Dear friends and colleagues,

This last period has been full of conservation milestones for Latin America and the Caribbean.

In Oceans, the Belize Barrier Reef was removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger. The Peruvian Government committed to the formalization of one of the largest fisheries in the world.

Among the highlights in Forests, Colombia completed decades of work with the world’s largest tropical rainforest national park. A permanent exhibition on the Amazon Biome was inaugurated in Bolivia, while Brazil witnessed the Sertão Veredas Peruaçu Mosaic become one of the largest in the Cerrado biome.

In Freshwater, Ecuador and several partners opened a space for community dialogue on the importance of gorges.

In relation to Wildlife, the map that integrates the monitoring of the monarch butterfly’s migratory route was presented in Mexico.

The Climate Change team in Chile announced the winning city of We Love Cities.

In Governance, Paraguay signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Public Works and Communications

Finally, regarding Markets, a report revealed that palm oil from illegal sources could be compromising the deforestation-free commitments of major global brands.

Enjoy this new edition,

Roberto Troya

Vice-president & Regional Director

WWF-LAC

The Belize Barrier Reef removed from in-danger list

Belizeans and environmentalists worldwide celebrated the removal of the Belize Barrier Reef, one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems, from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger at a World Heritage Committee meeting in Bahrain.

Peruvian government commits to the formalization of one of the largest fisheries

After almost 5 years waiting, the future of hundreds of small-scale fishermen in La Islilla and La Tortuga, Paita (Piura), took on a promising new direction. The Ministry of Production delivered fishing permits for more than 500 vessels. This fleet represents approximately 20% of the national catch of mahi mahi and giant squid in Peru. This formalization process is a major step towards sustainable practices in one of the main economic activities in the country.

Colombia now has the world’s largest tropical rainforest national park

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed the expansion of the Serranía del Chiribiquete National Natural Park, marking the culmination of decades of joint conservation efforts by environmental organizations, which included WWF, and the Colombian government. Located in the heart of the Colombian Amazon, it was officially expanded to 4.3 million hectares (1,486,676 additional hectares), making it the world’s largest protected tropical rainforest national park. It was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Amazon: forests, water, connectivity and migratory fish

The Center for Research on Biodiversity and the Environment at the University of Beni, in collaboration with WWF, inaugurated the permanent exhibition about the Amazon biome, the importance of connectivity, the routes of migratory fish, its importance in Bolivia and its contribution to food security and the economy.

Sertão Veredas Peruaçu Mosaic expands and becomes one of the largest in the Cerrado

The Sertão Veredas Peruaçu Mosaic, in Brazil, has recently been expanded from 1.8 million hectares to an area of over 3 million hectares. This is one of the most emblematic areas of the Cerrado biome and is a strategic location for the conservation of natural landscapes, socio-biodiversity and traditional cultures.

Science for and with the citizens: the commitment of “Café del Barrio”

“Café del Barrio” is a space for dialogue and finding solutions to create sustainable cities and transform them through the use of science. As part of the Aquatrop Convention on Tropical Aquatic Ecosystems in the Anthropocene (www.riostropicales2018.org), WWF and its partners visited “La Lucha de los Pobres”, a neighborhood in Quito. The aim of “Café del Barrio” was to learn and talk about gorges and their functions, and to allow the neighborhood to establish the guidelines and priorities for the restoration of the Capulí Gorge.

Map shows the monarch’s migratory route

As a part of a joint effort between WWF and various partners, the map that integrates the data compiled while monitoring the monarch butterfly’s migratory route in Mexico was presented. This information is the product of a concerted effort to develop a system that integrates information from over 25 years of monitoring work done by networks of citizens throughout the country. This data will allow scientists to analyze monarch’s migratory patterns in order to identify and prioritize specific sites for conservation efforts.

Three Chilean cities competed in We Love Cities

A 30% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 was the goal of the three Chilean cities that competed in We Love Cities, a global sustainability competition organized by WWF. The participating cities were Independencia, Santiago and Valdivia, which sought support through the welovecities.org platform with several sustainable mobility proposals. The national winner was Independencia, with 2,559 votes.

WWF signs an agreement with the Ministry of Public Works and Communications

The Ministry of Public Works and Communications and WWF signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will allow both institutions to develop programs and projects focusing on cooperation for sustainable development, biodiversity, technical cooperation, and scientific and capacity building. With this alliance, the Ministry seeks to expand the technical capacity to address the challenges that come with climate change and its negative impact on natural conditions and public infrastructure.

Report reveals palm oil from major traders compromises commitments of major global brands

A new Eyes on the Forest (EoF) report reveals how palm oil illegally grown inside a national park and surrounding areas in Sumatra – home to elephants and tigers – appears to enter the supply chains of the biggest palm oil producers and traders operating in Indonesia, compromising their deforestation-free pledges and those of their customers.