WWF Hails Trilateral Pact to Protect Great Maya Forest

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) congratulates Belize, Guatemala and Mexico for signing the Declaration to establish the Great Maya Forest Biocultural Corridor. The declaration was signed on Friday at the Mundo Maya hotel in Calakmul, Campeche.

“Through this declaration, the heads of government of the three countries reinforced their shared responsibility for biodiversity conservation, inclusive and sustainable development, and the protection of human rights in this biome,” WWF said in its congratulatory statement.

The Corridor spans more than 5.6 million hectares and is considered the second most important natural reserve after the Amazon. It includes 0.6 million hectares in Belize, 2.7 million hectares in Guatemala, and 2.4 million hectares in Mexico.

“The Maya Forest unites our countries not only geographically but also culturally, socially, environmentally, and economically,” the WWF Mexico Director General María José Villanueva said. “This Declaration fills us with pride and comes at the most opportune moment, motivating us to continue promoting our efforts to protect the jaguar’s habitat, mangrove forests, protected areas, and the entire Mayan heritage expressed in its ancestral productive activities.”

The declaration also addresses threats such as deforestation, forest fires, and illegal logging.

The Conservation Director of WWF Mesoamerica added, “We applaud the decision of the leaders of the three countries that are custodians of the Great Maya Forest Biocultural Corridor to give renewed impetus to efforts to safeguard this natural and cultural wonder of global importance.”