31 January 2024, El Paraíso - The European Union, through Swiss Contact, delivered 24 forest fire prevention and firefighting tool kits to the department of El Paraíso, Honduras.

The kits were destined for agroforestry cooperatives, affiliated to the Honduran Federation of Agroforestry Cooperatives, and for the environmental units of the municipalities that make up the Commonwealth of Municipalities of Northern El Paraíso.

The kits, consisting of tools such as fire extinguishers, helmets, vests, hoes, among others, were delivered to support the work of the units in charge of preventing and fighting fires that may affect the area, especially in view of the upcoming summer season.

According to data from the Forest Conservation Institute of Honduras, last year, of the nearly 3000 fires that occurred nationwide, 121 fires affected approximately 6845 hectares in the department of El Paraíso. Several of the affected areas were located in 4 micro-watersheds and 22 protected areas in the area.

Green Paradise

This action was carried out within the framework of the "Paraíso Verde" project, financed by the European Union and implemented by Swiss Contact, Funder and the Forest Conservation Institute of Honduras, to promote a decarbonized economy through the adaptation of agricultural production to climate change.

This project has an EU contribution of 7.45 million euros (approximately 196.77 million lempiras) to support Honduras in meeting its climate commitments and goals. This involves a socio-cultural and productive transformation that includes the conservation of forests and biodiversity, increased carbon sequestration and the reduction of migration due to the impacts of climate change.

The project focuses on actions in agricultural (coffee, cocoa), livestock and forestry value chains compatible with the landscape approach to reduce vulnerability to climate change, improve social inclusion, reduce deforestation and increase forest restoration with improved governance and local ownership, reduce CO2 emissions and implement the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (VPA-FLEGT).

The FLEGT VPA between Honduras and the European Union aims to provide a legally binding framework to ensure that all timber and relevant timber products imported from Honduras into the European Union are of legal origin. It also aims to strengthen forest law enforcement, governance, accountability and transparency in Honduras.

A holistic approach to sustaining Honduras' forests

Forests cover about 30% of the Earth's land surface and provide incalculable ecological, economic, social and health benefits at local, national and global scales.

In Honduras more than 50% of the land has forest cover[1]. Despite great efforts, deforestation and forest degradation pose a threat to Honduras' forests. This is mainly due to the expansion of agriculture and cattle raising, pest infestations, illegal logging and infrastructure development. Honduras is also highly exposed to dangerous climate-related phenomena.

Honduras and the European Union aim to enhance the role of Honduras' forests in the country's sustainable and inclusive development, while addressing the challenges posed by deforestation and forest degradation, climate change, conservation threats and biodiversity loss.

In December 2023, Honduras and the EU signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a Forest Partnership with Honduras, a contribution to the external dimension of the EU Green Pact and supported by the EU's Global Gateway strategy. The Partnership will contribute to Honduras' goal of restoring 1.3 million hectares of forest and implementing its National Biodiversity Action Plan.

25.5 million under a Team Europe initiative on the Five Great Forests of Mesoamerica, which includes the Moskitia in Honduras.

The management of natural resources and the fight against climate change is one of the priority areas of European Union cooperation in Honduras. In this regard, the EU remains committed to supporting joint efforts to preserve forests, conserve biodiversity and ensure a safe and sustainable environment for all.

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