4.5 million hectares (11.11 million acres) of the Patagonian Parks network; Coastal Protected Marine Area of Multiple Uses in Rapa Nui (AMCP-MU), Seno Almirantazgo and Tortel; Diego Ramírez – Paso Drake and Juan Fernández Archipielago Marine Parks and the expansion of the AMCP-MU on this zone.

WWF-Ecuador promotes sustainable management of fisheries

The WWF-Ecuador Program signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries to promote the sustainable management of fisheries and the competitiveness of that activity with an ecosystem approach. The goal is to achieve a balance between conservation, productivity and sustainability of fishery resources and proves that the government and the civil society can work out effective solutions to common problems.

Model of water reserves goes beyond borders

To strengthen water management, the knowledge on water reserves for the environment developed by Mexico will be shared and transferred to Latin American countries. In the framework of the VIII World Water Forum, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru presented their letters of intent to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to implement, with the lead of WWF-Mexico, this tool which is also a powerful conservation mechanism for biodiversity and an early adaptation to climate change.

New achievements by the San Pedro Sula Water Alliance

Representatives of the San Pedro Sula Water Alliance, in which WWF-Guatemala/Mesoamerica is involved, showed their latest achievements that includes the basin recovery and water refilling, a fire prevention plan and presented a diagnosis for the Manchaguala Basin. This Alliance was formed by different sectors in 2016, with the purpose of protecting the natural resources of the Sula Valley in Honduras. 

America united in the jaguar conservation

More than 30 representatives from 11 organizations of the Americas met in Bogota to join efforts aimed to the conservation of the jaguar. The encounter took place soon after the recent ratification of the Jaguar 2030 New York Statement. Meanwhile in Argentina, a pregnant jaguar with two puppies fully formed and ready to be born was run over a vehicle in the province of Misiones. This fact is as regrettable as foreseeable, since it is estimated that 3,000 wild animals in this province die each year due to this same cause. Perhaps the reduction of its habitat and poaching were once their greatest threats, but nowadays, the risk of being run over a car must be added to the list.

Climate change endangers half of the plant and animal especies

Up to half of the plant and animal species in the world’s most naturally rich areas, such as the Amazon and the Galapagos could face local extinction by the turn of the century due to climate change if carbon emissions continue to rise unchecked.

Urban Solutions with Citizen Actions

The Agency for Swedish Development Cooperation and WWF signed an agreement to carry out the project "Urban Solutions with Citizen Action" for three years, in the municipalities of La Paz, Santa Cruz, Tarija and Trinidad. We will work with young people and migrant women who live in peri-urban areas in conditions of poverty. In addition, the project will cover three strategic lines: environmental education articulated with curricular plans; the implementation of solutions focused on resilience to climate change and issues such as water, energy, integral waste management, including the development of small urban projects, and the impact on municipal policies to achieve sustainable cities.

WWF-Paraguay promotes an environmental agenda for electoral candidates

With the sights set on the next general presidential elections in Paraguay, WWF is leading the initiative “I vote for the forests”. This initiative brings together 18 environmental organizations that advocate for positive actions in favor of the environment in Paraguay. One action is the promotion of the document entitled "Commitment to Environmental Management for Sustainable Development", which contains major environmental issues that should be considered by the next executive government.