2012

Strengthening of the human and institutional capacities for the management of the natural resources in the Commonwealth border North of Guatemala

The evaluated program

The Commonwealth border North of Guatemala has a vast territory, which covers 7 municipalities of the departments of Quiché and Huehuetenango. However, the implemented territory for the project spans the five municipalities which formed the Commonwealth during the project identification: Ixcán, of the Department of Quiché, and Barillas, San Mateo Ixtatán, Santa Eulalia and Soloma of Huehuetenango Department; with direct actions on some communities in San Mateo Ixtatán, Barillas and Ixcán.

The population of the area is 89% Mayan (13 indigenous towns). 90% lives on subsistence agriculture and 83% is settled in the rural area. It is important to note that despite sharing similar territorial characteristics, this region of the country presents heights ranging from 180 up to 3,300 m, which causes a wide biodiversity and different agro-ecological floors, where forests prevail.

This diversity of the natural environment, together with the social and cultural diversity in the territory, has prompted city officials to articulate a process of sustainable development in the region, through the Commonwealth of municipalities of the northern border, which has a Territorial Strategic Plan whose objective is to be configured as "an instrument of strategic planning that guide the activities of the actors and order public investment private and cooperation in the territory of the Commonwealth of the northern border, promoting the integral development of the population in the context of gender equity, environmental balance and social justice".

The Guillermo Toriello Foundation with the support of the Mundubat Foundation is developing an action in the territory of the northern border Commonwealth which aims to promote the articulation of the different local actors; the empowerment of indigenous communities and the strengthening of public institutions (at the Commonwealth level, municipal and community); for sustainable development, through the planning of the land use and conservation and management of natural resources.

In particular, the targets of the action to develop are:

• Consolidate the institutions, strengthened technically and normatively.
• A participatory and empowered indigenous communities in the protection and conservation of their natural resources, working in coordination with local authorities towards a comprehensive and consensual model of its forest and water resources management that allows to establish the bases for sustainable development. In this action women and young people will have a leading role.
• Link the protection and conservation of natural resources, with the improvement of the living conditions of the participant population, through the implementation of appropriate and environmentally friendly technologies with the environment, the legalization of their lands and the generation of income.