What progress has been made to restore degraded lands in Guatemala? Together with several stakeholders, the National Forest Institute and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Nutrition have promoted and engaged in policy reform and the development of pilot sites for restoring degraded forest and other land in the highlands of San Marcos and Southeastern Peten, with key support from FAO’s Forest and landscape Restoration (FLR) Mechanism.

FAO, through the FLR Mechanism, is one of the key partners involved in the national platform created to support the implementation of the National Forest and Landscape Restoration Strategy in Guatemala. A work plan covering 2015-2016  has been developed and is currently being implemented by FAO in partnership with the National Forest Institute (INAB) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Nutrition (MAGA).

Progress has been made on several fronts and multiple FLR actions have already been implemented under the guidance of INAB.

At the forest policy level, the programme has supported the implementation of the forest law (PROBOSQUE), focusing on the forest landscape restoration chapter. This included, as a first step, preparation of the draft "Technical Guidelines for practices and systems of forest landscape restoration", a joint undertaking of INAB, FAO, IUCN and the US Forest Service. 

How can the new law be effectively implemented?
To reach forest dwellers and farmers the guidelines serve as a basis for the elaboration of various extension documents, including a guide for forest and landscape restoration practices aimed at technicians and extensionists. This work will be integrated into the National System of Rural Extension which has a team of 1000 extensionists working in 340 municipalities all over the country. Furthermore, volunteer promoters working in learning centers for rural development will also be instrumental in the use of these educational materials.

Learning from each other
Exchange visits between communities are proving to be an excellent way to promote landscape restoration activities at field level. In the case of Guatemala, both men and women from the targeted communities are participating on an equal basis to exchange ideas with other farmers. In Southeast Peten field trips have taken place to visit restoration being carried out through production systems of cocoa, cardamom and species such as achiote (Bixa orellana), cinnamon and vanilla, integrated with timber trees such as mahogany, cedar and other native timber species.

Since participating communities in San Luis Peten are closely connected to their Q'eqchí culture, restoration activities are integrating these cultural traditions in an improved agroforestry system using the ramón tree (Brosimum alicastrum), banana, yuca and other crops.

In the pilot area of San Marcos, an interesting exchange of experiences was organized between community leaders of Ixchiguán, San José Ojetenam, Tacaná, Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán, who had the opportunity to visit restoration activities. Community leaders visited agroforestry combinations and plantations of an endemic tree called pinabete (Abies guatemalensis), which is used as a Christmas tree and can easily grow on degraded soils. Another trip was organized to learn about the recovery process of communal areas using white pine (Pinus pseudostrobus) and pinabete in order to protect water sources.
 
One of the main activities prioritized at this stage is the training of technicians who will be promoting restoration activities. One woman and two men from the two pilot areas were provided grants to take part in the international course "Restoration of landscapes: principles and tools to lead the transformation" held at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica.

As part of the PINPEP and PROBOSQUE programmes, technicians have been hired at the municipality level to prepare management plans for landscape restoration projects. The target is restore 100 hectares of degraded land in San Marcos and 300 hectares in Southeast Petén with the support of MAGA technicians.

Guatemala has made significant progress in strengthening decision-making in FLR implementation both at the technical and the political level. In each pilot region work has been undertaken to strengthen the collaboration between communities, municipalities, academia and international organizations.
A baseline study and systematization of good FLR practices is about to be completed with the support of the University of San Carlos. This study will allow a better planning of on the ground activities to benefit the local communities and to serve as an evaluation tool.

Oscar Valenzuela, Ogden Rodas and Anique Hillbrand