Annual Work Plan FY2024: Prosperous and Resilient Landscapes Activity

The Activity is designed to invest in activities that reduce deforestation's drivers, increase forest cover, and improve livelihoods, especially for forest-dependent communities, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth. The Activity will work across three strategic approaches, including SA1: Regulatory and market enabling environment; SA2: Accelerate carbon capture and emissions reduction; and SA3: Bolster Sustainable Forest Management to protect forests and reduce emissions. The Activity has identified five principles for a livelihood to be defined as "low-emission": it does not reduce forest cover; it measures non-renewable energy sources, aims to reduce them, and seeks for renewable energy sources; it monitors resource use and aims for efficiency; it reduces GHG emissions compared with traditional practices; and it measures and monitors its GHG emissions. The Activity will be implemented in partnership with the Association of Forest Communities of Peten (ACOFOP), Association of Organizations of the Cuchumatanes (ASOCUCH), and Federation of Cooperatives of the Verapaz (FEDECOVERA), with Rainforest Alliance (RA) co-leading the implementation. The Activity aims to reduce nearly 1,150,000t CO2e and achieve sales of US$ 14,571,500 and the creation of 3,542 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs through low-emission nature-based Enterprises (NBEs) and Community-based Organizations (CBOs). The Activity has achieved several milestones, including delivering the Monitoring, Evaluation, Collaboration, Learning, and Adapting Plan (MECLA) to USAID, preparing the sub-award manual, and presenting the Program Staffing. The Activity also held the first induction session for all staff, including representatives of the local implementing partners, and agreed upon training at the regional level to standardize the basic knowledge to implement the Activity effectively. The Activity will seek to work across three strategic approaches to accomplish its purpose, including SA1: Regulatory and market enabling environment; SA2: Accelerate carbon capture and emissions reduction; and SA3: Bolster Sustainable Forest Management to protect forests and reduce emissions. The impacts of this activity over its five-year implementation period are summarized in Figure 2. The Activity has identified five principles for a livelihood to be defined as "low-emission": it does not reduce forest cover; it measures non-renewable energy sources, aims to reduce them, and seeks for renewable energy sources; it monitors resource use and aims for efficiency; it reduces GHG emissions compared with traditional practices; and it measures and monitors its GHG emissions. Low-emission livelihoods will be supported through market and policy instruments, or technical assistance to promote sustainable forest management and reduce emissions. The Activity will work to reduce deforestation's drivers, increase forest cover, and improve livelihoods, especially for forest-dependent communities, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth. The Activity aims to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration from land use, contributing to Guatemala's total 2030 NDC target, while enhancing self-reliance and generating sustained economic prosperity.