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The Network of Territories of Life and its Biocultural Heritage The extraordinary richness of Mesoamerican indigenous territories is intrinsically linked to the ancestral practices and knowledge of their peoples, through relationships of reciprocity and adaptive co-evolution built over millennia (Holling, Gunderson & Ludwig, 2002). Indigenous peoples have shaped, managed, and conserved forest, food, and water systems, giving rise to unique biocultural heritages in the region, such as the Lacandon and Petén tropical rainforests (Nigh & Ford, 2015). These spaces, recognised by CERR as Territories of Life, constitute fundamental keys for the conservation of the biological, functional, linguistic, cultural, economic, political, and legal diversity of the country and its respective surroundings (Boege, 2021). The biocultural heritage they safeguard represents an immeasurable intergenerational inheritance, offering both a foundation for processes of national identity reconstitution and sustainable alternatives to strengthen the continuity of social and ecological wellbeing in Mesoamerica. At CERR, we are committed to the recognition, protection, and restitution of Territories of Life as a strategy that promotes the emergence of democratic pluralism in the country.
The Problem Guatemala ranks among the countries with the greatest biological diversity on the planet and, simultaneously, among the most vulnerable to climate change (IPCC, 2022). In this context, indigenous communities in the southwestern part of the country have developed and maintained for years territorial management systems that integrate local ecological knowledge, agroecological and agroforestry practices, and community governance structures. These systems have demonstrated an effective capacity to conserve fragile ecosystems under conditions of increasing environmental pressure, including agro-industrial expansion, the advance of monocultures, and accelerated deforestation. Despite their effectiveness, these systems face a structural threat that transcends the environmental:
Justification Global scientific evidence is consistent: territories managed by indigenous peoples outperform conventional protected areas in biodiversity conservation, regulation of ecosystem services, and adaptation to climate change (IPBES, 2019; IPCC, 2022). This effectiveness is not coincidental. It is the result of knowledge systems accumulated over generations, territorial and family governance structures, and a relationship with the land that integrates cultural, spiritual, and ecological dimensions inseparably. In the Territories of Life that form this network, knowledge bearers are actively committed to the continuity of conservation and regeneration. However, the conditions that allow it to be sustained are eroding. The reduction of spaces for collective practice and for the transmission of knowledge to new generations is insufficient, and the resources that can be dedicated to the conservation and regeneration of these territories are limited, which constitutes a real risk of discontinuity.
The Solution General objective: Strengthen the Network of Territories of Life and its Biocultural Heritage This general objective will be achieved through two specific objectives:
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