The Ecological Association of San Marcos Ocotepeque (AESMO) is an environmental NGO aimed at improving the quality of life in the communities through the protection and sustainable management of natural resources, citizen participation and interinstitutional strategic partnerships. Throughout its 30 years of institutional life, AESMO has been working through different programs and projects, aimed initiatives at the conservation and protection of water and biodiversity resources. They have boosted the participation and involvement of different actors and decision-making stakeholders at different levels (local and central government, administration councils, forestry and water consultative committees, land and forest owners), while developing socio-environmental diagnostics, georeferenced rural cadastres, management plans, political incidence, establishment of soil and water conservation works, monitoring of water quality to populations, ordering processes including the purchase of land for hydro diversity and micro basin conservation purposes.

Their 2 main programmes currently are focused on:

• Watershed Management, Conservation and Biodiversity: Territorial Order (socio-environmental diagnostics, management plans, georeferenced rural cadastres, land purchase in refill areas, soil and water conservation, flow analysis and water quality); developing measures for sustainable production and adaptation to Climate Change; Purchase of land for water conservation and Biodiversity.
• Food Safety: elaboration of ecological and environmental socio-economic baselines ; Establishment of agroforestry family gardens with native species; Post-harvest management; Productive diversification.

For more information, please visit their website.