News stories by Danilo Valladares * - Tierramérica

The ambitious Cuatro Balam project for the management and conservation of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in the northern department of Petén has been put on hold after the change of government in Guatemala, say environmental and other civil society organisations.

Scientific studies show that global warming is causing irreversible damage to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the world’s second largest coral reef, yet efforts to protect this biologically and economically vital ecosystem remain insufficient.

The growing frequency of weather-related disasters in Central America has led to greater organisational efforts for risk management and emergency response. But during the most recent storm in the region, the fruits of these efforts were still not visible.

'Yesterday I planted 20 broccoli plants at home. God willing, they will grow and we will be able to eat them,' said 12-year-old Juan Francisco Ordóñez, a student at a school in San Cristóbal Totonicapán where a school garden has been established in an attempt to alleviate hunger.