Reducing vulnerabilities and contribute to rural development in the municipalities of the Upper Suchiate and Coatan basins in the department of San Marcos

Project symbol: UNJP/GUA/022/UNJ
Participating countries: Guatemala
Project duration: Nov 2010 - Dec 2015
Donor: Sweden

Photo © Paolo Ceci/ FAO

Background

The Joint Program (JP) “Reducing vulnerabilities and contribute to rural development processes in the municipalities of  the Upper Suchiate and Coatan basins in the department of San Marcos” focuses on a geographical area which has been neglected by national development plans. This phenomenon has contributed to raise the poverty level which in turn has enhanced armed conflicts, particularly in  five municipalities (Tacaná, Tajumulco, Ixchiguán, Sibinal and San José Ojetenam) in which 90% of the population is at the edge of the poverty line.

The project

The strategy of the JP is based on capacity building activities coordinated by FAO, WHO and UNDP along with governmental institutions (MAGA, MSPAS and SEGEPLAN) to drive the attention to temporal and structural vulnerabilities of the area with an emphasis to the poorest. The focus of the JP represents the fulfillment of the Paris Agreements and will directly contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Objectives

The project aims to reduce  vulnerabilities of local communities, to improve health and rural livelihoods, and to create economic opportunities for local development, fostering gender rights and cultural heritage.

Three major outputs are foreseen:

• Improve health and livelihood of farming families who live below poverty line by improving food security, developing new income generating activities which are gender sensitive, and guaranteeing them a safe home;
• Increase the participation of the civil society in local rural development processes and empower their rights, with particular emphasis on the participation of women associations;
• Strengthen the capacity and structure of local governments and regional institutions of the five municipalities to manage sustainable development in the context of Development Councils.

The beneficiaries of the program are: (i) 2.600 families living below subsistence, spread over 50 communities, (ii) 500 families who produce agriculture surpluses, to improve their services for the population in the 5 municipalities, (iii) state institutions (municipal, provincial and national) and the civil society organizations.