In order to provide human wellbeing benefits for current and future generations, the Regional Coastal Biodiversity Project works to reduce the threats to biodiversity in coastal-marine ecosystems in the Northern Triangle countries of Central America.
Coastal-marine areas and associated upland ecosystems in Central America exhibit high biodiversity, but face major direct threats including loss and degradation of natural habitat, overexploitation of resources, climatic variability and pollution.
The Regional Coastal Biodiversity Project helps marine-coastal communities to protect the regions biodiversity and to promote economic growth to increase local prosperity, through a suite of integrated strategies: governance, biocommerce, gender equality and social inclusion, and communication.
This five-year project is implemented through a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in a consortium with GOAL International and other local implementing partners, all of them IUCN members.
The project is focus on three binational areas in the Northern Triangle: Paz River watershed (El Salvador-Guatemala), Motagua River watershed (Guatemala-Honduras) and Miskito Coast (Honduras).
The overarching project objective will be achieved through four cross-cutting objectives: better science, climate-smart biocommerce, improved governance mechanisms and sustainable landscapes.
Supporting the U.S. Strategy for Engagement with Central America (CEN strategy) and the Plan of the Alliance for the Prosperity in the Northern Triangle (Alliance for Prosperity), the project will contribute to promoting prosperity and regional economic integration, enhancing security, self-reliance, governance, and reducing illegal migration.
The project is intended to complement and support Central Americas regional, national, and sub-national environment and climatic variability programs and policies.
By 2022, the Regional Coastal Biodiversity Project will contribute to reducing the exploitation of fisheries in coastal-marine ecosystems; the conversion and degradation of mangroves and coastal wetlands; and the impacts of global climate change through mitigation based on adaptation in coastal-marine ecosystems.
Progress reports
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
November 2022
