“The howler monkeys are everywhere”: How women in Belize are harnessing the power of nature to conserve their community

The Community Baboon Sanctuary Women’s Conservation Group (CBSWCG) in Belize's Belize River Valley implements nature-based solutions to combat climate-driven threats such as drought, wildfires, and flooding. Supported by the Climate Adaptation and Protected Areas (CAPA) Initiative, the group focuses on reforestation, agroforestry, and riparian restoration to protect biodiversity and improve local livelihoods. Their efforts have contributed to a significant increase in the local howler monkey population and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices to replace traditional slash-and-burn farming.

• The Belize River Valley faces intensifying climate threats, including more frequent and severe droughts, increased forest fires during the dry season, and worsening flooding and erosion, which have led some residents to abandon their communities.
• The CBSWCG implements several nature-based strategies to enhance resilience, including the restoration of riparian forests, the use of growing fence posts to prevent livestock grazing, the establishment of silvo-pastoral systems, and the application of agroforestry methods.
• The CBSWCG's conservation efforts have resulted in a substantial increase in the howler monkey population, which grew from 800 individuals at the organization's inception to 6,000.
• Through the CAPA Initiative and a CAPA Innovation Fund grant, the group has expanded agroforestry and backyard gardening, established a nursery for fruit and restoration trees, and implemented cover structures to protect crops from pests and drought.
• The organization aims to achieve 'healthy forests and healthy people by 2030' by reducing the reliance on traditional 'slash and burn agriculture' (milpa) through the promotion of home gardens and agroforestry.

APA

Urbina,, C. C. B. A. (2025). “The howler monkeys are everywhere”: How women in Belize are harnessing the power of nature to conserve their community. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/success-story/nature-women-belize-conservation-biodiversity-capa

Chicago

Urbina,, Calais Caswell,Giselle Borland,Deseree Arzu,Yahaira. “The howler monkeys are everywhere”: How women in Belize are harnessing the power of nature to conserve their community. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/articles/success-story/nature-women-belize-conservation-biodiversity-capa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Urbina, |first1=Calais Caswell,Giselle Borland,Deseree Arzu,Yahaira |title=“The howler monkeys are everywhere”: How women in Belize are harnessing the power of nature to conserve their community |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=5 March 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/success-story/nature-women-belize-conservation-biodiversity-capa |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{urbina2025howler, author = {Urbina,, Calais Caswell,Giselle Borland,Deseree Arzu,Yahaira}, title = {{“The howler monkeys are everywhere”: How women in Belize are harnessing the power of nature to conserve their community}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/success-story/nature-women-belize-conservation-biodiversity-capa}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }