Our efforts in Guatemala are centered on protecting and restoring the country’s most polluted waterways, beginning with the Bay of Izabal and extending to the critically important Motagua River.
RiverImpact Barriers in Action
Our work began with the installation of RiverImpact Barriers in the Bay of Puerto San Tomás, Izabal. This initiative marked the start of our ongoing commitment to intercepting plastic waste and debris in the region. In collaboration with Fundaeco, the largest NGO in Guatemala dedicated to ecosystem protection, we have installed five barriers across small rivers feeding into the bay. These barriers play a crucial role in capturing debris and preventing it from entering the bay, thereby safeguarding marine and coastal environments.
Simultaneously, our most significant and impactful project to date is on the Motagua River—recognized as the most polluted river in Central America. The installation of a RiverImpact Barrier here has been pivotal in intercepting vast amounts of plastic waste that would otherwise flow into the Caribbean Sea, exacerbating marine pollution.
Community Involvement and Sustainability
Fundaeco, alongside local communities, is integral to the maintenance and success of these barriers. The communities actively participate in cleaning, sorting, and selling the collected debris and plastics for recycling. This process generates essential income for social projects within the communities, all coordinated by Fundaeco. The revenue from recycling not only benefits the local communities but also helps cover the operational costs of maintaining the barriers.
Partnerships and a Comprehensive Approach
In partnership with Fundaeco, we are jointly developing a comprehensive master plan to clean and protect both the Bay of Izabal and the Motagua River. Additionally, Invema, a key partner in our efforts, purchases the recyclable materials collected through our initiatives. With six barriers now in place—five in various rivers flowing into the Bay of Izabal and one on the Motagua River—our efforts in Guatemala are a critical part of our global mission to protect aquatic ecosystems.
For over 30 years working for the conservation of the biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources of Guatemala.
FUNDAECO has helped establish and manages 26 conservacion areas in Guatemala, Has teamed up with over 100 communities for the promotion of sustainable development.
Our program cooperates with existing programs of the Municipality of Puerto Barrios, GIZ, SICA y CCA, creating more consciousness for a circular economy and educate people and creating a cleaner Bay!
With these barriers we can extract thousands of tons of trash, which will be separated and sold to local recyclers to generate revenues for social projects in the community.
Deltares focuses on the Dutch, European, and global missions. It is the impact of these agendas that determine our priorities and actions. This mission-driven way of working is given focus at Deltares with so-called ‘moonshots’, ambitious goals with great social importance. We can only achieve this by working together with other (knowledge) partners and our client.
The 300-meter-long Delta Flume, where we can simulate waves over 4.5 meters high, is world-famous. Equally renowned is the innovative GeoCentrifuge, which accelerates subsurface processes that would take years in reality to just hours—essential for building roads or tunnels. Deltares’ research facilities for water and soil research are unique in many ways. Please take a look at the great diversity of innovative facilities at our disposal.
By using and sharing the software that we develop ourselves and with others worldwide, we make knowledge usable for developing, testing, and optimizing solutions to complex issues. This approach adds value to national and international missions and addresses social issues. We emphasize open data, open source, new key technologies, and collaboration with others.
Providing reliable expertise in the field of water and subsurface for almost a hundred years, Deltares is guided by the major societal issues for which its knowledge is indispensable. We work worldwide, leveraging the unique combination of our knowledge and research, along with our experts, specialized software, and data products. This enables us to advise policymakers and industry, addressing the challenges the world faces today.