From coast to coast and continent to continent, climate-related natural disasters are sadly becoming the new normal.

In Guatemala, the community of San Marcos and its environs bears the brunt of this reality after a wildfire destroyed trees near Guatemala’s Pacific coast and the Manchon-Guamuchal mangrove forest. The restored mangroves will contribute to a more balanced and healthy abundance of fish and crustaceans, as well as migratory birds, which maintain the ecological stability of the region and are essential to the livelihoods of the thousands of coastal people who make their living from fishing and tourism.

The Caterpillar Foundation partnered with One Tree Planted and the Rainforest Alliance to join forces to restore 45 hectares of mangrove forest by planting, growing and monitoring 90,000 red mangrove trees. Increasing the livelihood opportunities of Pacific coastal communities is highly dependent on the health of the ecosystems in these regions, as livelihood activities focus on the production and marketing of fish, as well as tropical fruits and wood products such as fibrous timber and primary construction. materials.

Tourism services, including recreational fishing and bird watching, are also important social enterprises in the region. The project will support diversified income streams and increased livelihood opportunities in both the short and long term, especially as the community recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.