Integrated Ridge to Reef Management of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR2R)

The Integrated Ridge to Reef Management of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR2R) project aims to conserve shared freshwater, coastal, and marine resources in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. It addresses threats such as unsustainable agriculture, mass tourism, and overfishing by strengthening the leadership of the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD). The project implements Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Integrated Coastal Marine Management (ICMM) through demonstration projects, voluntary certification standards (RSPO, Bonsucro, MSC, ASC), and the establishment of water funds and reserves. A total project cost of $61,107,908 is allocated, with $9,018,349 from the GEF and $51,277,908 in co-financing.

• The Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) ecoregion is a biodiversity hotspot covering 464,263 km2 of ocean, coasts, and watersheds, sustaining over 12 million people.
• The ecoregion faces significant anthropogenic threats from 'ridge to reef', including deforestation, sedimentation, pollution from agrochemicals, untreated wastewater, and unsustainable fisheries.
• Regional management is currently fragmented, with the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) facing limited financial resources and capacity to lead despite political support from the Tulum and Tulum+8 Declarations.
• The project identifies eight priority watersheds for intervention: the Chamelecon, Hondo, and Motagua rivers (Priority 1); the Belize River, Ulua River, and the North Zone of the Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Cancun (Priority 2); and the Monkey and New Rivers (Priority 3).
• To improve watershed management, the project will establish water reserves in Guatemala and Honduras and strengthen the Sierra de Las Minas Water Fund in Guatemala, while designing new water funds for Belize and Honduras.
• The project promotes the adoption of voluntary certification standards to reduce environmental impacts, specifically RSPO and Bonsucro for oil palm and sugarcane, and MSC and ASC for fisheries and aquaculture.
• Efforts to improve coastal management include supporting the implementation of Belize's Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan and Guatemala's Caribbean Coastal Marine Strategy.
• The project includes community-based restoration of mangroves and coral reefs as a key component of its coastal-marine strategy.
• The total project cost is $61,107,908, consisting of $9,018,349 in GEF funding and $51,277,908 in co-financing from governments, the private sector, and NGOs.

APA

WWF International (2017). Integrated Ridge to Reef Management of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR2R). https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/993/3jpgjpy4j9_MAR2R__Project_Document_1.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Integrated Ridge to Reef Management of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR2R). 2017. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/993/3jpgjpy4j9_MAR2R__Project_Document_1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Integrated Ridge to Reef Management of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR2R) |date=23 March 2017 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/993/3jpgjpy4j9_MAR2R__Project_Document_1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2017integrated, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Integrated Ridge to Reef Management of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR2R)}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2017}, month = mar, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/993/3jpgjpy4j9_MAR2R__Project_Document_1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }