The World Bank/WBI’s CBNRM Initiative

Case Received: February 3, 1998

Author: Catalina López

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This case study considers the activities carried out by Reach-Out International in Guatemala, Central America, in communities that are totally dependent on natural resources for their subsistence. The area under study is located in the Department of Izabal, in the northeast of the country. It is estimated that 60% of the families in Izabal live in extreme poverty, with incomes below the estimated cost of the basic basket.

Our work has been concentrated in the villages of "El Florido" and "Izabal". The population of El Florido is entirely indigenous, and the community was established in the area in 1967 by the American church known as the Society of Friends. The inhabitants do not have access to basic electricity and drinking water services. Because of their low incomes and limited access to resources, the population suffers from high rates of malnutrition, respiratory diseases, chronic diarrhea, malaria and tuberculosis. Morevoer, the organization of the community in this village is incipient and revolves around the church.

The majority of the population of the village of Izabal is mestizo and 70% of the inhabitants have access to electricity and water services. The level of development, organization and satisfaction of basic needs of this community is greater than in El Florido. This village has formed a residents' committee that watches over the development of the community.

Notwithstanding their differing degrees of poverty and organization, agricultural production has declined considerably in both communities. During recent decades the region has experienced one of the country's highest rates of deforestation and natural resource deterioration, chiefly due to the expansion of agriculture and stockraising and the extraction of timber for firewood and construction purposes.

The tropical forests of the Izabal region constitute a gene bank marked by high biodiversity, being a valuable source of noble woods, lumber for papermaking, gums, dyes, resins, fuelwood, construction materials and medicines. The forests help to maintain the quality of the soil, prevent erosion, protect the watersheds, stabilize the mountains and protect the bodies of water against sedimentation. In addition, thousands of persons depend on the forests for their food and other basic needs.

Two of the main causes of rural poverty in the region are the landholding situation and access to resources. The lack of land in Izabal can be attributed to the high population density in the area, extensive stockraising, the sizable proportion of the land that is unsuited for agriculture since it is forested, and inappropriate management practices.

There is a tendency in the area for the inequalities in access to land and its resources to increase. Those with most land use it to generate wealth, which is then used to buy more land, while the landless and those without enough land to meet their basic needs become further impoverished from day to day.

The landless people generally migrate into the city in search of work and better opportunities. However, their lack of training and the tight employment situation makes it hard for them to secure a living, so they go back to the country. There being no land available, they usually become squatters on private property, as is currently happening on farms and properties adjacent to the village of Izabal.

A factor which aggravates the present land availability crisis in forested parts of Izabal is the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture. For centuries farming in Central America has been based on this practice, which consists in clearing small areas of forestland (typically 1-2 hectares per family), burning off the vegetation to release the nutrients (as ash) into the soil and then cultivating the area for one or two years. The site is then abandoned and the people move on to another location where the cycle is repeated over again. This practice can produce important social, economic and ecological benefits where population densities are low (fewer than 20 persons per square kilometer).

The slash-and-burn system requires that the land be left fallow for 10, 20 or more years to enable the soil to regain its productivity. However, the present pressure on land resources is such that insufficient time is tending to be allowed for nutrient regeneration, with the result that productivity is declining and erosion is increasing.

The communities living in extreme poverty cannot wait for the governmental authorities to meet their needs. It is important to foster the creation of community-level institutions which can then work jointly with NGOs and the private sector to handle resource management and take care of the community's needs.

We are aware that through the self-management process the communities must participate in the planning and implementation of forestry projects. Their participation is essential for assuring the success of the programs and developing a sense of ownership and responsibility through appropriate use and maintenance of the resources.

Reach-Out has supported promotion of integral development of communities living in extreme poverty. Integral development requires the participation of public and private institutions. Reach-Out accordingly works in direct collaboration with "Fundación Alcance Internacional", a nonprofit Guatemalan counterpart NGO headquartered in Guatemala, and with "Strategic Development", a Louisiana state organization which promotes development of rural small businesses.

We have also begun entering into agreements with national and foreign specialized professionals interested in natural resources and community development programs. We have plans to create pilot tropical rainforest research areas for undergraduate and postgraduate students from national and foreign institutions.

We believe that natural resources and communities living in extreme poverty as in the case of Izabal can subsist through the next century even though agricultural practices in nutrient-poor soils require better management, planning and intensive use of the forest systems. Strengthening of the local organization and creation of alternative sources of income for rural families without land or reduced to working soils unsuited for agriculture will also play a major role.

Since planning the integral development of a community is a multisectoral undertaking we have adopted a three-pronged approach. The first aim is to support projects offering collective benefits for the community in the areas of health, nutrition, education and social assistance; by way of example, we can cite the establishment of the Health Unit in the village of Izabal. The second thrust of this approach is support for small-scale entrepreneurs without access to land or sources of credit. Here we can refer to the results of the bakery supported in the village of El Florido. Then thirdly, there is the creation of pilot areas for research and technology transfer concerning alternative techniques for the use, exploitation and management of forest species native to the region. By way of example, we can mention the native species nursery and the forestry management plan for a private farm adjacent to the village of Izabal.

As regards support for community projects, in 1996 Reach-Out International helped the people of the village of Izabal to complete the construction of a health post that was designed and finances at their initiative. In response to the people's request, this year we are going to start a training program for health promoters. Once the training phase is completed the intention is for the project to be self-sustaining on the basis of the contributions from users and volunteer work done by those unable to pay anything.

In regard to support for small entrepreneurs, in 1995 Mrs. Gloria Ramírez, a resident of El Florido, applied for a bank loan to start a bakery. Because of her lack of liquid funds, she was turned down by the conventional credit sources. After a careful study, Reach-Out determined the amount of capital needed for construction for an oven, kitchen utensils and ingredients. In her first year of operation Mrs. Ramírez doubled her monthly income to Q 480 (US$80/month). In 1996, with an addition to the Reach-Out line of credit she was able to expand the scale of her business. The loan was granted interest free and for a period of one year. Mrs. Ramírez states that the income generated by the bakery is being used to improve her family's living conditions and to further expand the business. It has also served to create employment opportunities for other members of the family and the community.

We consider research, training and dissemination to be key components of development, so this year we will be starting a reforestation program using native species. The first phase will be a pilot reforestation project with mahogany and other species native to the region. This project will be carried out in a part of a private farm adjoining the village of Izabal, which squatters moved into, burned and then abandoned recently. Local knowledge and experience will be drawn on for selection the species. The local people want to include quick-growing species that will provide fuelwood, construction lumber, fodder and wood for commercial use. The second phase will be to launch a tropical rainforest management plan on two thirds of the same farm. The results of this experiment will be disseminated as part of the technology transfer program to be carried out in the surrounding villages and farms by means of seminars, short courses, workshops and so on.

The community development, agroforestry and forest management programs will have the following medium and long-term benefits: neutralization of the effects of soil erosion and deterioration of soils and water resources; temporary easing of the pressure on the land caused by more intensive cultivation techniques and optimum use of natural resources; prevention of flooding and of the health problems caused by polluted water; conservation of biodiversity and a positive impact on rural development and the people's quality of life The integrated conversation, reforestation and natural resource management projects will have social and economic catalytic effects, in that they will promote development of the community on the basis of a self-sustaining system.

Reach-Out recognizes the importance of integrating the cooperation among developed and developing countries, local governments, international agencies, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations for achieving sustainable development and preserving biodiversity. We recognize that resource conservation and working to reduce hunger are universal tasks.

The elimination of economic inequalities does not depend on charity but on strengthening of community participation through promotion of education and sustainable development. Research, training and technology transfer are basic building blocks for achieving development. However, the experience gained in the villages of El Florido and Izabal confirms to us that each community or geographic location possesses characteristics which make it unique, so that the transferring of technology must be done carefully and with due consideration of cultural differences and the local environment.