BACKGROUND - Guatemala - page 588

Soil Erosion
Unbridled deforestation on steep hillsides is responsible for much of the erosion of
Guatemala's soil. Already about one-third of all land cover is considered eroded or seri-
ously degraded, a significant amount when one considers the high degree of susceptibility
to erosion of Guatemala's soil, which is composed largely of unconsolidated volcanic ash.
Deforestation and soil erosion work hand in hand and are responsible for many of the tra-
gic mudslides in the aftermath of tropical storms such as Hurricanes Mitch and Stan. Soil
erosion has also contributed to greatly shortening the useful life of Chixoy Dam, which
supplies about 15 percent of Guatemala's electricity, through siltation of the dam's reser-
voir.
Conservation Groups
Many grassroots environmental organizations operate in Guatemala in partnership with in-
ternational conservation organizations. Among the best-known groups is Fundación De-
fensores de la Naturaleza (7a Avenida 7-09 Zona 13, Guatemala City, tel. [phone] or
2471-7942, www.defensores.org.gt ) ,whichadministersSierradelLacandónNationalPark,
Sierra de Las Minas Biosphere Reserve, Bocas del Polochic Wildlife Refuge, and the Un-
itedNationsNationalParkjustoutsideofGuatemala City.Throughprivatelandpurchases,
Defensores has been able to acquire large tracts of land in Sierra de las Minas and Sierra
del Lacandón with help from The Nature Conservancy.
The Nature Conservancy also works locally with the Fundación para el Desarrollo y la
Conservación(FoundationforDevelopmentandConservation),or FUNDAECO (7aCalle
“A”20-53Zona11,ColoniaMirador,GuatemalaCity,tel.[phone]).Together,theyhave
boughtmorethan9,000acresoftropicalrainforestintheCaribbeancoastalmountainchain
of Cerro San Gil.
Another organization working to protect local ecosystems is FUNDARY (Diagonal 6,
17-19Zona10,GuatemalaCity,tel.[phone],or2367-0171, www.guate.net/
fundarymanabique/index.htm ) , named after the late Mario Dary Rivera, creator of the
CECON biotopes. FUNDARY has centered its efforts on the protection of coastal environ-
ments, particularly the Punta de Manabique peninsula, on Guatemala's Caribbean Coast.
The forests of Petén are understandably the center of much attention from local and
international organizations. ProPetén (Calle Central, Flores, Petén, tel. [phone],
www.propeten.org ) , an offshoot of Conservation International, began operating shortly
after thecreation oftheMayaBiosphere Reserve andiscredited withimplementing innov-
ative approaches to bridge the gap between the need for environmental conservation and
the needs of communities living in or near the reserve. Among its successful programs are
the establishment of a research station for the protection of scarlet macaws, forestry con-
cessions with local communities in the Maya Biosphere Reserve's buffer zone, and two
Spanish-language schools owned and operated by local villagers.