Building livelihood resilience to climate change in the upper basins of Guatemala’s highlands
Protecting ecosystems and livelihoods in the highlands of Guatemala through better watershed management.
Increasing global temperatures change the composition of ecosystems. In Guatemala, particularly in areas higher than 1,800 meters above sea level, it is projected that the changing climate will drastically affect ecosystems resulting to hydrological cycle changes, increases in invasive species, and higher frequencies of fires, pests, and diseases. This is especially difficult for highland communities who depend on a balanced ecosystem for their livelihoods such as farming.
This project aims to reduce the impacts of climate change on the hydrological cycle in target highland watersheds through improved land use practices. It will introduce physical and technical capacities to better equip government and target communities to make climate-smart decisions and to conduct restoration interventions at the landscape level. These will lead to improved water recharge and will contribute to the people’s resilience to climate change.
The project has an estimated lifespan of 7 years.
Project timeline
Pipeline
21 Dec 2016 • 669 days
Concept note received
21 Dec 2016
Funding proposal received
31 Jul 2017
Cleared by GCF Secretariat
30 Nov 2017
Legal opinion on AE's Internal Approval
07 Jun 2018
Cleared by iTAP
08 Jun 2018
Approved
20 Oct 2018 • 537 days
Approved by GCF Board
20 Oct 2018
FAA executed
18 Apr 2019
Under implementation
08 Apr 2020 • 1,866 days so far
FAA effective
08 Apr 2020
Disbursement - USD 1,868,090
11 May 2020
Disbursement - USD 3,914,071
20 May 2022
Disbursement - USD 7,583,731
01 May 2024
Disbursement - USD 3,172,542
22 Jan 2025
To be completed
08 Apr 2027 • 692 days to go
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Financing
- Private sector
- Public sector
-
Size
- Micro
- Small
- Medium
- Large
GCF financing75% disbursed
| Instrument | Amount |
|---|---|
| Grant | USD 22,035,512 |
| Total GCF Financing |
|---|
| USD 22,035,512 |
Co-financing
| Co-financer | Instrument | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Co-Financing | Grant | USD 4,587,156 |
| Co-Financing | Grant | USD 5,000,000 |
| Co-Financing | In-kind | USD 6,031,872 |
| Total Co-Financing |
|---|
| USD 15,619,028 |
GCF Contacts
General media inquiries
GCF CommunicationsSend e-mail
Request for information
GCF Information DisclosureRequest information about this project
Project complaints and grievances
GCF Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM)Phone +82 32 458 6186 (KST)
File a complaint
Integrity issues
GCF Independent Integrity Unity (IIU)Phone +82 32 458 6714 (KST)
Send e-mail
Entity
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Director Multilateral Finance Unit
1630 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, United States
FRGS, Portfolio Manager Asia and Oceania - Multilateral Finance (GEF, GCF)
63 Sukhumvit Soi 39, Bangkok, Thailand
More contacts
National Designated Authority
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of Guatemala
7 Avenida 03-67 Zona 13, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Head of International Cooperation
7 Avenida 03-67 Zona 13, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Documents
News + Stories
Maya-K'iche' in Guatemalan highlands embrace nature-based solutions
07 Feb 2025 / Tomás Cuterez Lares grew up in the highlands of Guatemala, where he lives with his extended family. At eleven years old, Cuterez Lares lost his father, an apple grower, to the armed conflict in the 1980s. As the eldest brother, this tragedy forced him to drop out of school and dedicate himself to farming. He began his community leadership journey at 16, which led him to co-found Cooperativa Integral Agrícola Unión Chipaquense (COINACHI). Passionate about the organisation's mission, he donated his own land for the organisation's operations.
Mayan youth promoting nature-based solutions for sustainable agriculture in Guatemalan highlands
09 Aug 2023 / A group of 30 young people in San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala, leverages sustainable agriculture and indigenous knowledge to help the local community adapt to climate change. The changing climate is drastically affecting ecosystems in the Guatemalan highlands resulting in hydrological cycle changes, increases in invasive species, and unprecedented effects on agricultural land. These changes are resulting in a lack of employment and an increase in migration, particularly for communities who depend on farming for their livelihoods.