In the heart of Central America, a historic agreement is taking shape by unifying the efforts of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador to protect a vast territory of 313,000 hectares. These three countries have approved the Management Plan of the Trifinio-Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve, an essential plan to preserve the biodiversity, climate, and water resources in the region.
Protection of 313,000 Hectares: A Trinational Approach
The strategy seeks to safeguard the crucial cloud forests and the basins that feed the Lempa River, fundamental for the local rural communities. Jorge Urbina, executive secretary of the trinational effort, describes this plan as a “compass” to guide investments in more than 243,000 hectares of this strategic area.
This ambitious project, promoted by the Trinational Commission of the Trifinio Plan, has been designed over years of technical work and community consultations, with significant financial support of 11 million euros from Germany’s KfW Development Bank, complemented by 3.34 million from the involved governments.
Recognized in 2011 by UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, this trinational reserve spans between 32 and 33 municipalities, housing more than half a million people who depend on its natural resources.
The diverse environment of the reserve, which includes everything from mountain pine forests to drier areas, is home to emblematic species like the quetzal and the puma. Additionally, it acts as a natural sponge that accumulates rainwater, vital for sustaining essential rivers like the Lempa.
For the cities and municipalities downstream, the health of these forests is crucial, as the water reaching urban areas like San Salvador depends on these ecosystems. Urbina emphasizes: “trifinio somos todos” (we are all trifinio).
Integration of Forests and Communities in the Environmental Agenda
The plan goes beyond simple territorial protection, aligning with the management plan for 2025 to 2035 that has already been recognized by UNESCO. Its goal is to create ecological corridors that maintain habitat connectivity and facilitate wildlife movement.
It involves the restoration of degraded areas, the protection of water sources, and stricter control of agricultural expansion. The aim is to implement agroforestry systems that harmonize coffee production and staple crops with environmental conservation.
On the ground, there are plans to establish a research center in Metapán for soil analysis, and a hotel restaurant school in La Palma to promote sustainable tourism. The upper part of San Ignacio and the Montecristo National Park will receive special attention in restoration programs.
Up to 21,000 producers are already participating in resilient agriculture initiatives, applying organic fertilizers and soil conservation techniques, preventing the erosion of 200,000 tons of soil in recent years.
KfW’s financing extends to 33 municipalities and more than 313,393 hectares, including the improvement of 11 protected areas and the implementation of six biological corridors.
Governance Challenges and Next Steps
However, the success of this plan depends on overcoming significant challenges, such as land tenure disputes, which can hinder environmental protection and access to resources for local communities.
Effective coordination between ministries, local governments, and community organizations is crucial for success. This plan represents a unique opportunity to protect the forests that sustain water in the region before the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss become irreversible.
The official announcement about ecological connectivity and the 2025 to 2035 Management Plan can be consulted on the UNESCO site.
