Background
Using the forest to help solve
instead of being a contributor to climate change
Climate change, persistent rural poverty, and the loss of our globe’s forests and the valuable plant and animal species they contain... If left unchecked, these global issues will have a direct impact on everyone’s daily life and leave even greater repercussions on the lives of futures generations. Though the problem is worldwide in scope, a difference can be made… one forest and one community at a time.
The Challenge
A lush tropical forest in peril, Pico Bonito National Park, is unquestionably a candidate for enhance protection and preservation. Situated along the critically sensitive environmental hot spot known as the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, the park represents one of the most critical links to enable thousands of endangered animal and plant species to survive. The communities within this area face the challenges of rural poverty, a common obstacle of most developing nations’ disadvantaged populations. Their daily struggles encompass a wide range of issues including water quality, destabilized economic opportunity, substandard healthcare and education, and food uncertainty.
At the same time, agricultural frontier expansion is posing increased dangers to both the local inhabitants and the Park due to overgrazed lands, forest fires, and degradation of its watersheds. The denuded land leaves the watersheds vulnerable to devastating erosion and pollution, making it evermore challenging for families to find access to clean water as well as increasingly likely that endangered animal and plant species will come under still further threat of extinction. These devastating issues are not confined to the areas around Pico Bonito National Park. Rather, they are a representation of what is happening on a global scale.
A Successful Business Model is Created
Realizing the danger the forest and local communities were facing and recognizing the potential for the newly emerging carbon markets to have a positive impact, the Park's predicament attracted the attention of two long standing NGO organizations – the Pico Bonito National Park Foundation (FUPNAPIB) and EcoLogic Development Fund (EcoLogic). And a new venture came to be known as Bosques Pico Bonito.
These two organizations saw the issues that were directly impacting the Park, the opportunity to establish a unique and sustainable long term solution, and were eager to intervene.
With EcoLogic's experience in addressing challenging socio-environmental situations and establishing permanent solutions, together with FUPNAPIB's experience in managing similar projects within and around the Park, a plan was developed that proved to be innovative and effective enough to be used not only to address the circumstances around the current project area, but also as a worldwide model.
Armed with their powerful strategy, the founders made a concerted effort for local communities to not only benefit from the venture, but to be active participants in all phases and at all levels of project activity.
Thereafter, the World Bank facilitated a seed grant from the Government of Japan so as to prepare and solidify the venture’s; economic, environmental, scientific, social, governmental, and operating model. With this final plan in place, private financing was arranged to launch the venture and prove the model to be viable, sustainable, scalable, and transferable. Having now launched its operating activities, proof of concept has been well established and the venture continues to expand its activities as it accesses additional sources of financing.
The Fruits of the Labor
Bosques Pico Bonito is working to establish sustainable and financially successful reforestation, preservation, and agroforestry activities. In the process, a variety of work and training opportunities continue to be created through the venture’s sustainable forestry, carbon sequestration and agroforestry operations.
What You Can Do
Become a responsible environmental citizen by offsetting your own carbon emissions
Have your organization become a financing partner of the venture.
Continued Success
As a pioneer project, Bosques Pico Bonito has been a model of success, and to date, various components of this project have already been replicated in many parts of the world. You can learn more about other projects opportunities by contacting us.
