Environmental Protectors Project Morazán kicks off in El Salvador

In El Salvador, where the impacts of climate change are growing increasingly severe—from prolonged droughts to intense storms and flooding—effective environmental governance is not just about sustainability; it’s about protecting the dignity and rights of communities.

That’s why NIMD El Salvador supports environmental rights organizations. One of the activities is the Protectoras Ambientales Morazán project – the Environmental Protectors project in the Morazán region, funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund.

The project is dedicated to strengthening the leadership and capacities of women in Morazán. Our goal is to empower them as agents of change in environmental and climate governance, as well as in conflict resolution and peacebuilding within the Morazán region.

The project is very special to NIMD because we are implementing it together with two civil society organizations: Ajudem Morazán and the Feminist Collective.

First Steering Committee Meeting

On 11 February 2025, the first meeting of the Steering Committee took place. This Committee, which will oversee and monitor the project’s implementation, is a diverse and inclusive body made up of various organizations, institutions, and local actors. It serves as one of the key mechanisms for coordinating the project’s activities.

The meeting was attended by the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Raúl Salazar, who praised the initiative as one of twelve UN-backed projects currently underway in El Salvador. He emphasized the significance of this project in particular, as it is the first to be exclusively led by civil society in the country.

This was echoed by Karla Escalanta, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, who spoke about the value of multi-stakeholder collaboration within projects and the importance of international cooperation.

Key milestones

NIMD El Salvador’s director, Juan Meléndez, used this opportunity to share some of the key milestones, achieved in the early months of the project.

In addition to finalizing the contracts and disbursing initial funds, NIMD and the other two implementing partners, have already been able to organize workshops on Resolution 1325, start training initiatives and support the Women’s Citizen Network of Morazán. So the project is well on its way.

Broad support

In the dialogue session that followed the introductory presentations, the members of the Steering Committee were able to learn more about the project and share their thoughts and expectations.

Both mayors of Morazán Sur and  Morazán Norte expressed strong support for the project and readiness to sign memorandums of understanding. NIMD, Ajudem Morazán and the Feminist Collective are clearly recognized as trusted and capable partners, whereby the mayor of Morazán Norte also emphasized the need for collaboration with other local organizations to maximize the impact of existing initiatives and avoid redundant efforts.

Next steps

The meeting concluded with a series of important agreements for the Steering Committee’s next steps.

Key decisions included establishing coordinated protection and security mechanisms to safeguard all participants, creating a sustainability plan to ensure the project’s long-term success, and maintaining open communication channels for ongoing monitoring and support.

Everyone agreed that it is important to create spaces for dialogue between the various groups working in the region. The project not only positions women as environmental protectors but also as decision-makers, encouraging their active participation in existing networks.