Asociación Comunidad Esperanza

The reforestation and forest exploitation project seeks to reduce the risk of landslides in prone areas due to soil erosion, through the generation of forests with regional trees.   Creating nurseries of native tree species, while generating land use programs for food production in a technical way.   

The benefited families will receive trainings where the risk of the area is explained, as well as the ways to reduce it. In this way, we will seek to explain how the existence of forests can represent an improvement for their life situation, not only increasing security, but also including different ways in which physical space can be used for the generation of food.

By generating programs strategically for the use of forests, it is possible to generate economic income for people or produce food for family use and future cooperative systems that seek community development and improve the quality of life.

Through this problem, the risk of families losing property would be diminished, due to inclement weather and risks to disasters. They would also be given access to production systems to improve their economy.  The program seeks to serve fifty families in its first phase.  In recent years, the rains and the lack of attention to communities at high risk of landslides have caused the loss of entire families, as well as the loss of property.

In the area where it is proposed to intervene through this project, studies were carried out where the high risk that families run was identified. No measures have been taken, as they are only presented with the possibility of eviction, but there are analyzes that make it clear that there are ways to reduce these risks.  The project seeks to generate production systems with modern strategies, so that the forest itself, apart from serving as a tool to reduce risks, can be a space where different types of products can be produced, from food, livestock productions, to systems to long term.

The idea of a living and dynamic forest is proposed.
The project is comprised of four phases of development. The beginning is represented by the establishment of meetings with municipal and community authorities, for the presentation of the work plan, which will present the form of forest technification.

Starting with the construction of the tree nursery, which must respect the ecology of the intervention area. Models of urban gardens will be generated in the courtyards of the different families. Priority will be given to products preferred by the community for consumption and those that can enter the regional market for sale.  Each work plan will be carried out identifying the spaces available for the families, since all the owners of the land have spaces of different dimensions. Seeking that everyone can generate income based on a good use of space and modern forms of production.

The next phase includes the presentation of the selected products, as well as the ways in which they will be grown. The nursery space will be used, since for this stage, the reforestation process will have begun.  Reforestation will begin with training to teach people how to maintain these forests, while respecting the existing ecosystem.

Fifty families live in the intervention area, which would be the first beneficiaries.  After the elaboration of a risk study in the physical intervention area, the authorities did not present any risk reduction program, or any other proposal for the families, apart from the imminent eviction due to the risk.

Although the idea of a forest may seem good, this would imply an extra maintenance cost for families, taking into account the low purchasing power of families in the area, this is far beyond what can be demanded

Therefore, proposing a technical production project that seeks to accompany from the origin of the trees that will be planted, production processes can be generated, which are updated according to the situation of the environment (forest).  The different phases of the project aim to have productions that serve families as an extra income, taking advantage of what is generated.

A solution, such as the one we present that is a living and dynamic forest, is not an idea that manages to capture the attention of the population.  But if it is shown that it is possible to obtain benefits from the forest in each of its stages of development, it can make the community work in this forest as a collective good, each family obtaining some benefit, whether food or extra economic income

The project seeks to carry out a sampling of the possibility of generating small productive cooperatives, which generate in an intelligent, modern and strategic way.

The families would be obtaining benefits from what would be called bony land. This forest would be giving the opportunity to reduce risks to the community, would generate a feeling of collective work and in turn would allow the introduction of a respectful and sustainable urban agricultural production system.  

Currently the projects in the region, which include the introduction of production systems, serve the population in rural areas. For the most part allowing the production or technification of a specific product, the proposal of living forests would allow the generation of family urban gardens, diversifying production, conserving native species and innovating the image of an agricultural system.

This proposal would be covering not only a problem, as is the risk that families run. They would also be offering training so that they can produce, based on the market they are generating. The possibility of extra income would be being provided and the aim would be to protect the existing ecosystem, making all this work in everyone's favor.

This proposal gets its strengthening in production technologies. Including modern irrigation systems, which allow attention to crops, but without contributing to weakening the state of the land, generating erosion, 

intelligent cultivation processes will be used to take advantage of the space, since each family has reduced and different spaces, so it will have to innovate including vertical cultivation systems, by hydroponics and improved seeds. 

Each phase of the project will include challenges, since it will take place in the open field, so the climate aspect will be key. Therefore, production control proposals, planting conservation and performance record must be generated. These will be used to establish tools that will be used in the future, to project productions and even new phases of the project.

In 2015, the FAO generated a study of the relationship between forests and agricultural production.

http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/news/news-detail/es/c/285875/

Through this proposal, we seek to meet the needs of the population, generating a risk response system, landslide, but also giving the population the tools so that this solution is not something that they have to wait five years for to generate benefits, the project phases seek to constantly serve the population.

Hoping that the authorities can promote forms of collective work, between the community, society and the state. In addition to establishing production systems that can be accessible to the general population, that are applicable to the environment and beneficial

The first phase of the project seeks to serve the immediate population, which lives in the risk area, which is made up of a group of 50 families.

This project seeks to generate a system of replicas in neighboring communities, based on production through urban gardens, generating a constant production system that allows these 5 communities to generate a production cooperative. Where the forms of work, the quality control of production and the protection of the life of citizens are maintained.

The projection for the five years is that this project can be replicated in peri-urban communities, in the developing cities of Guatemala and other countries of Central America.

Currently we see that the possibility of coordinating work with the community is a bit complicated, since it is not a community in the immediate availability of working collaboratively.

Presenting a program of objectives and innovation. Giving families the opportunity to understand that the idea of the project is not only to generate a forest. Presenting a structured project, where they will be able to see its benefits and obtainable products, technification and economic income. In addition to improving the security of the area where their houses are built.

Three people in the documentary preparation of the project.  Two people in the administrative area.

The institution has served the population of the area for more than 15 years, with educational and food security projects. We have seen how new needs arise in the population, as well as the increase in the population, the decrease in income and the precariousness of the people who live in the peri-urban area of the municipality.

We seek to generate relationships with seed producers, to support them with the technification of processes, in addition to sharing advances and experiences. As well as with organic development projects, since an important part of the project is the generation of products in a responsible way with the planet and the consumer.

We are aware that our project can be beneficial when implemented in peri-urban communities, not only in Guatemala, but also in other Latin American countries. This type of replicas would support the generation of income for the benefited people, it would not be just giving a small contribution, if not, a help that can evolve and adapt as the situation in the country requires.