To empower foster conservation and sustainable development, El Salvador has been added to the new Biodiverse Landscapes Fund by the United Kingdom government. This development comes following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexandra Hill, and the UK Ambassador, David Lelliot.
According to the Salvadoran Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this agreement aims to bolster the efforts of the Salvadoran government in addressing the effects of climate change and conserving ecosystems.
Minister Hill elaborated on the initiative, stating, “The UK government will invest $25 million in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize. This endeavor will be implemented in the El Trifinio region, where strategies for landscape protection and restoration, as well as the promotion and safeguarding of biodiversity, will be put into action.”
The official signing ceremony also saw the participation of Karla de Palma, the director of the Salvadoran Agency for International Cooperation (Esco). She highlighted the collaborative work among state institutions in creating the memorandum.
“The negotiation and preparation of this Memorandum of Understanding are a significant achievement involving the UK Embassy in El Salvador, the Ministry of Environment (Marn), the Trifinio Plan, Esco, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their dedication and commitment have been instrumental in reaching this crucial moment,” emphasized de Palma.
Under President Nayib Bukele’s administration, government agencies such as the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and MARN have undertaken actions to preserve various ecosystems nationwide.
MOP Verde, a nursery established by the Ministry of Public Works, produces a variety of fruit, ornamental, and other tree species for distribution to the public, planting along roadways, and contributing to reforestation efforts.
“We decided to create a nursery capable of producing plants for the entire country, including different forest, fruit, and ornamental trees. Once we have the seed supply, we come to the nursery and prepare a special soil mix to ensure optimal conditions. Four months later, the plants are ready for distribution to various reforestation, road, and ministry projects,” explained Julio Cruz, the environmental manager at MOP.
Meanwhile, MARN is driving the “Trees for El Salvador” initiative, which aims to reforest protected natural areas such as mangroves.
“Every year, we have successfully exceeded our reforestation initiative’s target, planting over a million trees for El Salvador. This year will be no exception. We are committed to advancing the restoration of mangrove areas, with a particular emphasis on locations that play a crucial role as key habitats for priority species. Furthermore, we are expanding these efforts to all of the country’s Protected Natural Areas through ‘Trees for El Salvador,'” stated Fernando López, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.