OroVerde GreenWatersheds March 2023

WasserWald project: Increasing resilience to the consequences of climate change

Through the WasserWald project, OroVerde and its partner organisations from Guatemala, Mexico and the Dominican Republic are making a valuable contribution to strengthening the tropical rainforest ecosystem in selected catchment areas.

Significant progress has been made during the current reporting period. The project partners implemented a large number of measures on the ground aimed at protecting both local ecosystems and the population against natural disasters, and at improving water supplies for people and animals in remote regions. Here are a few examples:

Mexico

Additional items of equipment, including special backpacks, fire flappers and work boots, were purchased in Mexico as part of the Hero Brigadista campaign for local fire service employees, an initiative that is being co-financed by Munich Re and ERGO. The equipment is used to combat wildfires. A number of firebreaks were also created, which will help check the spread of wildfires in particularly dry areas.

Guatemala

Unfortunately, many people around the world have great difficulty accessing water. Many communities in Guatemala, for example, have no centralised water supply. The water tanks that were delivered by project staff from the partner organisation, Defensores de la Naturaleza, not only provide 37 families with access to drinking water, but also serve as storage tanks for use in periods of drought.

Teaser Dominikanische Republik Aufforstung Defensores

Dominican Republic

An area of around 8 hectares was successfully reforested in the Dominican Republic and it is hoped to expand this to 25 hectares by the time the project ends. Alongside reforestation, providing training to members of the local community is a key element of local activities.

Education

Education also plays a central role in the project. Training courses on the use of agroforestry systems for farming were provided in the Dominican Republic. The knowledge that local people acquire from these courses will allow them to benefit from the large number of agroforestry systems that have been created even after the project has concluded.

About OroVerde

The project enjoys a high approval rating among the population of the participating regions, as the quality of life for local people has already been noticeably improved after just a few years. Thanks to donations from Munich Re and ERGO, additional measures could be implemented, thereby increasing the positive impact. In practical terms, this means that the population is now considerably more resilient to the consequences of climate change.

A host of successes, despite adverse conditions

Despite the fact that project work in the 2021/2022 reporting year was again impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to some creative ideas and the experience they had gained in the previous year, the project teams were able to carry out almost all their activities and catch up on measures that had been cancelled.