eco audits

Ecoauditoría de la región mesoamericana
Países de arrecifes

¿Estamos haciendo todo lo posible para proteger nuestro activo natural más valioso?

The Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) provides a diverse array of valuable goods and services to the people of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. The leaders of these four countries, officially recognized their shared vision and commitment to conserving the >1000 km of coral reef in the Tulum Declaration of 1997, followed by the 2007 declaration of March 10 as “Mesoamerican Reef Day”.

Since 2004 HRHP has periodically published  Report Cards on the Health of the Mesoamerican Reef. These reports have described a mixture of declines and recovery in coral reef health, which stem in part from inadequate management of local threats. Since 2008, these Report Cards have included specific management recommendations.The purpose of the Eco-Audit is to evaluate the degree of implementation of these management actions in each country, catalyze faster, more effective management responses and to increase accountability within the public and private sectors, and among non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to safeguard our reefs for future generations.

Photo credit: Henry Brown

¿Qué es una Eco-Audit?

La ecoauditoría mesoamericana evalúa nuestros esfuerzos colectivos para proteger y gestionar de manera sostenible los arrecifes de coral de la región, celebra historias de éxito de gestión, y documentos la medida en que se han implementado las acciones de gestión recomendadas en México, Belice, Guatemala y Honduras.

Healthy Reefs for Healthy People (HRHP), en colaboración con el Instituto de Recursos Mundiales (WRI) y socios locales, desarrolló esta herramienta multinacional sin precedentes de evaluación de la administración de los arrecifes en 2011.

La auditoría ecológica es una evaluación sistemática y transparente del grado de implementación de las 28 acciones recomendadas de gestión de los arrecifes, agrupadas en siete temas generales: áreas marinas protegidas, gestión de la pesca basada en los ecosistemas, gestión de zonas costeras, saneamiento y tratamiento de aguas residuales, investigación, educación y conciencia, sostenibilidad en el sector privado y problemas globales. La auditoría ecológica de 2021 es nuestra cuarta evaluación, que nos permite considerar las tendencias y las tasas de implementación, además de los puntajes comparativos de la implementación por país. La próxima auditoría ecológica de 2025 se renovará con un sistema para rastrear los cambios en tiempo real a medida que avancemos hacia los logros necesarios para mitigar algunas de las amenazas más apremiantes a las que nos enfrentamos.

Next 2025 Eco-Audit will be renewed with a system to track changes in real time as we progress towards the accomplishments needed to mitigate some of the most pressing threats we face.

Photo credit: HRHP

How was it Scored?

The Eco-Audit is a systematic and transparent evaluation of the degree of implementation of 28 recommended reef management actions that were made in the 2008 and 2010 Report Cards in order to catalyze faster, more effective implementation of recommendations and to increase accountability within the public and private sectors, and among non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

This 2021 Eco-Audit is our fourth evaluation, enabling us to consider trends and rates of management progress. In addition to the comparative scores for implementation by each country, the Healthy Reefs Initiative recognizes the efforts, progress, and dedication of our >70 partner organizations throughout the region in our collective progress in protecting this valuable resource. We remain united and committed to safeguarding our Mesoamerican Reef and the communities it sustains.

In 2025 our Eco-Audit will be renewed, being able to track in real time the advancements on the following indicators:

Photo credit: HRHP

What is the Interactive Eco-Audit?

HRHP has been advancing its Eco Audit overhaul initiative, a cornerstone of our efforts to monitor and improve management and environmental sustainability. With pro-bono assistance from Sean Tuohy, an IT consultant and Research Analyst at Engine AI, we have injected new energy into refining the Eco Audit to better align with our strategic priorities and enable almost real-time tracking of key metrics. Engine AI, a leading provider of data analytics solutions, specializes in delivering actionable insights from complex datasets to empower informed decision-making. We are working closely with Sean to have a revamped Eco Audit that will be constantly tracking progress and can be consulted on our website by the end of summer 2024.

Interactive Eco-Audits
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Photo credit: HRHP

Policies’ Achievements.

Through the Eco-Audit initiative, we have successfully identified and achieved significant milestones in safeguarding the health of the Mesoamerican Reef.
Parrotfish Protection: All four countries within the MAR region have enacted legislation at various governmental levels to protect parrotfish, recognizing their ecological importance as herbivorous species that naturally control the overgrowth of macroalgae on coral reefs.
Research, Education, and Awareness: Our most prominent indicator has been the success of regional outreach efforts, alongside our systematic AGRRA training programs and biennial reef monitoring activities.
Wastewater Management in Honduras: The Polo’s Water Association has successfully established wastewater treatment plants in West End, Roatan, contributing to improved water quality in the region.

Download Eco-Audit Files
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Photo credit: Nadia Rubio-Idea Wild

Help us make
a difference

HRHP is a core technical team that supports the unique Healthy Reefs Initiative, which includes over 70 partner organizations devoted to safeguarding the Mesoamerican Reef. Join us in protecting this vital ecosystem.