Water Stewardship and Replenish Report - Psddev.com

Promoting River Basin Conservation through Payment for
ecosystem Services and Other Innovations
The Motagua and Polochic rivers of Guatemala contribute a
majority of the sediment and organic pollutants that threaten
the Mesoamerican Reef. Our global partnership with WWF in the
region leveraged private investment in freshwater conservation
and river basin management to improve watershed conditions.
For example, Guatemala bottler ABASA supported the
successful launch of the Motagua-Polochic Water Fund, an
innovative payment for ecosystem services mechanism. This
fund allows the bottler to invest in upstream water projects
that help conserve the cloud forests—known as the basin’s
water towers—of Guatemala’s Sierra de las Minas Biosphere
Reserve, protecting the water supply and quality.
Upstream along the Polochic River, projects are helping
communities develop more sustainable agricultural methods
for crops, such as coffee, cardamom, and honey. The improved
growing methods help control erosion and runoff, protecting
the freshwater ecosystem. These efforts have protected 30%
of the total forest area across three communities.
Pedro Xicol, community leader and father of eight,
reflects: “We must walk 45 minutes before we get to
a road, yet we are selling prime cardamom directly to
exporters thanks to the new dryer we were able to
buy with the project’s help. We have not only increased
our income, but we are improving our agroforestry
practices and protecting our natural resources better.”
In addition to improved watershed conditions, by partnering
with Guatemala’s Cleaner Production Center, the project
has helped all three Coca-Cola bottling plants in Guatemala
implement water saving practices. Investments in equipment
and infrastructure are continuing to improve plant water
use efficiency and the project’s success has sparked bottler
engagements in Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize.
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