Climate change risks to Guatemala include intensification of many historically familiar climate risks, threating rural livelihoods and ecosystems. Climate change pressures are likely to include:

• Increasingly intense cyclones 
• Decreasing precipitation and increasing water stress 
• Increased landslide risks from increasingly intense rainfall events 
• Changing ecology and hydrology, affecting farmers and agro-ecosystems

CBA projects will focus on community-based natural disaster risk reduction activities in rural communities in globally important ecosystems and watersheds, focusing on the management of natural resource management to increase resilience to climate change impacts.  Activities will be guided by the Guatemala CBA Country Programme Strategy (English abstract).

Featured Project

• Microbasin-level adaptation to climate change through tree nurseries for hydrological and soil management
   
  Project Concept Note (MS Word)
   
  Status: Preparatory Phase

Project Photos

Development of a CBA project with the Río Tojguech Micro-watershed council, using the Almanario -- a tool for developing projects with community-based organizations.	Development of a CBA project with the Río Tojguech Micro-watershed council, using the Almanario -- a tool for developing projects with community-based organizations.	President of the Río Tojguech micro-watershed council, during the project development session.
Community representatives with a simple relief map of the micro-watershed.	Close-up of the micro-watershed relief map.  This map is used in identifying areas at risk of landslides, and areas important for hydrological recharge.	Alejandro Santos, national coordinator in Guatemala, explaining the H-form during a VRA session.
Meeting with community members in the community of La Igualidad to scope a potential project.	Problem analysis with community members in La Igualidad.	Coffee farmer displaying a tree seedling.  Some farms practice agroforestry as a means of avoiding soil erosion, though many don't, and erosion is a significant problem, likely to grow worse in the face of the increasingly intense that will be driven by climate change.
A young tree in a coffee plantation.	View of the Ocós community.  Communities are currently working with CBA to develop a project concept to reduce risks of floods and storms, which communities describe as intensifying in recent years	Community member during the intial project development meeting at Ocós.  Taken from the Ocós lighthouse.
Community member during the intial project development meeting at Ocós.  Taken from the Ocós lighthouse.	IUCN project coordinatior during the intial project development meeting at Ocós.  IUCN is working in partnership with CBA in Guatemala.  Taken from the Ocós lighthouse.	Community member during the intial project development meeting at Ocós.
View of new river channels in the Ocós community.  These channels were originally dry land used for crops.  During hurricane Stan (2005), the river changed course, carving out this new channel.  Community members with adjacent land have started fish farms - a good living for some, but carrying potential to further reduce protective mangrove cover.	Shrimp/fish farms channels created by hurricane Stan.  The landowner here has also planted Eucalyptus for firewood purposes -- taking pressure off of local mangrove resources but not providing defense against floods and storm surges, nor providing habitat for local biodiversity.	Local children taking interest in a concept development session -- highlands of Sololá department.