Improvement of Management Effectiveness in the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR)

At pipeline entry: The development objective of this project is to support the conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity in the MBR based on strengthening the institutional and local capacity for its management. The global objective is enhanced conservation of the biodiversity of regional and global importance in the MBR. At Work Program Inclusion: Oct 10 2006 The Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR) is the largest protected area in Central America, spanning 2,112,940 ha of the northern part of the department of Petén in Guatemala. The reserve encompasses approx. 75% of the Guatemalan system of PAs managed by CONAP. As an internationally renowned culturally and ecologically significant area, the reserve includes a World Heritage Site and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. While threats to the biodiversity resources are increasing, including due to increased unsustainable human activities with lack of land use planning and capacity, the GEF project is suggested to support conservation management and the sustainable use of biodiversity with an emphasis on areas of high biological importance in the MBR, by strengthening institutional, national and local capacities to optimize management, thus guaranteeing the effective participation of various stakeholders as partners in conservation.