Restoration Approach
El Salvador’s National Restoration of Ecosystems and Landscapes Program includes actions around 4 main components:
- Restoration and reforestation of critical ecosystems
- Restoration of degraded soils through adoption of agroforestry systems
- Development of natural and physical infrastructure
- Joint implementation of local ministries and actors to promote governance over natural resources
El Salvador will also focus on addressing forest fire, erosion, and invasive species in order to restore its landscapes.
Resources
Government Launches National Plan for Restoration and Reforestation
National Territorial Development Plan (Plan Nacional de Ordenamiento y Desarrol…
Related Initiatives
Bonn Challenge, Initiative 20x20
Objectives
El Salvador’s ambitious restoration commitment of 1 million ha – half the land area of the country – is a response to the nation’s extremely high vulnerability to the effects of climate change. When the nation joined the Bonn Challenge in 2012, El Salvador’s Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, Herman Rosa Chavez, stated that the primary objective of landscape restoration in El Salvador is adaptation to these effects and reduction of their magnitude. However, Chavez also recognized that landscape restoration will contribute to the global and local objectives of climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, improving livelihoods, and disaster resilience. More specifically, conservation of soil, water, and biodiversity have become priorities for El Salvador's restoration.
El Salvador's Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resrouces (MARN, or Ministra de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, in Spanish) oversees restoration in the country. Restoration is a key part of MARN's National Territorial Development Plan (PNODT), and specific strategies are outlined in the nation's National Restoration of Ecosystems and Landscapes Program (PREP).
Financing mechanisms
El Salvador finances its restoration efforts through national funds as well as through grants and support from international organizations and funds. National funds include MARN resources (which come from The El Salvador Environment Fund and the Fund for Special Activities) as well as the tools like the "Competitive Fund for ecosystem restoration, landscape, and water resources" (Fondos Concursables para la restauración de ecosistemas, paisajes y protección del recurso hídrico), a $200,000 fund set out by the National Plan for Integrated Water Resource Management. Funds within the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, or MAG, in Spanish) also contribute to restoration.
International funds and investors that contribute to El Salvador's ecological restoration include The Fund for the Initiative of the Americas (FIAES) and the French Technical Cooperation Fund for Consulting Services and Training Activities (Fondo Frances de Cooperacion Tecnica para Servicios de Consultoria y Actividades de Capacitacion). International organizations and banks that assist in financing include GIZ, FAO, GEF, KfW, and others.
